Objective of the Game

The Tug-of-War was a favourite game for many people. It was often played dur­ing the great summer trade gatherings; everybody could take part.

Sometimes a team of men was challenged by a women's team. The outcome was not always as certain as one would have expected. Among the Gwich'in, for example, it was not uncommon for the women to beat the men, "not so surprising for those who know the strength of Kutchin women" (Cornelius Osgood). An old-time photo in Fort McPherson shows at least 19 women, pulling away with all their might on one side of the rope alone! Among all the Dene, the women did much of the hard work when people travelled on the land; this may well have been the reason for their great strength. Ed Hardisty also  remembers that on one occasion he watched the women beat the men in a Tug-of-War contest at Tulít'a.

Equipment

• Two sticks to mark the playing area.
• I5-20 m of strong rope; braided babiche, at least 4 or 5 strands thick, can also be used. A flag (a piece of cloth) is tied to the centre of the rope. Among the Dena'ina, this rope traditionally was made from brown bear skin.

Playing Area

• The area where the game is played should be flat and open.
• Deg Hit'an teams competed in the men's communal house.

Teams and Players

• Any number of people can participate, as long as the teams are evenly matched in terms of number and size of players.
• Among the Dogrib, eight players per side seems to have been a preferred number at one time. Deg Hit'an teams usually consisted of five players.
• Sometimes the women would play against the men.

How to Play

Preparation

• The two sticks are driven into the ground about 3-5 m apart. The rope is stretched out on the ground so that the centre flag is placed midway between the two marker sticks.
• A loop can be tied into both ends of the rope. The end player on each team puts the loop around his shoulder. This will prevent the rope from slipping.

Starting Position

• The teams line up on their end of the rope and take up the slack such that the centre flag is positioned at true centre.
• On each team, the player at the end of the rope puts his or her shoulder through the loop in order to prevent the rope from slipping.

Movement

• On the signal: "3-2-1-pull!", the teams begin to pull away with all their might.

End of Contest

• The team who manage to pull the marker flag (tied to the centre of the rope) past the stick driven into the ground, is the winner.

Safety Considerations

This is a fun game in which everybody can take part. It does not have to be played in a competitive elimination format. The teams should be evenly matched in terms of strength and numbers of players.

Spotters should be used to catch any players that slip and could be stepped on.