The Utah Paiutes

1. The Utah Paiutes

2. You are a young Paiute warrior. Your name is Tate which means, “He who talks too much.” Winter is coming and you have some decisions to make. First, you are going to need some winter clothes. You decide to trade for some buffalo furs to keep you warm. You decide to trade for some buckskin to keep you warm.

3. It is against Paiute tradition not to accept food or anything else that someone wants to give you. By refusing their food you offend your family members and it takes years for them to forgive you. Go back to the beginning.

4. There are no elk and moose in the desert of Utah which is where you live. These animals are found in the forests of Utah where there is plenty of water. Go back to the beginning.

5. You’re a Paiute and so you don’t make teepees. You have never made teepees and you have no idea on how to make a teepee. Go back to the beginning.

6. You chose correctly. Paiutes would make their homes out of desert grasses and sticks. These were called wiki-ups. You decide that it is time to marry a girl. How do earn favor with the girls parents? You decide to take them some furs so that they like you better. You decide to give your fiancé's family some horses.

7. Buckskin (the hide from a deer) is commonly used by the Paiutes in the winter. Good job! With your trade you feel it’s time to set out on your own and build your own home. What will you use to build your new home? You decide to make a teepee. It is going to look awesome when you’re finished. You decide to make a wiki-up with grass and mud.

8. Good choice. It was a Paiute custom for grooms to give their wife’s mother and father horses as a wedding gift. Before you get married you need to stock up on food for the upcoming winter . What food should you stock up on? You decide to stock up on elk and moose. They would provide you with plenty of meat for the winter. You decide to stock up on insects, flowers, chuckwallas, and skunkbrush.

9. As a Paiute you live in the desert. There are no buffalo in your area. You really have no idea what you’re doing. Go back to the beginning.

10. Paiute tradition states that you should give your future bride’s parents a gift for marrying their daughter, but it’s not fur. Go back to the beginning.

11. Even though it doesn’t sound good these were foods that were all part of the diet of a Southern Paiute. A storage of chuckwalla, skunkbrush and insects should keep you well fed during the winter. Before you get married you decide to visit some family members. After visiting and eating for some time you are offered more food but you are already so full you cannot take another bite. You politely refuse the offer of more food. You decide to accept the offer even though more food will make you sick.

12. Your decision to take the food was a wise one. Paiutes do not refuse food from a host. If you would have refused food you would have offended your family members. After leaving your family members you need to speak to your tribal leader about your wedding. You speak to the biggest, strongest man in the tribe. He must be the tribal leader because of his great strength. You speak to a woman who is well liked in the tribe.

13. Paiutes did not choose their leaders based upon strength. Tribal leaders could be male or female. You approach the strongest member of the tribe to discuss your wedding but he looks at you as if you are crazy. Why does he want to hear about your wedding? Go back to the beginning and try your luck again.

14. Paiutes did not have chiefs like many other tribes. A tribal leader could be a man or a woman. You speak with the female tribal leader and everything seems ready for your wedding day. With all the planning finished you decide to play a game with some friends. Choose your traditional Paiute sport equipment.

15. You chose correctly. The shinny stick was used in a Paiute game called Kwepu’kok or Que’pauck or “shinny.” To learn how this game was played click this link. Feeling extremely happy about your wedding you decide to make a record of it so that others will know what happened during your special day. You begin to wonder how you are going to preserve the memory of your wedding ceremony. You decide to write everything down in your diary. You decide to write down everything about your wedding on some nearby rocks.

16. You chose a cricket paddle. Cricket is a popular sport in many parts of the world but it was not played by the Paiutes. Go back to the beginning and try again.

17. Although it seems strange some Paiute men would marry more than one wife. This usually happened as a way for a widow (a woman whose husband has died) to be taken care of and provided for. You have successfully made it to your wedding day. You end up marrying both your wife and her sister. Congrats! The End

18. Paiutes did not use paper to write anything. Being a Paiute you have really no idea what a journal even is. Go back to the beginning, things might work out better next time.

19. Nice work. Paiutes like many Native American tribes used petroglyphs to record important events. Before your wedding day a tragic event happens. Your future brother-in-law gets sick and suddenly dies. What do you do to help support your fiancé's sister? You decide to help your fiancé's sister by giving her some food and clothes. You decide to marry your fiancé's sister.

20. The equipment needed for this game is a buckskin ball about the size of a baseball and a stick of the proper size to strike this ball comfortably. The ball could also be made of rags or with rabbit skin fur. This stick resembles a hockey stick and should be shaped similar to the stick in the sketch below. The base of the stick should be flattened some of the striking end to hit the ball squarely. Choose a field approximately 50 to 75 yards long. Two teams are formed with an equal of players on each side (Some have suggested 7 players). If team A was to start the game off, it would hit the ball from the X mark knocking it towards the other end of the field as shown in the sketch below. Team A’s purpose would be to get the ball across the goal line marked Y. Team B’s purpose would be to prevent them and get the ball across the goal line marked Z. Players and bystanders would bet any of their personal possessions on the side they thought would win. When one side got the ball across their opponent’s line, they won the game. However, there may also have been a point system. After one team won they would rest for a while and then play again. The teams would change goals between each game and the winning team would start the game off by hitting the ball towards their goal.

21. It was not Paiute custom for a woman who had been widowed to be left by herself. Often she would have married her sister’s husband. You left your sister-in-law on her own. For shame. Go back to the beginning.