Kah is an

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño an ...

game described by

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ba ...

in his 1906 autobiography as told to S. M. Barrett. The game was always played at night, after a feast and dancing were held to celebrate some notable event. It usually involved gambling and was the most popular gambling game among the Apaches.

Playing the game

Kah (literally translated as "foot") involved two sides, one at first representing the feathered tribe, or birds, of the Apache

creation story A creation myth (or cosmogonic myth) is a symbolic narrative of how the world began and how people first came to inhabit it., "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the universe and its inhabitants came to be. Creation myths develop ...

; the other representing the beasts. Each side might be one player or a team of any number. The teams are separated by a campfire. On each side a row of four holes are dug about four feet (1.2 m) apart, and in each hole is placed a

moccasin A moccasin is a shoe, made of deerskin or other soft leather, consisting of a sole (made with leather that has not been "worked") and sides made of one piece of leather, stitched together at the top, and sometimes with a vamp (additional panel o ...

. The side representing the feathered tribe hangs blankets between the fire and them so that the team representing the beasts cannot see what they are doing, and then they begin to sing. They then place a bone in one of the four moccasins. The bone represents the sacred round white stone that the eagle dropped on the head of a monster, killing it and thereby benefiting mankind, in the creation story. Once the bone has been hidden, the singing continues but the blankets are torn down, and a designated player of the beasts' side immediately runs up to and strikes one of the moccasins with a war club, having a one in four chance of finding the bone. If successful, the team of the beasts gets possession of the bone and have their turn representing the feathered tribe, singing and hiding the bone on their side of the campfire. Otherwise the hiding team keeps possession of the bone for the next round. Scoring is kept by using a bundle of sticks. For each point scored, that team takes one stick. The game is over when no sticks are left, the side having the most sticks being declared the winner. Each game usually takes about four or five hours to play.

Variation

The Arizona Historical Society's web site says that the team representing the beasts does the singing while the birds' team hides the bone in one of the moccasins. If the singing team finds the bone they get a point but they do not get the bone. Rather, they get to sing and search again.Esperanza’s World – Native American Center – Apache
Arizona Historical Society, accessed September 6, 2015 That contradicts Geronimo's description, however.

References

{{reflist Apache culture Native American sports and games Gambling games