Anetso, the Cherokee Ball Game

At the Center of Ceremony and Identity

Nonfiction, Sports, Lacrosse, Religion & Spirituality, Other Practices, Ethnic & Tribal, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Native American Studies
Cover of the book Anetso, the Cherokee Ball Game by Michael J. Zogry, The University of North Carolina Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael J. Zogry ISBN: 9780807898208
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press Publication: July 22, 2010
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press Language: English
Author: Michael J. Zogry
ISBN: 9780807898208
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Publication: July 22, 2010
Imprint: The University of North Carolina Press
Language: English

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.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

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.

More books from The University of North Carolina Press

Cover of the book Climate and Catastrophe in Cuba and the Atlantic World in the Age of Revolution by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Imprisoned in a Luminous Glare by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book The Puerto Rican Nation on the Move by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Secret Sharing: Debutantes Coming Out in the American South by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Behind the White Picket Fence by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Charles Waddell Chesnutt by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book White Women, Rape, and the Power of Race in Virginia, 1900-1960 by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book The Road to Madness by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Creating Consumers by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book The Inner Islands by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Much More Than a Game by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Lost Sound by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Southern Cultures by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Talk with You Like a Woman by Michael J. Zogry
Cover of the book Witness for Freedom by Michael J. Zogry
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy