Waltes is an ancient Mi’kmaq/L’nu game of chance played by two or more people using bone chips and a shallow wooden bowl. The Waltestanqank are made of bone from either caribou or deer. After the bone has been cooked, cleaned of all meat and fat, and dried, the selected part of the bone is cut into squares, then rounded off at the corners by filing. One side or face is left flat while the other side is rounded (as in some buttons). These chips or buttons are marked with a cross, while the rounded ones are left unmarked. The bowl is made from burl – a hump found on the side of hardwood trees. This hump is cut off and fashioned into a bowl by patient carving. The burl is boiled in salted water for 6 hours to remove the gum; this is done by several changes of water. The wood is then much easier to carve and will not crack or break even with constant pounding.

The Game:

1st Pile

• Kitmaqank – counter sticks

• There are 51 plain round sticks about 7” long.

• 3 Tqamuewe’l – old ladies or wives

• 1 Kisiku – old man

• The 3 tqamuewe’l are like half arrows, they have three notches on one side, these represent 5 points each.

• Kisiku – has notches on both sides, somewhat like the old ladies, it too is 5 points. Kitmaqank counter sticks – 3 represent 1 point.

• 1 lift – one down and five up equals 1 point.

• 2 lifts are 3 points equal to 9 sticks.

• 3 lifts are 5 points equals wins one old lady (patched)

• All dice up or down is 5 points. Wins 1 old lady, the ladies can be patched, but the old man cannot be patched.

2nd Pile

• The counting changes when all the old ladies have been won; the old man is left alone, and this is when they start gathering firewood on the old man.

• 1 stick equals 1 point.

• These can be used to count off the old man.

• There are times when the players might have more firewood than the one who won the old man. If this happens, the one who won the old man would have to pay for the sticks on the pile.

• After counting off the old man, this is called ESATIKJAWLET-KISIKU.

• Before the settling of debts is made, the other player has one chance of winning back the old man. If he is lucky in winning him back, it represents 10 points.

Here, the counting changes if the old man has won. Wi’kuowtatijik competing for sticks.

• Mente’matioq – one person collects, the other takes off sticks.

• Mena’tu – take sticks off.

• Pow – Tqamuewet – 5 points is paid for by four sticks four times instead of three sticks five times, thus sixteen sticks rather than 15 plain ones.

• Kwetapa’lut Kwimu – sinking the loon, all face up or down is 15 points.

All debts are paid at this time. If there are one or two sticks left by the opponent, he gets a chance to dance.

• Ela’lukwen – old man and one stick – 7 points

• Old Man – 7 points

• Old man 2 sticks – 6 points

• 3 sticks – 6 points

• 2 sticks – 7 points

• 4 sticks – 6 points

• 1 stick – 7 points

Paqasikjenut – Last chance to glide over the water. Here, she will have three hand throws at the bowl. Then he could arrange the dice before he lifts the waltes bowl.

The person not dancing may not A’maq mu kisi A’-maq (waving hand over dice).

During dancing - tqamuewey is 3 points instead of 5 points. Five dice up and one down or vice versa, twice is 2 points instead of 3. If the dancing player gets the points he was aiming for, the other player gets the points and wins the game.

Waltes Vocabulary:

Study the following words:

• Waltes – a Mi’kmaq game kitmaqnn – counting sticks kiskui’skw – old lady

• a’ma – swinghand over dice esnoqnet – gathering firewood kisikuo’p – old man

• kespu’tuet – he or she wins

• ela’lukwet – dancing pkwimu – loon

• wetta’ta – he or she has won it

• Wen wetta’ta kiskuo’pa?

• Wla e’pite’ji’j natawi a’mat? Wen kwetapa’lata pkwimua?

• Wen esnoqnet nike’?

• Nekm ela’lukwet nike’.

• Naskoqte’matimk nike’.