Toli: Chickasaw Stickball Then and Now

Stanley Nelson takes a look at the Southeastern Indian sport of to’li’ through the eyes of the Chickasaw people, exploring its importance not only as a recreational activity but also as a cultural phenomenon. Intended as a broad introduction to to’li’, the book includes a history of the game, a look at recent revitalization efforts, and historical and modern perspectives on rules, uniforms, and equipment.

Stanley Nelson is senior staff writer for Chickasaw Press and a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation. He joined the Chickasaw Press staff in 2010, after spending thirty years as a manager, editor, and columnist for newspapers and other media-related enterprises in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Arkansas. He is the author of Toli: Chickasaw Stickball Then and Now, published by Chickasaw Press in 2016, and A Chickasaw Historical Atlas, published in 2018. His work has appeared in The Journal of Chickasaw History and Culture and Chokma: Chickasaw Magazine, and he has contributed text for a number of other Chickasaw Press titles. He studied journalism at Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and the University of Oklahoma in Norman.