Slahal (also called Bone game or Hand game) is a gambling game played by the Coast Salish peoples in the western United States and Canada, specifically in the lower Fraser Valley area of British Columbia, parts of Vancouver Island, and north-western parts of Washington State. The game was shared in common by the Chehalis, Chemakum, Chemainus, Chilliwack, Comox, Cowichan, Klahuse, Klallam, Lummi, Nanaimo, Nisqually, Pentlatch, Puyallup, Quileute, Quinault, Sanich, Sechelt, Skokomish, Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Songhees, Squamish, and Twana peoples.
Slahal can be understood as not just as a gambling game, but as a means of social and supernatural expression.[1] It has similar rules between Coast Salish groups, historically providing a shared medium for interaction and peaceful rivalry.[2] Today, it holds continued importance by contributing to “the maintenance of intergroup ties, the establishment and endorsement of individual status, the sense of personal achievement through contribution to successful group action, and the reaffirmation of Indian identity.”
Slahal is also known as the bone game, hand game, bloodless war game, or handgame.[3] It a different name in each individual Coast Salish language. For example, it is called slehà:l in Halkomelem.
Historically, Slahal was mostly played by adult men, but some research indicates that young adult boys and women played as well. Games typically had only two players but could be played with larger teams.
Wagers were placed on the game prior to its beginning and they consisted of items like money, canoes, watches, ponies, coats, shirts, etc. Once the two teams were decided, they lined up in two parallel rows facing one another that measured fifteen feet apart and sometimes aligned so they were in an east-west position. The players who were established as the mixers were seated in front of their teams. The row of people behind the mixers were their supporters and behind them were the spectators who all stood during the game. The objective of Slahal is for the appointed team leader to guess which of the opponent’s hands the chosen counter is concealed in. The leader does so by using his own hand to gesture in a quick manner towards which hand he thinks the opposing team has hidden the counter. Teams did this back and forth until one team had won all of the counters. The game is usually accompanied by drumming and singing to boost the morale of the team. The side that has the bones sings, while the other tries to guess. The musical accompaniment is also sometimes used to taunt the other team.
Modern Slahal is now open to all genders and takes place at summer festivals that run from May to mid-July. Slahal games can begin around early afternoon and end late at night or the morning of the next day. As with historical Slahal, wagers are placed before the game is allowed to begin. Modern wagers are in legal tender and range from one to ten dollars, and an addition to modern Slahal is the role of a bookkeeper (typically one of the female players) who keeps track of the wagers. The first phase of the mixing of the counters is much more openly done compared to the historical version of the game. Now the leader begins the mixing and after a minute they toss the pairs of counters to two players (of their choosing) on their team to continue mixing. The second phase of mixing is much like the past version as it is more concealed. Once the mixing is completed the hands concealing the counters are held out for the opposing team’s leader to make a guess. In modern gameplay, team leaders try to guess for the unmarked counters. This process continues between the two teams as they alternate being the mixing team, depending on if they won the round or not. The winner is determined when a team is able to obtain all the counter or tally pieces.
The playing objects were made in pairs and a total of two pairs made a set, four objects in total. Slahal was typically played with a small sticks, stones, or pieces of bone. Bone counters were made from the lower foreleg of a deer or a horse shank, while wood counters were created from ashwood or green alder trees. The bone counters were designed to be held lengthwise inside players' fists, and were either blank or marked with red or black bands around their circumference.
Modern Slahal also uses two pairs of playing objects that are painted with black or red designs, though wood is more commonly used than bone.