Abstract:
The Cherokee sport of stickball was based on the legend of a game played between animals and birds. The object of the game was to be the first team to score twelve points by putting the leather ball through the opponent's goal. Stickball was usually played between opposing tribes and occasionally served to settle disputes in place of war. Players had few rules to limit their means to win as blows to the head and chest were legal, for example and death was not uncommon. While stickball is still a part of Cherokee culture today, it has been transformed into a less violent activity.