Scene 16: Indians at Their Games

The last scene to be conserved during this summer’s Restoring an American Treasure has just gone on view. Scene 16: Indians at Their Games, depicts a group of Native Americans playing chunkey, a game with ancient roots. To tell us more about chunkey, we have Amy Clark, curatorial research assistant specializing in Ancient American art.

The main objective of chunkey was to throw a long spear or stick at a rolling disk.  The person who threw the stick closest to the resting place of the disk was declared the winner.  Although the game rules varied by region and evolved over time, chunkey was considered a competitive, gambling sport by all.
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