Xikunahati is a ball sport created by the indigenous Paresi-Haliti people of Brazil. The Paresi-Haliti is part of the Arawak-speaking people of Brazil. They primarily reside in Matto Grasso, which means "thick vegetation" or "great woods." Like many indigenous peoples who encountered European colonizers, lands were taken, and the people were exploited. Around the 1700s, Portuguese colonizers enslaved many Paresi-Haliti to work in the mines looking for gold, and many others were forcibly removed from their lands because they lived among rubber-rich resource areas. Like Aboriginal children in Australia, many were taken to be made "civilized," which was meant to suppress the language and culture. Today, some Paresi-Haliti people are working hard to keep their culture and language alive. One of the ways they do this is by playing the game Xikunahati, which was one of the featured games of the Indigenous Games. The 12th Indigenous Games was held in the capital of Matto Grasso, where the game took center stage. The games featured many ethnic Brazilian groups and dozens of other indigenous peoples from the Americas. Xikunahati enjoys popularity with neighboring indigenous people of the Paresi-Haliti, who see this game as a symbol of Arawak culture.
The sport's origins descend (pun intended) from their sky god, Wazare. During a great feast, he explained to the ancestors of the Paresi-Haliti that the head was the most essential part of the body. The brain controls the body, and the head protects this vital organ. Therefore, they would create a sport to signify the head's importance with a game that only allows the use of the head. The game is typically played on sand, which makes it easier to dive head-first when striking the ball. The game is like a netless tennis or volleyball game where each team strikes the ball (made of tree sap) over a central division line. A team earns a point when the ball cannot be returned, or a player touches the ball with something other than the head.
When Europeans first witnessed this game, they noticed its importance outside its celebratory and religious connotations. The Aztecs and Mayans used the Mesoamerican ball game to settle disputes. Xikunahati served a similar purpose for the Paresi-Haliti. However, there is no account of any sacrificing of players like the Aztecs and Mayans may have done. The game prevented violence and bloodshed over land usage or even marital betrothment if there was more than one suitor.
Modern Brazil's favorite sport is fútbol. Besides primarily using the feet to move the ball, the second most popular skill utilized in fútbol is using the head. It would be interesting if fútbol owes some of its popularity in Brazil to this shared skill set with Xikunahati. Even if this is not the case, Xikunahati has quickly become an important symbol of the indigenous people of Brazil.
Your students will absolutely love the dynamic, fast-paced game that utilizes a diving headbutt movement as the main mode of play! The rules have been modified slightly to make the game very engaging for your students. by utilizing quick substitutions, more players get to play, there is less chance for accidental collision, and the game becomes incredibly fast-paced!
Materials:
· A large play area (gym or outside)
o If played outside, you will need cones or rubber disc dots to mark the boundaries of the playing area and the midline.
· At least one big yoga ball
o To make the game more difficult, you can use a bouncy kickball instead.
Minimum Amount of Students: This game could be played with as few as two students! However, the perfect number is closer to sixteen, and many more could work well.
Prior Knowledge: The students should be studying cultures from South America. This would also be an excellent tie-in for studying Brazil or the Amazon rainforest.
Presentation
· This game will resemble a version of net-less volleyball and tennis. However, players can only make contact with the yoga ball with their heads!
· Split your class into two different teams. Each team will be able to inhabit half of the playing area.
· The playing area should be rectangular with a middle division line (half-court line if in a gym).
· Have one to three players from each team move to the center of the playing area while remaining on their side. Any extra players should wait behind the boundary lines on their side.
o If you play in a gym, I would use the volleyball court lines as the boundary for each team. Extra players would stand on the basketball baseline.
· When a player strikes the ball with their head, they must sprint to one of the extra players and switch with them. This gives everyone turns to play and adds an intense cardiovascular component to the game.
· The game begins by having one player “serve” the yoga ball to their opponent by bouncing the ball to their opponent. Like volleyball, the team that scored last is the team that serves.
· Players can strike the yoga ball with only their heads.
o If the ball bounces, they might head it like soccer. Some of the smaller players can bend down to hit the ball successfully if the ball is rolling. However, to create the best hit (which may be required for taller players), one should dive toward the ball, strike it with their head, and catch themselves afterward. Some students turn this motion into a diving slide similar to how one would dive head first in baseball. A better way is to crouch down like one was about to perform a frog leap, but instead of jumping up, the player leaps forward head first. Getting lower to the ground to start the motion makes it safer.
§ An important note for the players is that they should “call” for the ball. Ask the students what would happen if two players dive for the ball at once. They might collide heads, which would be terrible! Limiting the number of players on the court helps prevent those accidents. However, players still need to communicate with each other.
· The other team receives a point if the ball touches anything other than the head first.
o If the student hits the ball with their head and a little bit of their shoulder simultaneously, I usually let that pass.
· A team gets the point if they hit the ball and it crosses the other team's boundary line.
· In lower elementary, the ball can be passed to a teammate without penalty. However, after every hit, they must substitute, which gives the other team time to make their substitutions and get the total number of players on the court. In upper elementary, the ball must cross the midline after every hit, or it is a point for the other team.
· A player can only touch the ball once in a row. If a player touches the ball twice in a row, that is a point for the other team.
o This shouldn't happen if they quickly substitute after hitting the ball. However, a strategy from the other team is to return the ball immediately to the person who just hit the ball, which would cause a double hit.
· At the end of the game, bring the students together to discuss the sport. This is also an excellent time to talk about the plight of the Amazon rainforest. The rainforest in Matto Grasso is being deforested faster than any other part of Brazil. Not many people live there except for indigenous Paresi-Haliti. I present the problem as one that does not have a correct answer by trying to justify both sides. We need the Amazon rainforest for its biodiversity and CO2-absorbing capabilities. Plus, some indigenous people still live in this area. However, it is being cut down to make farmland to feed Brazilians. Brazil needs this farmland to feed its large population. However, cutting down the rainforest could speed up global warming consequences, making the environment dangerous for many people worldwide. This is meant to be a complex problem that makes the students use empathy and outside-the-box thinking.
Aims:
Direct: For the students to learn about the indigenous sport of Xikunahati, which also teaches about the indigenous Paresi-Haliti people of Brazil.
Indirect:
Listening to directions
Teamwork and team building
Communication
Strategy
Sportsmanship
Physical skills practiced:
· Hitting a yoga ball with the head requires athletic diving maneuvers
Control Of Error:
The instructor will have to act as a referee for the game.
Age: All ages
Bibliography
Madawi, A. (2013). Indigenous Games in Brazil: ‘competition is a thing the west.’ The Guardian News and Media Limited. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/15/indigenous-games-brazil-world-cup-olympics Last retrieved January 10th, 2023
Matto Grosso. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mato_Grosso Last retrieved January 10th, 2023
Padilla. T. (2022). The Sport in Which the Sky Gods Taught Men to Use their Heads. Ara NOW. https://www.ara.cat/estiu/l-esport-deus-cel-ensenyar-als-homes-servir-cap_130_4457133.html Last retrieved January 10th, 2023
Paresi language. (2023). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paresi_language Last retrieved January 10th, 2023
Xikunahati.(date unknwon). Wikipédia. https://pt-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Xikunahati?_x_tr_sl=pt&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc Last retrieved January 10th, 2023