Games, goods and gods: an analysis of Iroquoian gambling

This study questions the traditional, historical view of the Indian as a compulsive gambler. Eleven northern Iroquoian gambling games were examined in both their secular and sacred environments. The analysis demonstrated that social gambling served to establish economic parity within, and between, the ritualistic gambling associated with many ceremonies was quasi-religious in nature and necessary to ensure that the desired outcome of the rite was realized.