Horse Races
Horse races were one way the Nez Perce entertained themselves, although they had little time for any sort of fun. Simply providing food for the tribe was what took the majority of their time every day. With their love of horses and great skill, no one was much of a match for this tribe, resulting in the various tribes of Nez Perce coming together to race one another.
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Gambling Gambling was another common pastime among the Indians. This was mainly among the men, as the women did most of the work and had no leisure time at all. They would smoke tobacco in pipes passed from one to another and play games around fires for a long time. This seemed to be a fairly common occurrence when the men were not hunting or fighting other tribes.
Although it is not stated what they gambled with, it could have been money, clothing, tobacco, weapons or any other thing of value that they owned. |
Foot Races
Foot races were also a way the men and boys entertained themselves in their free time. Being very active and good at running, this created a way to prove themselves among their own tribe and gain honor with their peers. This was a good thing as they got older, giving them a greater chance at being a leader in their tribe. |
