Lifting spirits and honoring ancestors: Snow snake is back on Madeline Island

Published: March 3, 2023, 11 a.m.

Snow snake is a traditional game played by tribes during the winter. It originated with the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy out east. Tribal members craft javelins out of wood called snow snakes, and they compete to see who can throw them the farthest. WPR’s Danielle Kaeding made the trek to Madeline Island this winter as members of tribes from around the region attended the Mooningwanakaaning Minis Inter-Tribal Snow Snake Festival.