I thought this was a very unique way to connect with communities through the use of educational technology and digital media…
A 3-day virtual tournament was held by the Savage Society and the Arts Council of New Westminster to help communities cultivate connections despite the barriers of the pandemic. Participants in this tournament played traditional Indigenous games through Zoom:
The teams began with equal amount of sticks and a set of “bones,” which are either marked with a stripe or unmarked. Alternating back and forth, one team would sing and drum, while a team-member switched the “bones” from hand to hand. The other team then guessed which hand held the unmarked “bone.” For each incorrect guess, that team lost a stick to the other team.
There was also song and dance and sharing of stories associated with this event. I thought it was an amazing way to continue connecting between communities especially during the pandemic and celebrate their uniqueness and connectedness through the use of digital media.
For more information, see: https://www.fnha.ca/wellness/sharing-our-stories/first-nations-communities-connect-and-have-fun-with-a-virtual-traditional-stick-game-tournament