What is the significance of the Iroquois lacrosse stick in Native American culture. How has lacrosse evolved from its ancient origins to modern sport. Why do Native American players view lacrosse as more than just a game.
The Ancient Origins of Lacrosse: A Game Older Than Time
Lacrosse holds a unique place in the pantheon of sports, with roots stretching back millennia. Christopher Lindsay Turner, a cultural research specialist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, provides insight into the game’s extraordinary longevity: “Lacrosse is a very, very old game. It may be one of the oldest games played anywhere on Earth today, and it certainly is the oldest organized game that became a sport that has been continuously played.”
The earliest documented accounts of lacrosse come from 17th century French explorers who observed Native Americans playing a “stick game.” These observations centered on the Haudenosaunee people, also known as the Iroquois, who primarily inhabited what is now upstate New York.
Who are the Haudenosaunee?
The Haudenosaunee, meaning “people who build longhouses,” were a confederation of Native American nations including:
- Mohawk
- Oneida
- Onondaga
- Cayuga
- Seneca
- Tuscarora (joined later)
For these nations, lacrosse transcends mere sport—it is an integral part of their cultural identity and spiritual beliefs.
The Mythological Origins of Lacrosse in Haudenosaunee Culture
The Haudenosaunee creation story intertwines lacrosse with the very fabric of existence. According to their oral traditions, the game predates the Earth itself, featuring prominently in their origin myth.
The Sky World and the Great Tree
The Haudenosaunee creation story begins in the Sky World, home to a chief and his wife. One day, at his wife’s urging, the chief uproots a great tree at the center of their realm. Turner explains, “She had a lot of reasons for doing this. One of which, she was interested in medicine. She had been told that she could get medicine by removing this tree and seeing what was under it.”
However, this act of curiosity leads to an unexpected consequence. The chief’s wife peers into the hole left by the tree’s removal and falls through, plummeting towards a blue world below—our Earth.
The Traditional Iroquois Lacrosse Stick: Craftsmanship and Symbolism
The Iroquois lacrosse stick is not merely a piece of sporting equipment; it is a work of art steeped in cultural significance. These traditional sticks are handcrafted using techniques passed down through generations, often taking weeks or even months to complete.
Materials and Construction
Traditional Iroquois lacrosse sticks are typically made from hickory wood, chosen for its strength and flexibility. The process involves carefully selecting and shaping the wood, steam-bending it to create the distinctive curved head, and weaving the netting from leather or sinew.
Spiritual and Cultural Significance
For many Haudenosaunee people, the lacrosse stick is considered a living entity, imbued with spirit. It is not uncommon for players to give their sticks names and treat them with great respect. The act of creating and using these sticks is seen as a way to connect with ancestors and maintain cultural traditions.
The Evolution of Lacrosse: From Ritual to Modern Sport
While lacrosse has ancient roots, it has undergone significant changes over the centuries. The game as played by Native Americans often had spiritual and practical purposes beyond mere recreation.
Traditional Purposes of Lacrosse
- Conflict resolution between tribes
- Preparation for warfare
- Healing ceremonies
- Honoring the Creator
As European settlers encountered the game, it began to evolve. The rules were standardized, field sizes were established, and the number of players was reduced from the hundreds or even thousands that might participate in traditional Native American games.
The Modern Lacrosse Stick: Innovation and Controversy
Today’s lacrosse sticks bear little resemblance to their traditional counterparts. Modern sticks are typically made from synthetic materials like plastic and carbon fiber, designed for optimal performance in the fast-paced modern game.
The Debate Over Traditional vs. Modern Sticks
The shift to modern materials and designs has not been without controversy. Many Native American players and teams, particularly at the international level, have fought for the right to use traditional wooden sticks in competition. This struggle highlights the ongoing tension between cultural preservation and the evolution of the sport.
Lacrosse as a Cultural Bridge: Preserving Heritage Through Sport
For many Native American players, lacrosse serves as a vital link to their cultural heritage. The game provides a means of connecting with traditions, honoring ancestors, and passing down important values to younger generations.
Educational Initiatives
Numerous programs across North America use lacrosse as a tool for cultural education and youth empowerment in Native communities. These initiatives often combine lacrosse instruction with teachings about traditional language, customs, and values.
The Iroquois Nationals: Ambassadors of Lacrosse and Culture
The Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team holds a unique position in international sports. As the only Native American team sanctioned to compete as a nation in international sporting events, they serve as powerful representatives of both their culture and the sport of lacrosse.
Challenges and Triumphs
The Iroquois Nationals have faced numerous challenges in their quest for recognition, including issues with travel documents and questions about their status as a sovereign nation. Despite these obstacles, the team has achieved significant success on the world stage, consistently ranking among the top lacrosse-playing nations.
The Future of Lacrosse: Honoring Tradition in a Changing World
As lacrosse continues to grow in popularity worldwide, questions arise about how to balance the sport’s indigenous roots with its modern incarnation. Many advocates are working to ensure that the cultural significance of lacrosse is not lost amidst its commercialization and expansion.
Initiatives for Cultural Preservation
- Including Native American history and cultural context in lacrosse education programs
- Supporting traditional stick-making practices and artisans
- Promoting Native American participation at all levels of the sport
- Incorporating traditional ceremonies and rituals into major lacrosse events
The story of the Iroquois lacrosse stick is one of resilience, adaptation, and cultural pride. From its mythological origins in the Sky World to its place in modern international competition, lacrosse continues to serve as a powerful symbol of Native American heritage and a bridge between ancient traditions and contemporary sport.
As the game evolves, the challenge lies in honoring its sacred roots while embracing its potential to bring people together across cultural boundaries. The Iroquois lacrosse stick stands as a testament to this ongoing journey—a tangible link between past and present, tradition and innovation, spirituality and athleticism.
For those who carry these sticks onto the field, whether made of hickory or carbon fiber, the game remains more than just a sport. It is a living connection to ancestors, a celebration of cultural identity, and a continuation of a tradition as old as the earth itself.
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How lacrosse has Native American roots
01:50
They rush up and down the field, wielding netted sticks.
Pushing and chasing each other, they do what it takes to catch the ball and score.
For many players, lacrosse is a battle royale between schools. But for many Native players of lacrosse, the game means much more – it is their connection to their culture, their history and each other.
A game as old as time
“Lacrosse is a very, very old game,” said Christopher Lindsay Turner, cultural research specialist at the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. “It may be one of the oldest games played anywhere on Earth today, and it certainly is the oldest organized game that became a sport that has been continuously played.”
FLORIDA BOY STRUCK BY LIGHTNING BACK ON LACROSSE FIELD
According to Turner, some of the earliest documentation of lacrosse was written in the 17th century by French explorers. They observed a “stick game” being played among the Native people called the Haudenosaunee (ho-den-uh-SHO-nee).
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Referred by the French as “Iroquois” — meaning “people who live in long houses” — the Haudenosaunee lived predominantly in upstate New York at the time. They included a confederation of five (later six) Native American nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onandaga, Cayuga, Seneca and later, Tuscarora.
For these nations, lacrosse plays a significant role in their culture. According to Turner, the Haudenosaunee say lacrosse is older than the Earth itself as it is part of their origin story.
From the sky world
The Haudenosaunee origin story begins in the sky world, where lived a chief and his wife. One day, the chief removes a tree at the center of the sky world, at his wife’s request.
“She had a lot of reasons for doing this. One of which, she was interested in medicine,” Turner said. “She had been told that she could get medicine by removing this tree and seeing what was under it.
“
But when she takes a look, she falls through this new hole in the sky world and toward a blue world below her.
The animals of the blue world, seeing the chief’s wife fall, catch her and float with her in the sea. A turtle pipes up, offering to come out of the sea to put her on his back and save her.
Turner said this is the beginning of the world as we know it, as the woman begins making the Earth on the back of the turtle.
Here’s where the origin of lacrosse begins.
When the woman fell from the sky, she was pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. That daughter grew up and later had twin boys, who go on to create many things in the known world.
Some of their creations were born out of the boys’ near-constant competition and fighting. One way they decided to resolve their conflicts was by playing lacrosse, a game they learned from their mother.
“She brought knowledge from the sky world down with her, and she had taught them that lacrosse was a way you could settle disputes,” Turner said. “So, they played the first lacrosse game on Earth — and it was a knockdown drag out.”
As physical as the game was, it had a strong spiritual element for the twins. According to Turner, lacrosse was a gift from the Creator through the mother of the twins, so they play the game to please and thank the Creator.
“They’re thanking the Creator for all of the things that they have been given through everything around them, the good things of the earth, the original instructions — the ways that they have of knowing how to live in the world,” he said.
Evolving into a team sport
The Haudenosaunee continued this tradition of playing lacrosse, or “stick game,” for the Creator. Turner noted that they also played it to generate wellness by having the Creator’s forces involved in healing an individual.
Additionally, the game was used to “heal” divisions between trading nations at war.
“It makes so much sense that they have this option of saying, ‘You know what? We can’t work out this particular question. Let’s set the field and play some stick game’,” Turner said.
Despite the peacemaking and spiritual intentions of the game, the game itself was quite physical.
The Haudenosaunee name for lacrosse is gajihgwa’ee (gah-jee-GWA-eh), according to Turner. While the name translates a little differently among the Haudenosaunee’s six languages, it roughly translates to “they’re bumping hips.”
HOW THE WEATHER SHAPED TRADITIONS IN THIS NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURE
“It’s the original contact sport,” Turner said. “That’s how they described [it] because they were constantly bumping hips, trying to knock the ball out of the possessor.”
While the earliest known lacrosse game was found with the Haudenosaunee, Turner points out that similar stick games exist in other Native cultures.
According to Turner, traditional lacrosse had very few rules, making the game quite a bit more intense. Players were essentially able to do whatever they needed to do to get the ball out of the possessors’ net.
He noted that the Haudenosaunee lacrosse game was observed and then preserved by Europeans, who took an interest in the sport and applied rules and regulations to it.
In addition to creating standard rules and regulations, the Europeans also influenced what the game became popularly called.
“Lacrosse” originated from the French explorers who observed the Haudenosaunee game in the 17th century. The explorers named the “stick game” after the French name for “the stick”: la crosse, which became “lacrosse”.
The stick was made of wood. Today, the preferred sticks are made of wood from the ash tree and are constructed of one piece by necessity.
“The piece of wood has to be steamed and, in separate phases, curved, so it can be just the right curve to construct the net across,” Turner said, adding that the nets were also traditionally made of natural materials, such as deer sinew.
The ball was likely made of materials such as intestine or the skin of an animal, but varied depending on where the game was played.
Heart of the game
Over the years, the game evolved and grew into a sport now played throughout the world.
Despite its evolution, for many Haudenosaunee, the game is still about giving thanks to the Creator and bringing attention to the players’ self-awareness, healing and personal wellness.
“You don’t have to be Haudenosaunee to have a good, clear mind and have a good frame of mind and a good conscience,” Turner said. He noted that a cloudy, angry conscience won’t help improve anyone’s gameplay.
“You need to get obsessed about your sport in order to be good at it. I think most people would agree,” he added. “And why shouldn’t that include a component of knowing the history of a game like this that’s so old and knowing where it comes from?”
On the coat of arms – tongs and a stick | Venue Montreal
“I have written these pages to expand knowledge of the game of lacrosse, codify its principles and techniques, and perpetuate it as the national Canadian game.
” Thus begins the book of William George Beers (William George Beers, 1841 (1843?) -1900) “Lacrosse, the National Game of Canada”. The sport adored by the author belongs to the team, which means that it is associated with a much larger register of rules than any race. Bierce took on a heavy burden. For those who have not encountered this game before, I will still very briefly describe what it is today, within the framework of our own international federation, which also includes Iroquois teams. In terms of goals and equipment, it immediately looks like football and hockey. For football, because a goal has been set up and a rubber ball should be hammered into them. Hockey – because the players have sticks in their hands (something like a club), equipped with a net that can hold the ball. The roles in the team are distributed, it seems, quite traditionally: forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeeper.
It is clear that Beers did not invent lacrosse. The white population peeped the fun \”baagga\’adowe\” (Ojibwe language) among the natives and had fun in the same manner back in the 17th century.
But without much enthusiasm. Bierce explains this by the “savagery” that “wild minds” introduced into sports exercises, and does not delve into the simple fact that for an Indian, “lacrosse is a small war” (the words of an Iroquois leader). First of all, it was used for the physical development of young people. The European name for the game, quickly picked up by the Indians, and its first description was given by Jean de Brebeuf. If our contemporaries read the notes of a Jesuit, they would hardly recognize the sport included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games. It happened that after the throw-in by the elder of the ball – made of clay, buckskin, and even stone – the “match” lasted for several days with the participation of hundreds of people and over a territory of a couple of miles. The fixed boundaries of the site were not particularly taken care of.
There is also a certain ideological background in the game, set forth in the Ojibwe legend, answering, no less than, to the question: \”Why do birds fly south in winter \”:\”Once upon a time, it was always summer on earth.
The days were warm and sunny. Nobody knew winter or snow. Mong-loon and Kaikak-hawk loved to play lacrosse, but one day she put the loon on the line for eternally warm days. When her team lost, a wild north wind broke into the flowering land. He brought cold and snow with him. And Mong and her friends had to fly south. If the loon didn’t love playing lacrosse so much, there would be no winter on earth \”. Note that the game in this tale is older than the natives’ ideas about the change of seasons. Indeed, no one knows when it arose. Always was.
William Beers was born in Montreal, in a large family of Irish immigrants – James and Isabella. James was a cabinetmaker and worked tirelessly. The family was not poor. The offspring attended school, and William also attended college. One can only guess about the character of the boy’s parents, and indeed about the atmosphere in the house (there is no exact information). But, judging by the result – and William was an open, cheerful, inquisitive person, everything was in order with the older Bierses.
They took root in Canada, truly fell in love with this country and raised their children as Canadian patriots. An Irishman \”pure blood\”, William hated the Fenians all his life and made a serious contribution to the fight against them.
All over the world at that time the profession was learned through apprenticeship. Teenagers were identified as apprentices, not even wondering if they liked their future work path. With William, it turned out differently: he chose dentistry himself and willingly went to apprenticeship with one of the city dentists (Charles M. Dickinson). He studied like crazy, “swallowing” all the literature, at least to a small extent related to the subject. He made contacts with dentists in Ontario and in the States. In the early 60s, he already published articles in specialized American magazines and a little later became a member of the American Dental Association. His speeches at meetings are usually expected. In 1865, he opened his own practice in Montreal and immediately began a campaign to set standards in Canadian dentistry.
The story “Surgery” Chekhov, I suppose, everyone read. Beers demanded that only graduates who confirmed their knowledge and skills by an exam have access to the patient’s oral cavity.
Dentists in Ontario had already banded together and pressed the government to establish an independent (separated from general medicine) professional college of dentists. On March 4, 1868, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario was legalized. Inspired by the example of his neighbors, Bierce took over in the Beautiful Province. On September 2, 1868, 15 dentists gathered in Montreal, and without much debate, the Dental Association of the Province of Quebec was born. The minutes of the first meeting, written and signed by Beers (he was elected secretary), have survived, and very soon a petition was received by the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for the recognition of the Association by the authorities, which happened on April 4, 1869of the year. By the way, she existed only under an English name, and not a single French word was carved on her seal.
Already a member of the Association, Beers continued to study. In 1870, he received a Canadian dental diploma in Toronto, but was not satisfied – he left for England and returned from there with the same dignity, but with British stamped paper. In the 80s, Bishop College awarded him a doctorate in dentistry. In 1883, his colleagues elected him president, in this position he worked for 4 years. And all this time, Beers – by trial and error, and not alone, of course – is trying to form the most effective educational structure for dentists. His special concern is practical skills. So, he convinces his colleagues that a candidate for dentistry should do some sort of internship with a licensed dentist. The parties conclude a contract for 4 years, after which the applicant must show to the high commission what skills he has mastered. In 1883, thanks to the efforts of Bierce, Quebec introduced a law on entrance examinations for a future dentist. The Association has established the following list of disciplines: English, History, Latin, Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry and Physics.
Obviously, such a system gave an advantage to those who really learned, whether at home or at school.
In 1892, the Association—and Beers personally—celebrated the opening of Quebec’s first dental college. Its history is dramatic. It is known that “big medicine” at that time looked down on dentistry. Initially, the idea was to \”stick\” the Faculty of Dentistry to an existing medical branch. Laval University, the only francophone university in the province with a medical faculty, refused the Association. McGill was not so categorical, but snorted, and then even suggested that dentists, as “younger ones”, join the veterinary faculty. This did not suit the association. Finally, dentists gathered their courage and opened the Dental College of the Province of Quebec. Beers became its dean. The training was conducted in both official languages of Canada for 3 years. Nevertheless, some agreements were reached with universities, and college students listened to lectures on general medicine in Laval or McGill.
A few years later, Beers achieved his goal: the dental college was included in the structure of Bishop’s University, so that its graduates received a full diploma in dentistry.
He was a passionate man, a gambler, who managed to direct this natural quality of his in a beneficial direction. In 1868, Bierce, at his own expense, began publishing the Canada Journal of Dental Science – and pulled it, straining his veins, until 1872. \”In fact, this magazine was Canada’s first real magazine for dentists. Bierce was an excellent reporter, and his journal also became a source of important historical information about the period. However, the circle of potential subscribers was very narrow, and soon Bierce had financial difficulties. But he did not leave the idea of scientific periodicals. In 1889-m begins to publish his Dominion Dental Journal. At first, during the year, once a quarter. In the second year – once every 2 months. Since 1893, the publication has become monthly. The magazine was printed in Toronto and existed for over 40 years until it came under the auspices of the Canadian Dental Association.
What about lacrosse? William has been playing it since he was 6 years old. In general, as it should. There weren’t really any rules. What he saw as a young man at the match of the Montreal Indians – Saint-Regis (Akwesasne) against Caughnawaga (Kahnawake), almost frightened him: the players expressed their emotions simply – they fought hard. In 1860, that is, before reaching the age of 20, Brice publishes the first brochure in which he tries to bring this sea spilled onto the shores: he sets the size of the field, the number of players, determines their functions in the team, describes the types of goals, probable violations and punishments for them and duration of matches. Then he begins to fight for the streamlining of the system of Canadian lacrosse clubs – the game has already become popular, and he himself plays in the Montreal club, as a goalkeeper. September 26, 1867 in Kingston (Ontario), in the most solemn atmosphere, 29clubs from Ontario and Quebec are organized by the National Lacrosse Association.
And we return to the foundational work of Dr. “Lacrosse, the national Canadian game”.
White people and natives are clearly contrasted in the book. The former operate on the field according to science, developing methods and tactics aimed at demonstrating a truly civilized sport. The Indians are guided, for the most part, by instinct (well, why not Kipling?). After 15 years, his position changes (a property of a thinking person), and the doctor no longer divides Canadian athletes by skin color, finding that they all tend to resist the introduction of rules in a team game (such a national character trait). Beers was sincerely convinced that lacrosse could unite the country, from sea to sea. He has a lovely reasoning: Greece was united by the Olympic Games, Britain by golf, Canada will be united by lacrosse. Twice he takes the Canadian team to England, hoping to conquer the metropolis with this spectacle, and even plays in Windsor in front of the bright face of Queen Victoria (it didn’t take root, they stayed with their golf).
Beers started with lacrosse, but in 1881 he founded the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, which also had sections for snowshoeing, cycling, luge, and later contributed to the creation of football, hockey, chess and cricket clubs. He was a book reader and a great orator, he loved theater and music. He wrote poetry and songs. Published more than 200 scientific articles.
In 1900, William George Beers died, his heart gave out. Still – so spend! His scientific library, 400 volumes – by far the largest collection of works on dentistry at that time, was bequeathed to the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, the first in the country. In an online conversation dedicated to the doctor, a McGill student exclaimed: “I don’t understand why the streets aren’t named after him! \” So am I.
Alexandra Kanashenko
Montreal
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