Pi'ksíkahtssin

Pi'ksíkahtssin refers to what is known in English as hand games. 

Hand games are played by Indigenous communities throughout North America. They were banned in the Blackfoot community in the 1940s and the memory of that still impacts us today. 

You can learn more about hand games here. 

• Performing: using songs and motions to discourage the opponent from guessing the stick

• Intuition: Being able to read people, communicate, read their emotions

• Spirit: It is a spiritually believing game. 

• Control: Learning to control your emotions through this game

• Napi Hand Games Story

• saoki 'prairie' 

• isskihta’ 'east / toward the prairie'

Imperative verb forms

• Pi’ksíkahtsit! - 'Play a hand game!'

• (N)inihkít! - 'Sing!'

• Iksísatoot! - 'Hide it!'

Nouns

• isttokimaan - 'drum, drumming'

• ohkin - 'bone'

• miistsís - 'stick'

• kaanaisskiinaa - 'mouse' (see also: words for animals)

• iiníí - 'buffalo' (see also: words for animals)

• kiááyo 'bear' (see also: words for animals)

Other words and expressions

• isskoohtsika - 'long time ago'

• nááwoohtsi - 'leftward'

• Songs provide opportunities for rhythmic repetition

• Counting

• Imperatives

Division 1 

• Students concentrate on guessing using a pebble, and can graduate to keeping score using the kick sticks. 

• Students can learn simple chanting songs.

Division 2 

• Students start with the pebble and 3 sticks and then they would graduate to using two bones, 10 sticks, and 1 kick stick 

• Introduce more songs

Division 3 

• Students play with 2 bones, 1 kick stick, and 10 sticks.

• Each group can have as many participants in their team as they want, unless there are rules from the organizers/host. 

• Students would begin a hand game song to sing when it is their turn to hide 

Division 4 

• Similar play format to Division 3  

• Introduce more intricate songs

• Introduce new vocabulary

• Increase use of sentences and phrases