LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Rhythmic drumming filled the Fort Simpson recreation centre as hundreds of people came out to watch the Liidlii Kue First Nation's Mens Hand Games Tournament.

David Etchinelle, one of the participants of the tournament, moving to the rhythmic drums of the Liidlii Kue First Nation's Mens Hand Games Tournament July 22. - Joseph Tunney/NNSL photo

"The drums give you that energy," said Darwin Norwegian, a participant in the tournament and one of organizers. "It just gets you going and feels amazing."

The tournament was held weekend of July 22 to July 24 and consisted of nine teams of 19 men competing against each other in one-on-one games.

The way the game is played is while one team is beating on their drums, eight of their men in the front row bend their heads down on the ground and conceal their hands.

A "shooter" on the other team must then guess what hand each of the eight men is concealing a token in.

If the player guesses incorrectly, the other team gets one of the 21 sticks in the middle of the floor. The overall goal is to collect them all.

"If (the other team's shooter) misses seven, your team get seven of the sticks in the middle," said Norwegian.

"Some games last five hours," said Natasha Harris, another organizer.

Harris said the committee that organized the weekend's tournament had planned one last year in June but had a low turnout. Because of this she said they've decided to wait until July this year to take advantage of the better weather.

The energy could be felt in the room as approximately 150 people, both players and spectators, packed closely together around the games. Even more people stood outside the building, socializing.

Inside the game, the men seemed oblivious of the outside world as they focused on the tasks at hand and the rising sounds of the drums.

Both Norwegian and Harris said a major part of the games is the unity felt by the players and the spectators.

"It's to meet new people," said Harris.

Harris said her grandmother told her, traditionally, when the men would return from their camps for supplies, they'd gather.

"The men would get together and the women would cook," she said. "The men would gamble and have a handgame tournament."

For Norwegian, he feels a sense of unity inside the game as he focuses in on the rhythms.

While many people came form across the Deh Cho to participate, Harris said she believes many also came just to watch and be part of the community.

She said traditionally people used to canoe to the meetings and enjoy each other's company. "I think it's the same thing now."

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