Western Apache flute; cane, buckskin, paint; l. 54 cm., d. 3 cm; ca. 1880.<BR> Flutes could be played by men for their own amusement, but are more strongly associated with young men playing them while courting young women; this association is described in traditional Apache stories, along with the butterfly designs that are sometimes carved on Apache flutes (Ferg 1987:162; Goodwin 1939:27-28; McAllester 1961:11).<BR> This flute is made from a segment of what is probably giant reed (Arundo donax), which was usually collected during raids into Mexico. It has three drilled finger holes, and a cut and burned sound hole centered over the septum of a joint in the cane, covered with a strip of buckskin painted red. It was collected in June/July 1883 at San Carlos, Arizona.<BR> Freed from subsistence activities because of the distribution of rations, the Apaches spent much of their time on games and dancing, and every day they seemed to engage in games and sports, while in the evening ceremonial and social dances took place. Ten Kate observed one of their favorite games called nazjozj or nazjoozj that was played for hours on end. He described it as follows: "… two men play at the same time, continually changing places. With big, slow steps, each one holding a long wooden pole in both hands, they go part way along a track across which rolls a ring tossed by one of them. This ring is evidently made of rope and is twisted together in such a way that the surface forms, so to speak, a number of joints. Suddenly the players extend their bodies forward and, with a forceful lunge, thrust the sticks next to each other across the sandy course after the ring, halting their running at the very moment the ring topples over. Now one of the players takes a blade of grass or a thin twig and counts the number of transverse joints of the ring with regard to the position of the poles, which have to fall over the ring. Depending on how the counting turns out, one of the players gets another turn or is replaced by another person. I usually saw them gambling with rifle cartridges, which lay in a small pile in the sand. There was always a large number of spectators present, both on foot as well as on horseback."<BR> The Apaches also indulged in playing cards, using cards of Mexican manufacture. However, in former days they made facsimiles of western playing cards or inspired imitations on rawhide. Ten Kate managed to obtain one of these, but only with difficulty as these were no longer in use at that time.<BR> During the dances Ten Kate observed the Indians drumming, shaking rattles, and playing flutes, but he was not very much impressed with their musical talents. However, he became interested in what he regarded as a curiosity, an Indian fiddle, played by men. It was made of a piece of agave stalk that was strung with horsehair, and played with a bow. He acquired one for his collection and had Duhem take a photograph of an Apache man playing it.<BR> <BR>