It’s official title is the Great Indian Pathfinding, Scalping, Scavenging, Foraging and Storytelling Game, although it’s normally, and appropriately, referred to by the title of this post. In this coed game, worth double points in the Indian Days scoring, the members of the five Iroquois tribes break up into smaller groups, performing a variety of functions:
By finishing first in both the pathfinding and foraging portions of the game, the Mohawk scored a fairly easy victory. When questioned before the final tally was announced, these tribal members appeared confident of their standing. “I think we got first,” voiced Tamrin. “We got two flints, plus the Tuscy deer meat, but we missed a lot of the scavenging.”
“I think we might have won,” added Thomas. “I had never done the pathdining before, and we came in first. We also did well in the foraging and tribal tasks.”
The Mohawk victory really came during one two-minute stretch during the morning-long game, as tribal sachem Katia discovered two valuable flints, including her tribe’s own, in this short span of time (pictured above). “I found them up near the road, very close together. I couldn’t believe it; they were so close together!”
The win was a big boost for a Mohawk tribe that’s looking for its first overall Indian Games title in 11 years.