Examining The Tahuka Cangleska

A game of skill, tahuka cangleska (webbed hoop game) was played by men in the spring. Here men and school boys from St. Francis mission watch as men prepare to play. The men will try to spear the webbed hoop as it is rolled upon the ground. This photograph shoes a lot of details: From left to right can be seen: A man bent over holds a tahuka cangleska while a man kneeling examines one of the hoops. The stick the kneeling man is holding in his armpit looks much too big for a game piece and is probably his sagye (cane). Just to the right are two men facing each other. One unknown man leans on a painyankapi wand (cansakala). Next to this man is Bull Ring holding the other cansakala in his left hand and a hak wand in the crutch of his right arm for the hoop and elk prong game. Last we see Big Turkey gesturing or throwing with his right arm towards the camera and holding in his left hand three tahuka cangleska (webbed hoops) and two wahukeza (spears). The two wahukeza are decorated midway with small feathers that look like eagle breast fluffs.