A game accompanied by drumming in which two teams try to guess in which hand designated players hold two ‟bones”. The ‟bones” are usually made of caribou or moose horn. One member of each pair of bones has a dark band in the middle. This is referred to as the ‟black” bone. The other is referred to as the ‟white” bone. lahal is sometimes played in competition, but traditionally is an occasion for gambling. Two teams of at most six players sit facing each other. The players of the team holding the bones drum and sing. At one end in between the two teams is a judge who awards points. Score is kept by means of sticks. The judge awards the first eleven points from his stock of sticks. Thereafter, a point awarded to one team comes from the other team's stock of sticks. A team wins by acquiring all eleven sticks. Pointing to the left indicates a guess that both white bones are in the right hand. Pointing to the right indicates a guess that both white bones are in the left hand. Pointing straight down indicates a guess that the white bones are in the inside hands. Each team has a captain who, on each round, chooses the two players who will hold the bones, if his team is holding, or the player who will point, if not. If the pointer correctly guesses the location of both white bones, his team receives the bones.

Etymology: Loan from Chinook Jargon.

Related Words:   Recreation

henjac