Week 2 – Potawatomi, Pegnegewen (stickball) + DIY Lacrosse sticks
We began Quarks gym with gathering at the far pavilion to look at real examples (thanks Vicki!) as well as images of La Crosse Sticks, discussed their function, forms and materials, learned a bit about the Potawatomi and indigenous practices for settling disagreements. We read “The Great Ballgame A Muskogee Story” by Bruchac, Joseph; a folktale that frames the origins of Stickball (an early version of La Crosse) within a dispute between different groups of animals.
We then created our own sticks for enacting the game using recycled materials and tape. The group really had fun engaging in the process of creating their own tools for imaginative physical play, and had a lot of fun testing them out with each other and recreating their own version of the folktale.
Physical Education + STEM skills: Building, cooperation, problem solving.
Cultural Studies: lacrosse, origins as Pegnegewen (stickball), Potawatomi Nation,