Ball Playing among the Sioux Indians

Seth Eastman’s painting of Native Americanmen playing a spirited, and somewhat violent,game that inspired modern lacrosse is basedon sketches he made during his time as an armyofficer and mapmaker.

The artist spent seven years stationed at FortSnelling, a military post on the upper MississippiRiver. During that time, he made over 400sketches of ceremonies, games, and daily lifeamong the Dakota (whom Eastman would haveknown as the Sioux) and Ojibwe peoples campednearby. Eastman later turned many of thesedrawings into oil paintings. He completed thiswork in a Washington, DC, studio not far fromwhat is now the site of the National Gallery.