Gaming sticks
Maker: Tsimshian
Medium:Painted wood
Geography: Skeena River region, British Columbia, Canada
Date: 19th-early 20th century
Object number: 939.31.64
Credit Line: George T. Emmons Collection
Gallery Location:Daphne Cockwell Gallery dedicated to First Peoples art & culture
DescriptionGambling, a common activity along the coast, was often played for high stakes. One
early explorer wrote that gamblers could lose all they held dear, including spouses and
children. The sticks are dealt out, often into different piles, and covered with cedar bark. Each player is required to guess the markings on the opponent’s sticks or guess the location of a stick with particular markings.
