This page contains full text versions of documents relevant to this exhibit. All of these works are in the public domain and therefore can be freely reproduced.
Buechel, Fr. Eugene, S.J. Ethnographic Notes Fr. Buechel wrote various notes about Lakota language and culture. One of the larger sections of his ethnographic notes is on games. Some of the notes explain games he actually collected during his work on Pine Ridge and Rosebud. The majority of the notes were written in 1915 although there are some pages dated 1917 and many pages do not have dates on them. It is unclear excpet in a few cases exactly how Fr. Buechel ordered this collection of notes as the pages are loose and unnumbered.Culin, Stewart, Games of the North American Indians, Twenty-fourth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology, 1902-1903 " (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1907). This text is unavailable in electronic format but it is an important work for those interested in Native games across North America. Culin relies primarily on Walker and Meeker for information on Lakota and Dakota games. The work is illustrated with line drawings as well as a few pen and wash sketches. This book was republished in 1975 as a single volume by Dover Press and again in 1992 by the University of Nebraska press so it is readily available.
Dorsey, James Owen: Games of Teton Dakota Children This work describes a wide variety of games used by the Lakota. The games are classifed according to the age and genders of the participants.
Eastman, Charles Indian Boyhood Dakota physician and author Charles Eastman (1858-1939) describes his early years in this work. Chapter 3 is entitled My Plays and Playmates and contains descriptions of various games and amusements.
Meeker, Louis L Ogalala Games. This work provides descriptions and illustrations of traditional Lakota games. Meeker collected game equipment which is currently on deposit at the University of Pennyslvania's Museum of Natural History and Archaeology. I hope to soon have digital photos of these objects thanks to the museum.
One Feather, Vivian: Woskate - A Curriculum Materials Resource Unit. This is a collection of descriptions of various Lakota games based on previously published literature on the subject as well as information gathered from local Lakota scholars, particulary Max Blacksmith of Oglala, South Dakota. The book is designed for teaching Lakota culture on the reservation and contains Lakota terms for each of the games.
Walker, James R Sioux Games I James Walker published this work in 1905 in the Journal of American Folklore. He felt that Meeker's work was deficient in that he neglected to include the rules for each game. This work basically outlines the rules for particular games as well as noting the gender and age range of the players. Walker does not illustrate the games but he did collect game pieces which were deposited at the American Museum of Natural History. Thanks to the generosity of the Museum staff you can view the gaming devices collected by James Walker, Clark Wissler and others that are now preserved in the collection.
Walker, James R Sioux Games II The second part of Walker's descriptions of game rules was published in 1906 in the Journal of American Folklore. Like the first part, this piece basically outlines the rules for each game. Walker does not illustrate the games but he did collect game pieces which were deposited at the American Museum of Natural History. Thanks to the generosity of the Museum staff you can view the gaming devices collected by James Walker, Clark Wissler and others that are now preserved in the collection.
Other Works of Fr. Buechel
Buechel, S.J., Eugene and Rogers, Dilwin Lakota Names and Traditional Uses of Lakota Plants by Sicangu (Brule) People, in the Rosebud Area, South Dakota: A Study Based on Fr. Eugene Buechel's Collection of Plants of Rosebud around 1920. This electronic edition is reproduced with permission of the Rosebud Educational Society, Inc.
Other Information on Fr. Buechel and St. Francis Mission
The Special Collections and University Archives department at Marquette University serves as the repository for all historical documents from St. Francis mission. Their website has a complete listing of current holdings. The University is currently in the process of providing the Buechel Museum with positive micorfilm copies of all docuemnts currently held at Marquette that originated from St. Francis Mission. The Museum and Maquette are doing this to facilitate research by local Lakota people as well as for the convenience of researchers who might visit the museum and not have had the time to borrow the material directly from Marquette while they are there. Currently the Museum holds the following positive microfilm documents relevant to Fr. Buechel and the ethnogrpahic collection held at the Buechel Museum:
Documents Originating at Holy Rosary Mission, Pine Ridge:
JESUIT PAPERS, 1883, 1886-1955, 1960-1963, 1965-1993, n.d. MICROFILM REEL 1-19
Documents Originating at St. Francis Mission, Rosebud:
JESUIT PAPERS, 1888-1955, 1966-1967, 1972-1978, 1980, 1982, 1986-1987, n.d.MICROFILM REELS 1-7
Fr. Buechel moved between St. Francis and Holy Rosary Missions at various times in his life. Thus his ethnographic collection is housed at St. Francis while his enthographic notes were housed at Holy Rosary Mission and subsequently archived at Marquette. The Buechel Memorial Lakota Museum and Marquette University and working cooperatively to povide all documents releveant to Fr. Buechel's ethnogrpahic reseach as well as relevant to Fr. Buechel himself on-site at the Buechel Museum.