"I learned this at a Girl Scout camp - Camp Shehauqua in NE Pennsylvania about sixty five years ago. I thought it was native American but had no idea of the meaning. It was done slowly and very solemnly." -Prudence

Game Instructions

Sit in tight circle cross-legged with knees just touching.

1. Hands pat 2 times on knees, then clap 2 times.
2. Hands pat 2 times on knees then clap neighbor's left knee and own right knee 2 times. Then back to own knees 2 times and to own left knee and neighbor's right knee.
3. Pat your own knees once, cross hands and pat own knees again. Then neighbor's knees, on each side.
4. Pat your own shoulders, cross hands, own shoulders again, pat neighbor's shoulder on each side.
5. Extend left arm, pat wrist, then shoulder with your right hand and leave it on left shoulder. Bring up left arm in crossed position (now your arms are crossed with hands on shoulders). Then slide out right arm (with left hand) and pat wrist then shoulder. Ends with slowing down and bowing forward.

Comments

Some sites call this song, "Kee Chee" and say it's from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

We believe it might originally come from the Iroquois song, "Ani couni chaouani".

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Many thanks to Prudence Ingerman for sharing this song, for the game instructions and for singing it for us!