Finkingo: The Stickball Game (Choctaw)
The Choctaw game of stickball, known as Finkingo or kabocha, is featured in many Choctaw legends. According to tradition, the game was given to the Choctaw by the spirits to resolve conflicts without warfare. Stickball is played with two small rackets and a ball, and it is extremely fast and violent. The game was often played between villages, with hundreds of players on each side, goals miles apart, and games lasting from sunrise to sunset. One legend tells of a young warrior who won the hand of a chief's daughter by scoring the winning goal in a legendary match. Another story describes how s