UNC Press - Anetso, the Cherokee Ball Game

328 pp., 6.125 x 9.25, 17 illus., notes, bibl., index

A project of First Peoples: New Directions in Indigenous Studies

Cloth

ISBN 978-0-8078-3360-5

Published: July 2010

At the Center of Ceremony and Identity

Anetso, a centuries-old Cherokee ball game still played today, is a vigorous, sometimes violent activity that rewards speed, strength, and agility. At the same time, it is the focus of several linked ritual activities. Is it a sport? Is it a religious ritual? Could it possibly be both? Why has it lasted so long, surviving through centuries of upheaval and change?

Based on his work in the field and in the archives, Michael J. Zogry argues that members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation continue to perform selected aspects of their cultural identity by engaging in anetso, itself the hub of an extended ceremonial complex, or cycle. A precursor to lacrosse, anetso appears in all manner of Cherokee cultural narratives and has figured prominently in the written accounts of non-Cherokee observers for almost three hundred years. The anetso ceremonial complex incorporates a variety of activities which, taken together, complicate standard scholarly distinctions such as game versus ritual, public display versus private performance, and tradition versus innovation.

Zogry's examination provides a striking opportunity for rethinking the understanding of ritual and performance as well as their relationship to cultural identity. It also offers a sharp reappraisal of scholarly discourse on the Cherokee religious system, with particular focus on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation.

About the Author

Michael J. Zogry is associate professor of religious studies at the University of Kansas.

Reviews

"A superb amalgamation of historical and ethnological methodologies and interpretations of evidence, Zogry demonstrates the defiant persistence of Cherokee cultural and religious elements embedded within Anetso that contemporary Cherokee ball players and spectators continue to embrace today."
--H-Net Reviews

"Provides a striking opportunity for rethinking the understanding of ritual and performance as well as their relationship to cultural identity. . . . Offers a sharp reappraisal of scholarly discourse on the Cherokee religious system."
--Edgefield Advertiser

"Zogry combines extensive archival research and ethnographic fieldwork with a firm theoretical foundation to convincingly argue for the centrality of anetso to Cherokee cultural identity. . . . Conceptually clear and culturally sensitive. . . . A valuable contribution."
--West Virginia History

"A remarkable assessment of anetso. . . . An important and compelling work. . . . It will certainly remain the standard text on the topic for years to come."
--Indigenous Peoples Issues & Resources

"Innovative, compelling, and thoroughly researched. . . . Specialists in Cherokee religion, ritual studies, and religion and sports will appreciate this book."
--Religion in American History

"A fascinating exploration of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' ball game, Anetso."
--Journal of American History