December 2019 Gallup Journey Magazine

Page 42

Winter Finger-String Games By Michele Laughing-Reeves

yes these pics are not of good quality

Manami Arviso making a “tepee/ parachute” out of string 42

December 2019

One fond memory from my childhood is playing with string during the long winter evenings. The setting for playing string games or making string figures is perfect during the long winter nights, when it’s too cold outside to do anything, including chores. With the wood stove keeping us warm, my brothers and sisters would each find a cozy spot and a long string and then start making different shapes out of it. For us, as children, the point of playing was to make as many different figures as possible. Sometimes there were new configurations to learn, especially if you were gifted with patience and hand-and-eye coordination. Of course, we had to pace ourselves through the months of December and January, but I don’t ever remember getting tired of it. Finger-string games are common throughout the world; however, the Navajos only play string games during the winter months. My understanding is that the Navajo concept of hozho teaches the interconnectedness of humans and nature, and that is why finger games are only played when spiders are hibernating. As a Navajo weaver, I truly appreciate this concept. Since Spider Woman took the time to teach Navajos how to weave, we should respect her and spiders enough to adhere to hozho. There are literally hundreds of different finger-string games and storytelling from different cultures around the world. Archeologists have discovered that finger-string stories and games have existed as long as recorded history and from all corners of the planet. Finger-string games were a part of tribal storytelling and amusement in such places as Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, and even in the Yukon Territory. As history teaches that exploration and trade caused the spread of commerce, resources, and knowledge, it has also helped in sharing cultural music, art, and entertainment. Finger-string games are often passed along from place to place, like sports and music. One ancient Japanese painting depicts a couple playing Cat’s Cradle, the 1700s’ term given to the string game by a European philosopher. Cat’s Cradle is played with two or more players who make a series of string figures without duplicating any previous figures, and the game ends when a player cannot make another figure. Another narrative describes how a man used his skill to create figures out of string to save his life, by entertaining the hostile natives in the middle of his


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