This Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29 marks Salamanca’s annual Snowsnake competition. The competition begins at 11 a.m. and will go on until dusk, said Jenny Ingrao, member services and events manager at the Salamanca Area Chamber of Commerce. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the Erie Rail Yard on North Main Street across from the Salamanca Rail Museum.
Snowsnake is an ancient Iroquois game played in the winter months. “It’s a long running tradition that used to be a men’s only sport,” said Ingrao. “Men’s only meant that it was only men competing and viewing it. Now they’ve opened it up so that everyone can view it.” Traditionally a men’s game, it was used to sharpen individual’s hunting skills and open communication between territories. “Now it is just a popular winter sport,” she said. Today, Native teams travel between territories to compete against each other in the highly competitive game.
The game is played on a track piled approximately three and a half feet high with snow that gradually slopes downward to its end. A log is placed at the top and dragged along the track, which can be longer than 1,600-feet, to create an icy trough about five to six inches deep.
Ingrao thinks the mild winter should not be a problem in terms of building the track. She said that local businesses have allowed their plowed snow piles to be shipped to the track to ensure enough snow for the competition.
Each competing team has shooters and shiners. Shooters score points by throwing the snowsnake down the trough and shiners maintain the snakes and determine if the long or short snake will be used in each throw based on weather and snow conditions, track length and the thrower’s ability. A snowsnake is a straight stick that has been shaped or smooth with one flat side that when made correctly is smooth and flexible.
The shooter who throws the snake the furthest wins; some reports have recorded shooters throwing their snakes more than a mile. The winning team is generally awarded with prizes. The biggest prize, however, is the bragging rights until the next competition.
For more information about this weekend’s traditional competition, contact the Salamanca Area Chamber of Commerce at (716) 945-2034 or visit its website at www.salamancachamber.org.
