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Crow Indians & Their Favorite Games to Play for Children

The Crow nation of Native Americans was once known as the Apsaalooke people. The name "crow" comes from the direct translation of "Apsaalooke," which means big-beaked bird. This group of native people became semi-nomadic with the introduction of the horse, which gave them greater ability to follow buffalo herds. Family roles had young mothers doing the bulk of the work at the home and grandparents in charge of child care. It is from these caretakers that children learned their favorite games.

Hoop and Spear
- Boys of the Crow nation learned this game that could help teach them hunting skills. One person rolled the hoops on the ground while two other people threw their spears at the hoop, which had a woven design similar to a dream-catcher. Points were scored according to where the spear landed in the sections of the weaving of the hoop.
Follow the Leader
- According to North Dakota Studies, this was a common game among several tribes. A group of children around 8 to 10 years of age picked one leader and followed her around the entire village while in a straight line. Sometimes the children would stop and sing songs for the adults. The benefits were two-fold. Adults could keep a closer eye on a group of children, and the children would get to know the village. Another variation of this game was called "Follow My Leader."
Follow the Bad Road
- Older boys played a variation of "Follow the Leader" in which one boy was chosen to lead a line of boys as they traversed rocky or tricky terrain. If the leader fell or took a misstep, he would be sent to the back of the line and the next boy would become the leader. This game developed strength, agility and sure-footedness.
Small Ball Game
- Girls would play with dolls made of corn husks, squash hulls and deerskin. They would also play a game with a small ball made of leather and stuffed with antelope hair that would be bounced in the air. The goal was to keep bouncing the ball to see how long you could keep it up in the air. Some girls were reportedly able to kick the ball as many as 100 times.

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