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The first Shoe Game was played in the month of December. The Day team had four moccasins placed on the south side of the hogan. All of its team members were female. Talking God furnished the blanket for concealing where the yucca ball was placed by the Day team, but he just watched the game. not wanting to interfere. Members of the Day team included jackrabbit, porcupine. bird people, antelope, locust, horses, sheep. gopher and one earth-surface person.The Night team placed its four moccasins on the north side of the hogan. All of its team members were male. The Bat furnished the blanket used to hide the moccasins from the view of the Day team members. Among the members of the Night team were bear, lion. owl. fox, wolf, bobcat, giant, snake, turkey and firefly.Antelope came forward to drop a corn husk to determine which team started the game. The Night team won and went first. Bear hid the ball for the Night team and porcupine held the stick first for the Day team. The same person from each team continued to hide the yucca ball in the toe of one of the moccasins. Someone from the opposing team then guessed where the ball was hidden by hitting a moccasin with a stick. Team members worked together to determine where they thought the ball was hidden while the other team did its best to distract them with songs and teasing. The songs sometimes criticized the personalities of animals hiding the ball in order to keep interest in the game high.
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