Provinces and Territories · Drawing 37 of 42
The snow snake game
Northwest Territories
In the Northwest Territories, children learn Dene games. In snow snake, players throw a long stick that slides far along the snow.
Look together
Can you find the long stick sliding on the snow?
An idea to try
In a hallway, slide a rolled-up sock along the floor and measure in footsteps who sends it farthest.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
Dene games were created to build skills for travel, hunting and fishing, and for fun. The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that they are still taught in many schools and community centres in the North. Students also compete at the NWT Traditional Games Championships. In snow snake, a player throws a carved stick about 1.4 m long underhand along a snow track; the longest slide wins. The game recalls a caribou-hunting skill, and other Indigenous peoples, such as the Haudenosaunee and Ojibwe, play their own versions.
The Dene live in Denendeh, which includes the Mackenzie River valley. Rules and customs vary between communities, including who may play certain games. Praise effort and patience more than winning.
Sources and context (3)
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
- The Canadian Encyclopedia — Dene GamesOrigins (preparing for hunting and fishing, entertainment); taught in many schools and community centres in the North; snow snake: 1.4 m spear thrown underhand along snow, linked to caribou hunting, Ojibwe and Haudenosaunee versions; some communities’ concerns about female competitors in certain games.
- The Canadian Encyclopedia — Dene NationThe Dene of Denendeh, which includes the Mackenzie River Valley and the Barren Grounds in the Northwest Territories.
- Indigenous Sport Circle NWT — 2026 Traditional Games ChampionshipsAnnual Dene Games and Northern Games competition between schools across the NWT for ages 10 to 12 (Yellowknife, March 2026), run by an Indigenous sport organization.
Source review: 2026-09-24. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.