CHAPTER IV

GAMES
5 Bie subject of games, lying on the border-line of social

customs, was one which was not fully investigated. The
Bella Coola, like all other peoples, have a number of sports and
pastimes and although the old diversions are being forgotten
by the younger people, many of the old men and women are
familiar with those played in their youth. As isolated customs
these may be of small value, but games of all kinds often pre-
serve ancient practices and, as providing useful clues to the
spread of peoples or of culture, are worthy of investigation.
Unfortunately, lack of time made it impossible to give the
subject the attention it deserved, and the few games here
described must not be considered an exhaustive treatment of
the subject.

Though less fond of competitive sports than the Indians
of the Plains, the Bella Coola enjoy canoe-racing and wrestling.
The former appears to have been an ancient diversion; picked
crews from different villages competed.amid the encouraging
shouts of their fellows, and even now the younger men are
anxious to display their skill in this respect. Wrestling, which
used to be common during all non-sacred gatherings, has almost
entirely disappeared since the prohibition of the potlatch.

The favourite sedentary pastime, enjoyed equally by young
and old, is the telling of stories. Those of a sacred nature,
especially ancestral myths, are reserved of course for cere-
monial occasions, but the older men and women remember
many tales describing the exploits of birds and animals which
are recounted again and again to the enjoyment of the listeners,
although they may have heard the same recital fifty times.
Children enjoy the companionship of some old story-teller and
it is a common sight to see an old man or woman, surrounded
by an eager group, explaining once more how Raven outwitted
his rivals or was himself led into difficulties. Many of these
stories are somewhat indecent; others appear brutally frank,

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