Chasing the Bones: A Study of Stickgame Songs from Western Montana.
Kuo, Kathleen.
2013
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Abstract: Stickgame is one of the oldest indigenous games of chance still
played today. But as society and culture have changed to accommodate various historic and
social pressures, the structure of the game and the songs that accompany the gameplay too
have transformed accordingly. With the transmission of traditional values strongly
curtailed and severely handicapped over the last century, ... read moreindividuals have had to find new
ways to cope and new outlets with which to express their understanding of these changes. In
this thesis I focus on the changing use and performance of stickgame songs belonging to the
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes from the Flathead Indian Reservation in western
Montana. I examine how these songs act as markers of social identity, what function they
hold for those who sing them, and why. The role of stickgame songs in facilitating
contemporary intertribal and intragroup relationships should not be overlooked. Though the
game continues to evolve, it nevertheless holds tremendous value and significance for those
who play.
Thesis (M.A.)--Tufts University, 2013.
Submitted to the Dept. of Music.
Advisor: David Locke.
Committee: Nicholas Tochka, and Ray Jackendoff.
Keywords: Music, Native American studies, and Cultural anthropology.read less - ID:
- 0k225p158
- Component ID:
- tufts:21936
- To Cite:
- DCA Citation Guide EndNote
