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The most action packed day of the summer camp calendar began with the 102nd annual Great Indian Pathfinding, Scalping, Skulking, Scavenging, Foraging and Storytelling game, aka, The World’s Most Complicated Game. “It was very  confusing, but fun,” said Tuscarora Josh Moody. Despite being penalized for a few rules infractions, Moody’s tribe won the contest. “We won in the foraging, thanks to getting a bunch of deer meat, as well as our own flint (right).”
For the “Tuscies”, 2005 overall Champions, this marked their 2nd victory of the season. Finishing second were the Onondaga, with the Seneca, Mohawk and Cayuga rounding out the standings. “We were pleased with all of the tasks the tribes performed,” stated White Woman Dana Beck. “Especially nice was the tasty honey roasted ’McDrew’, and the Alex Comeau Mohawk hairdo impersonations.” (see below)
In the afternoon’s Camp MacCready event, the Seneca cruised to an easy win in The Great Journey. “We were so far behind but then in just a few legs we caught up,” voiced tribal member Claire Nelson. Brimming with confidence, assistant Sachem Lindsay Kantor said, “We won big!” while Sachem Eleanor Roberts added, “We’re back in the hunt and now we’re going to school the other tribes!”
The Onondaga steam started heating up late in the afternoon with a victory in the boys Iroquois Nation Rolas event. For the “’Dagas”, both the younger and older squads fared well in this ancient athletic contest called “the oldest game known to  man.” Summed up winning tribal member Matt Hepworth: “The key has been well organized teamwork. It’s good we’ve had a lot of victories. We haven’t won in a while and now we are getting on a streak.”
Hepworth gave that appraisal prior to the Onondaga domination that was the Tug-Of-War. The evening event featured a new feature for 2006-- For the first time, the boys and girls competitions were treated as separate events. In this annual test of strategy, strength and teamwork, the Onondaga not only won both competitions, but did so with undefeated records. “I felt happy that both the ‘Daga boys and girls went undefeated,” stated assistant Chief Spencer Ivey who cited his team’s success with, “changing our strategy this year. Instead of pulling every two or three seconds, we pulled steady.”
Runner-up for the boys tug was the Tuscarora, while the Seneca placed second to the Onondaga in the girls competition. It is those three tribes that appear to be in the hunt for the 2006 overall Indian Days title. Wednesday will bring the decisive competitions of the Great Indian Relay Race, Tribal Tasks and Capture the Chiefs Bonnet. Additionally, the five tribes will be adjudicated on their journals, as well as their respective tribal projects and presentations. The champion will be announced at tonight’s closing council fire. “We will not rest on our laurels,” said Onondaga Chief Alex Schade. “We’ll keep fighting until this is over!”
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fourth highest peak in New York. Brooks, a Texas native, becomes the 277th member of the camp family to complete the 46 high peaks of the Adirondacks, and the first to do it this year. (
