Dice Game

The game (kwezage’win) was played only by women, and mostly in the winter in place of double-ball. Like the two preceding games, this one is also sponsored by a woman in honor of her guardian spirit, and similar ceremonial preliminaries are held. After the feast, a blanket is spread out on the floor and the women sit in a circle, but divided into two teams with each side sitting in a semi-circle facing the other. As many women can play as want to, but there are only four prizes: yard goods of red, blue, green, and white. The gaming equipment consists of a wooden bowl and eight dice, six of which are thin, circular discs; one is carved in the form of a turtle and one represents a horse’s head. Dice were formerly made of buffalo rib, but horse’s ribs are used at present. One surface of each die is colored blue (red may also be used). Thus each die has a colored and a white side. The bowl is held with both hands, and the dice shaken to the far side of the bowl which is given one flip, set on the floor, and the score counted , as follows:

All of similar color except 2, counts 1 point All of similar color except 1, counts 3 points
All of similar color except turtle, counts 5 points
All of similar color except horse, counts 10 points
All of similar color counts 8 points
All of similar color except turtle and horse counts 10 points

The score is tallied by the woman laying out the correct number of bean counters in front of her. Each woman shakes until she misses twice, and passes on the bowl in a clockwise rotation. The first to score ten points wins the game, and a piece of the yard goods is given to one of the men spectators, who returns a gift of equal value in the future.

From The Potawatomi Indians of Wisconsin by Robert E. Rizenthaler Milwaukee Public Museum Bulletin, Vol. 19, No. 3, January 1953