We, the Iroquoian people, follow the rhythm of the seasons. Nature can be unpredictable and sometimes we must fight to survive. We work hard. But that doesn’t mean we work all the time! We also have free time.

Iroquoians of all ages like to have fun: playing games, celebrating, chit-chatting and playing sports. Are you wondering what kind of games kids like to play, and if their games are like yours? Well, they like dolls, the cup and ball game, pretend fighting and hunting, running, fooling around with the dogs, imitating the adults. We also played dice games, like Atenaha (The Seed Game), and many others. These are some of the activities young Iroquoian boys and girls enjoyed.

What’s our favourite sport? That’s easy: Lacrosse! It is a competitive sport that is played in teams. We use a stick that has a net at one end to throw a ball into the other team’s goal. We also like to play gambling games with dice or straws.

We also have celebrations… Some take place every season while others are held on special occasions, like when a shaman has a special dream. During these celebrations, we dance, eat and sing.

Author: Service national du Récit de l’univers social

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