Jeux sportifs et religion amérindienne

Abstract

Religion and recreational sports practices are intimately linked in Native American culture. Some stories attest to the origin of the game offered to men by tutelary spirits, the latter having acquired their own status through the game. According to some legends, the organization of the world derives from sport encounters between humans or animals. Mythology relates the dealings of civilizing heroes, who, as true tricksters, use cunning and games to play tricks on others. The mythical–religious elements in traditional sports also express themselves through a wide range of ceremonial rites related to death practices, climate conditions, illness and fertility. The institutionalization of traditional sport has provided religion with a new basis of expression that, although failing to give international visibility to Native American athletes, allows them to find a balance between their traditional values and the modern world.