Chunkey

Similar to shuffleboard or bocce ball, a number of Native cultures in the eastern United States played chunkey. The sport was not only played for recreation, but also to settle disputes and spread regional culture. Evidence of chunkey has been found hundreds of miles from Cahokia, hinting at the influence of this cultural center.

There are variations of this game, but all versions share similarities. Give the instructions below a try and see if you can play your own game of chunkey!

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Did You Know?

NAAM Animated Cahokia
animation showing people playing chunkey that reads: The objective of chunkey is to have your pole come to rest closest to the stone disc once it stops rolling
Animated chunkey gif reading that chunkey originated in Cahokia, near modern day St. Louis, Missouri.

REFERENCES

Chunkey. Cherokee Nation Website.

Native American Chunkey. Health and Fitness History.

Pauketat, T. R. (2009) America’s First Pastime [Abstract]. Archaeology Magazine. 62 (5).

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