For more than 100 years, the traditional Cherokee version of stickball had been lost to history among tribes in Oklahoma. That was until the Wooderig team was formed about four years ago.
Although the team has been around for several seasons, it took nearly two decades for it to become what it is today.
The campaign to form a team was spearheaded by JP Johnson, who realised that the traditional version of the game was on the decline: in 1911 the government had banned traditional gameplay and Indigenous people were coming under pressure when practising their traditions.
Trying to bring back the traditions of the game was an important aspect for Johnson.
“This was meant to give young people an outlet for some of the teenage anxieties and aggression and to serve the community and prevent some of the social problems,” Johnson said. “By keeping them on the field, we were able to get them to fall in love with their culture and their Cherokee traditions. But it was also a gateway to transitioning them into ceremonial life, which we knew was a missing piece in our community.”
Many people may assume that the version played on the Cherokee National Holiday is the original Cherokee game, but it is actually the Choctaw game. The main difference is that the Cherokee game has no rules and is more aggressive. Wearing only shorts and wielding sticks, the Cherokee game involves no stopping for anything except picking up the ball with their hands.
Despite some initial interest in the team, Johnson struggled to get the team off the ground due to the violent nature of the game.
“People have been wary of playing this style of game,” Wooderig captain Jesse Cotter said. “Some communities and people were worried that bringing back this style of game would cause problems between community members, but it’s actually been quite the opposite.”
The turning point for Wederlig came when he found four players who were as passionate about baseball as Johnson. With the players on Johnson’s side, the team soared and deepened its involvement with the Eastern Cherokee Indians. Starting with practice, Wederlig made history by traveling to North Carolina and playing a practice game against a local traditional team.
In June, the teams made history again: After two scrimmages, traditional stickball was played in Oklahoma for the first time since 1911.
Johnson has seen his players develop a bond with the Carolina band throughout the game.
“They’ve all experienced it firsthand, they understand what happens in the game, and they see the beauty of it,” Johnson said. “There’s something brutal about it that’s hard to explain. People who’ve never played it before are experiencing it. It was synonymous with war for us, so it makes people feel like they’re real warriors.”
Johnson said that while it was his dream to bring Wederliggh and keep the team together, he doesn’t want to take all the credit for Wederliggh’s efforts himself.
“It meant a lot to me. The guys, especially the younger guys, are my brothers and my family,” Johnson said. “They’re my extended family and we support each other no matter what challenges life throws at us. I’m just so thrilled that this happened. I’m so grateful that this happened. I feel like at this point, this tradition will continue. There will be generations after me who will be playing this game and fostering the tradition.”
Now that the foundation has been laid, Johnson would like to see stickball go mainstream across Oklahoma. His dreams include growing the sport with multiple traditional teams across the state. Once that happens, Johnson hopes those teams could be included in Cherokee National Holiday stickball events.
“I’d like to see more teams in eastern Oklahoma,” Johnson said. “The reservation spans 14 counties, and I’d like to see more Cherokee people playing Cherokee-style stickball.”
Ouderig will be making another trip to North Carolina this fall to face the Eastern Band team for the third time.
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