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.