Why the tribe who invented lacrosse can’t play it here | The Independent
When young warriors of the Native American Iroquois tribe gathered for lacrosse games hundreds of years ago, they faced a truly Herculean test of stamina. Long before it became an hour-long game for 20 players, lacrosse was a mammoth team sport with hundreds of participants battling it out on a pitch that could be anything up to a mile long, sometimes for three days straight. As a result the Iroquois, who along with the Huron helped invent lacrosse, know a thing or two about playing the long game.
Despite their reputation for astonishing endurance, the tribe’s current crop of lacrosse players appear to have come up against two immovable objects: the bureaucratic might of the Home Office and the US State Department.
The Iroquois Nationals, ranked fourth in the world, had been due to fly to Manchester on Sunday to begin training for the World Lacrosse Championships where they are supposed to play Britain in the opening game tomorrow evening.
The match was billed as a clash between the descendants of the original creators of the sport with the host nation.
The Nationals are made up of members from the six Native American nations that form the Iroquois Confederacy which is recognised by the Federation of International Lacrosse – the sport’s governing body – as a full member nation like the other competitors in their group such as Britain, Canada and Japan.
Proud of their Native American heritage, the team have always travelled to tournaments on their own Iroquois passports and, until now, they never had a problem with those documents. But the British consulate in New York refused to issue travel visas unless the US State Department gave written assurances that players would be allowed back into America once the tournament was over. What began as a single piece of British red tape has since descended into an angry debate across the Atlantic over Native American citizenship after the US government refused to issue such a letter.
At first glance it might seem strange that a team would risk travelling on documents that even the State Department’s own literature says are “not considered passports”. But the Nationals have been successfully travelling on their Iroquois passports since 1977 and did not expect to encounter issues this time.
When they flew to the championships in Australia eight years ago, Canberra readily issued visas. The same went for recent trips to Japan and Canada. The team even used the Iroquois passports to fly to Britain in 1994, the last time the championships were held in Manchester, and were waved through immigration.
The US government has offered the team expedited American passports to allow them to travel to Manchester but the Iroquois have refused to accept any compromise which they say would deny their tribe sovereignty or recognition in the tournament that they are a separate entity from the American lacrosse team.
“It might seem like we’re just fighting a point of principle but it’s an important one,” Ansley Jemison, the team’s general manager, told The Independent yesterday.
“We are recognised as a sovereign nation by the FIL [Federation of International Lacrosse] and have always travelled on our own passports. That’s a line we don’t want to cross.”
Rather than acclimatise to the comparatively chilly confines of Manchester, the team’s 23 players and staff have instead had to hole up in a Manhattan hotel while a storm of controversy envelops their tournament. “There’s a lot of frustration but we’re hanging on in there,” Jemison said. “We’re going to head down to the airport again later this afternoon and hopefully it will be good news.”
Britain’s refusal to grant the Nationals their visas has inadvertently thrown the Obama administration headlong into a conflict with Native Americans, a community that he has done more to represent and promote than any other recent president.
Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, has written to fellow Democrat Hillary Clinton asking why the Nationals were unable to travel on a passport used for 30 years.
“As a governor of a state with a significant Native American population, I know many tribes and pueblos will watch carefully how these young competitors are treated by the administration,” he wrote. “As a signator of the UN Declaration on Human Rights, which includes the freedom to travel and return, I believe we have an obligation to assure these young men’s rights are protected.”
Organisers of the tournament have privately expressed their frustration that the British consulate refused to handle Iroquois travel documents.
“It may be the Americans who are holding things up at the moment but it was British officiousness that started it all,” said one official. “The idea that the Americans would turn around at the end of the tournament and say, ‘Sorry, we can’t let you back into the country’ is absurd.”
Tonya Gonnella Frichner, a member of one of the Iroquois clans, was equally scathing. “It’s just not going to happen that the indigenous people of North American are going to be blocked from returning to our own territory,” she said.
The Home Office remains unmoved by the Iroquois’ pleas. Last night a spokesperson reiterated that only those with a valid travel document will be granted entry to the UK. “The [Iroquois] passport is not internationally recognised as a valid air travel document,” he added.
Other team members find it hard to understand why the US State Department has taken such a hard line. “This is our home and we would never endanger it,” said Denise Waterman, a member of the team’s board of directors. “If [only] we had a phone call from the State Department just to reaffirm, ‘Yes, we’re proud of them, we’ll welcome them back.’ It would be nice to know they’d be supportive of us.”
How was lacrosse invented? – JanetPanic.com
How was lacrosse invented?
Lacrosse has its origins in a tribal game played by all eastern Woodlands Native Americans and by some Plains Indians tribes in what is now Canada. Lacrosse is one of the youngest team sports in North America. There is evidence that a version of lacrosse originated in Mesoamerica or canada as early as the 17th century.
Was lacrosse played to the death?
Lacrosse traces its origins to North American Indian tribes. These contests would be scheduled at agreeable times for both tribes and would end the dispute with less bloodshed, though broken bones and severe injuries were not uncommon, and death was not unheard of in the contests.
How old is the game lacrosse?
Lacrosse has its beginnings as far back as one thousand years BCE, emerging from a Native American game, and developing into the modern sport we all know. Today, lacrosse is widely known across the USA and Canada.
Why is lacrosse called the medicine game?
The Great Spirit came with lacrosse stick and ball in hand and told them that the game belonged to them and taught them how to play. The entire affair of Lacrosse symbolizes a spiritual ritual to honor, heal, and celebrate individuals and communities. For this reason, lacrosse is often referred to as the Medicine Game.
Who named Lacrosse?
French Jesuit missionaries working in the St.
Lawrence Valley in the 1630s were the first Europeans to see lacrosse being played by the Native American Indians. One of them, Jean de Brébeuf, wrote about the game being played by the Huron Indians in 1636 and it was he who the named the game “lacrosse”.
What does Crosse mean in lacrosse?
What is the word lacrosse mean?
La Crosse
Is lacrosse a white boy sport?
“Lacrosse is thought to be a sport played by upper-class white kids. In 2012, 88.2 percent of men’s and women’s college lacrosse players were white across the Division I, II and III levels. That number dropped to 85.9 in 2016.
What are the most common injuries in lacrosse?
Common Lacrosse Injuries
- Ankle sprain.
- Head and face contusion.
- Concussion.
- Knee sprain (ACL, MCL)
- Wrist fracture.
- Hip flexor strain.
- Low back pain.
Is lacrosse dangerous?
Overall, lacrosse is a moderate risk sport in which the vast majority of injuries are minor strains, sprains, and bruises.
Which sport has highest injury rate?
Basketball
Is Lacrosse hard to learn?
Lacrosse is easy to learn, and a great sport because of total control. In every other sport, such as basketball, you can control the ball, but you’re dribbling the ball, and it’s more difficult to keep it and shoot it. Even when you do, it’s either a shot, or a dunk.
Is lacrosse a sport for rich?
Going back to the issues associated with lopsided growth, according to this data, lacrosse is living up too its reputation as a sport for the wealthy. Lacrosse gear is expensive with a set of pads, helmet, and shaft, and head costing upwards of $300 on the lowend and $1000+ on the highend.
What is the hardest position in lacrosse?
goalkeeper
What sport is lacrosse most like?
Lacrosse is like basketball, they say, because plays are set up similar to basketball plays for advancing the ball into scoring position.
It’s like hockey or football with heavy protective equipment and plenty of physical contact. The field of play is like a soccer field, except that the goal is smaller.
What does BraveHeart mean in lacrosse?
A “BraveHeart” is used at tournaments and camps to decide a tie game. It’s a one vs one full field face off with goalies in their nets. BraveHearts are very exciting! We incorporate life lessons into the game of lacrosse, to help our athletes succeed both on and off the field.
Does lacrosse have ties?
It is possible for lacrosse games to end in a tie depending on the league or tournament rules. However, the majority of lacrosse games continue on into overtime if the score is tied after regulation. There are several peculiar methods that lacrosse games are decided in the event of a tie.
Is lacrosse an Olympic sport?
Lacrosse, a sport originated by Native Americans, was designated a medal sport in the 1904 and 1908 Olympics, and it was a demonstration sport in the 1928, 1932 and 1948 Games.
What is the lacrosse ball called?
PEARL lacrosse balls
Is lacrosse a violent sport?
Is Lacrosse a Dangerous Sport? Lacrosse is considered a moderate risk sport. This means that the majority of injuries that come from the sport are minor bruises, strains, and sprains. However, more significant injuries can still occur in lacrosse.
Do lacrosse balls hurt?
That Hit’s Going to Leave a Mark! Most of us have said this while watching a lacrosse game or practice when a player gets hit with an errant pass or shot. Hard rubber lacrosse balls hurt when they hit you — and yes, they do leave a mark.
What does hot mean in lacrosse?
Hot (Right, Left) – Term(s) used on defense to communicate which player is the first slide; e.g. an adjacent defender is telling the on-ball defender she is “hot right” ISO (Isolation Play) – Creating a one on one situation for a player. Lax – Slang for lacrosse.
What does P mean in lacrosse?
Points (2 for goal, 1 for assist) P/GP.
– Points per Games Played.
What does GF mean in lacrosse?
GS – Goals Scored. F, GF – Goals For (sometimes used in place of GS). A, GA – Goals Against (i.e., number of goals conceded by a team). GD – Goal Difference (i.e., difference between GF and GA, and sometimes denoted by +/-).
What is the most important position in lacrosse?
The shortstick defender is, arguably, the most important position in the game. An outstanding goaltender, an orchestrating lead attackman and dominant face-off man are all essential to any team’s quest for greatness.
Why do girls drop lacrosse sticks?
After a goal, the player who scored may not touch the strings of her crosse and must immediately drop her stick. If the opposing coach requests a stick check after a goal, the official would inspect the pocket of the scoring player’s crosse.
Can you screen in lacrosse?
In basketball and lacrosse, the offensive player setting the pick must remain stationary at the moment of contact with the defender, and allow the defensive player a “reasonable opportunity” to avoid the screen; a screen is illegal if the screener moves in order to make contact, and obtains an advantage; the result is …
Are lacrosse players tall?
The average professional lacrosse player is 6′ 0.
34″ tall and weighs 198.52 lbs. This means that the average professional lacrosse player is about 3 inches taller than the average American male (5′ 9.3″) and is approximately the same weight as the average American male (197.6 lbs).
TRACES LACROSSE HISTORY FROM VIKINGS TO PRESENT | News
After putting his lacrosse men through an hour of stick-practice yesterday afternoon in spite of the discouraging drizzle, Coach Harry Herbert retired to the locker room and there proceeded to instruct his hearers in the history of lacrosse.
“The game originated with the Vikings,” he said, “and was brought by them to the shores of Canada. The Indian natives took up the sport and developed it to the highest glory it has ever attained. The Vikings had batted a wooden ball around with a small board. The Indians made their balls of hair and feathers, with a stone or wood knot to give weight, and the whole covered with a leather casing. They first padded the boards, and then substituted the net of leather thongs supported on a wooden frame, very similar to the present stick.
“‘Bagataway’, as they called the game, continued Coach Herbert, “became an important ceremonial rite. A match was proceeded by a solemn dance. Then the teams, each, consisting of the complete fighting force of a tribe prepared to slaughter each other. There were often as many as 800 or 1000 warriors on a side. The squaws aided by switching the braves to make them fight more vigorously.”
Coach Herbert went on to explain how the Candians gradually adopted the game, name it “Lacrosse” because of the resemblance which the sticks bore to a bishop’s crosse, refined it, reduced the number of players to 25, and played on a field 200 instead of 2000 yards square. Dr. W. G. Beers of Quebee earned his title of “the originator of modern lacrosse” by formulating a set of rules in 1867, when also lacrosse was adopted as Canada’s national game.
Johns Hopkins was the first of American universities to take up lacrosse. But the first intercollegiate match was played between Harvard and Yale at a date which has remained hidden in spite of all efforts to discover it.
“There are at present,” said Coach Herbert in conclusion, “a Northern and Southern Intercollegiate League. National championship is decided in a match played at Crescent Field, in Brooklyn, by the winners in their respective leagues.”
Iroquois Fight To Play Native Sport Lacrosse At World Games
In a show of great sportsmanship, the Irish team gave their World Games spot to the Iroquois. Now, the Iroquois have their sights set on the Olympics.
IRQ_Nationals/TwitterThe Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team were nearly disqualified from participating in the 2022 World Games.
All eyes are on the upcoming lacrosse championship at the 2022 World Games where the best teams from all over the world will compete against each other. But one of the best lacrosse teams in the world was almost left out of the games — and that exclusion could also keep them out of the Olympics.
The Iroquois Nationals’ finished in third place at the world championship, which should have qualified them for a spot among the eight teams chosen to head to the World Games.
But the International World Games Association (IWGA) initially deemed the team ineligible because the Iroquois Nation isn’t recognized as a sovereign state and has no Olympic committee.
According to CNN, public pushback compelled the IWGA to reverse its decision, allowing the Iroquois Nationals to compete on the condition that they secure a spot among the eight teams that had already been filled.
Ireland’s national lacrosse team withdrew from the World Games to offer their spot to the Iroquois instead. Ireland had finished 12th in the world championship.
“We are a proud member of World Lacrosse and we recognize the importance of The World Games to the continued growth of our sport,” read a statement from Michael Kennedy, chief executive officer of Ireland Lacrosse.
To @IrelandLacrosse,
You have gone above and beyond not only for us, but for what you believe is right.
Your actions have spoken louder than words showing everyone the true power of sport, and the spirit of lacrosse.We will never forget that.
I dteannta a chéile#TogetherAsOne pic.twitter.com/qmDSYauaM5— IROQUOIS NATIONALS LACROSSE (@IRQ_Nationals) September 3, 2020
“As much as our players would have been honored to compete, we know the right thing is for the Iroquois Nationals to represent our sport on this international stage.”
Thanks to Ireland’s great sportsmanship, the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team will be competing in the upcoming 2022 World Games set to take place in Birmingham, Alabama.
The Iroquois Nationals called Ireland Lacrosse’s actions “the true power of sport” and “the spirit of lacrosse.”
“You have gone above and beyond not only for us but for what you believe is right,” the Iroquois Nationals tweeted to Ireland Lacrosse. “We will never forget that.”
The Iroquois — who call themselves the Haudenosaunee — is a confederacy made up of six Native American tribes that live around the eastern border between the U.S. and Canada.
The Iroquois Confederacy formed hundreds of years ago as a way to solidify support between the tribes. It encompasses the Onondaga, Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Seneca, and Tuscarora tribes.
The Iroquois Nationals represent the confederacy in international lacrosse competitions. They are the only Native American team authorized to play a sport internationally.
Additionally, it is believed that lacrosse was invented by the Iroquois tribes as long as 1,000 years ago. According to native beliefs, lacrosse was originally a competition played between land and winged animals long before humans existed. Today, they still view the sport as a gift from the Creator.
IRQ_Nationals/TwitterLacrosse was invented by the Iroquois and handed down between generations.
“That stick represents everything from the earth that grows,” said Rex Lyons, a former lacrosse player and the son of 90-year-old Onondaga faith keeper Oren Lyons.
“The netting is representative of the deer, the leader of animals from all five continents.
The weave in the netting, the connecting of all those hoops, that’s the clans, the families all connected together. And the ball, of course, is the medicine.”
The Iroquois call lacrosse the medicine game and will often arrange lacrosse games when a member of the tribe is in need. When the game concludes, they give the deerskin ball to the person they played for.
Despite the deep cultural significance the game has to the Iroquois, their struggle to play on the International stage is far from over. Lacrosse hasn’t been played as an Olympic medal sport since 1908, but in 2018 the International Olympic Committee took steps toward bringing the sport back to the games in 2028.
Since the World Games and Olympic Games follow similar criteria of inclusion, the Iroquois Nationals’ spot in the World Games is an important first step for the people who invented the game to one day play it on the athletic world’s biggest stage.
Despite the hurdles, the Iroquois have produced some of the top lacrosse teams in the world.
“There is no other sport like this in the world, with an origin story of a game shared with the world by an Indigenous group, and that group not only still competes today but does so as one of the very best teams out there,” said Steve Stenersen, the CEO of USA Lacrosse and a vice president of World Lacrosse. “What they have done is beyond remarkable.”
Next, read about the little-known history of voter suppression experienced by Native Americans throughout U.S. history and take a look at 33 stunning photographs of Native American masks brought to life through colorization.
The Invention of Lacrosse · Championship Subdivision News
All over the world, people enjoy playing sports. One of the popular sports that people enjoy today is Lacrosse. But what not a lot of individuals know about is its history. In this article, we will talk about how and when Lacrosse was invented.
Lacrosse got its start by being played by Native Americans.
Rather than being called “Lacrosse”, however, the sport was known as “Stickball.” Stickball was initially played by the Algonquian tribe in order to train as well as for fun, and religious reasons. At any one time, there were between 100 and 100,000 players enjoying the game, which could continue on for days.
Originally, the balls used were made of wood, but over time they were changed to being made of deerskin. In preparation for Lacrosse, players would decorate their face and body. It was also not unheard of for individuals to place bets on the outcome of each game. Much like modern-day lacrosse, it was a family event; enjoyed by husbands, wives, and their children.
In the 1630s, French Jesuit missionaries had the privilege of witnessing Lacrosse being played by Native Americans. In fact, the term “Lacrosse” was first spoken by one of these missionaries. News and interest in the game began spreading, and in the year of 1860, Lacrosse had become the national game of Canada.
In 1876, Queen Victoria herself watched a game and remarked that it was “very pretty to watch.”
By the beginning of the 20th century, Lacrosse was popular in several countries, and in 1904 and 1908 Lacrosse was played in the summer Olympics. Today, Lacrosse continues to be a popular and celebrated sport. It is played by men and women alike, and students at grade school and college enjoy the game each year. Lacrosse is also played professionally. It is a truly remarkable sport that got its start many years ago, invented by Native Americans who set the groundwork for our love of Lacrosse today.
For a quick rundown on the history of lacrosse, check out this video:
The National Lacrosse League launches Roots of the Game
The sport of lacrosse started as a Native American tradition centuries ago. Early European settlers observed tribes playing a far more aggressive variation involving long sticks that were affixed with hooked nets on one end.
Those tools worked great for catching and re-slinging a deerskin ball among teammates en route to the goal. But because the games involved thousands of players on a sprawling field and could last for days on end, the real win was being able to knock out other competitors along the way.
The whole exercise approximated battle training. When compressed into something more appropriate for club play in Montreal circa 1842, the French also renamed it. Various indigenous names like baggataway and tewaraathon were replaced by the current one, which pays homage to the fact that those sticks looked a lot like a bishop’s religious staff.
[Image: courtesy National Lacrosse League]But some people’s ignorance of this history—combined with racial insensitivity and obvious racism—led to an especially ugly moment for the professional indoor National Lacrosse League last season. During a home match between the Philadelphia Wings and Georgia Swarm, one of the Wings announcers repeatedly mocked the braided ponytail of Swarm star player Lyle Thompson, who is Native American.
Public rallying cries included “Let’s snip the ponytail” and were followed by some fans shouting that they should scalp Thompson.
In response, the NLL just made a game-wide commitment to increase awareness and appreciation of the sport’s indigenous heritage among both teams and fans alike. Although details are still vague, the new initiative is called “Roots of the Game” and includes formal education and sensitivity training for team players, owners, and their arena staffs. Starting next fall, every team will host a heritage appreciation night for fans, and ensure that culturally relevant messaging is incorporated into everything from in-game giveaways to youth sports clinics. The league will expand web coverage explaining these connections.
While the announcer was fired and the team publicly apologized, the incident points to a larger concern for the growing sport. Philadelphia is one of the several newly added franchises in the rapidly expanding NLL, which has grown to 13 teams and projects to add one team per year for the next several years.
Unlike the typical field game, indoor or so-called “box” lacrosse is played in an ice hockey rink with turf laid down. Each team is allowed five players plus a goalie (half the number in outdoor).
Close to 1 million people flowed through the league’s turnstiles during the 2018–2019 season, a 28% uptick over the previous season. Some of that growth is happening in areas where the origins of the sport are obviously forgotten. The league’s logo may be a stylized morning star—a Native American symbol for hope and guidance—and roughly 10% of current players are indigenous, but that’s hardly overt. “We have more new teams coming into the pipeline . . . we think it’s important to continue educating,” says NLL commissioner Nick Sakiewicz. “There’s no better time than the present to talk about things like inclusion and diversity and the respect that we should show the indigenous people that invented the game that we play.”
[Photo: courtesy National Lacrosse League]Roots of the Game will build on awareness work already being pioneered by Thompson.
The high-scoring athlete is one of four brothers in the league, all of whom share a similar hairstyle. He grew up with the Onondaga Nation in New York, where not cutting your hair was seen as a sign of embracing your ancestry and fighting spiritual and societal assimilation. “The one thing my father always said was be proud of who you are, and our hair was a symbol of it,” he tells Fast Company. “I wanted to take that negative situation and turn it into something positive.”
After the January 2019 incident, Thompson started a T-shirt campaign called “Back the Braid” through the apparel company Lacrosse Unlimited. The proceeds go to support a series of free summer camps that he, his brothers, and other lacrosse players and coaches hold in collaboration with Nike to encourage more Native American kids to be involved in the sport. Thompson is one of Nike’s N7 ambassadors for Native American and Aboriginal athletes, and the company has made spots about the movement.
Unlike modern lacrosse, baggataway players competed only in loincloths.The champions were rewarded with a special feather headdress, and they were held in no less respect than the current centers of attack of the national teams.
June 4, 1763 during the Seven Years’ War (1756 – 1763). Two Indian tribes, led by the chief of the Ottawa tribe Pontiac, an ally of the French, invited the British, who had become a garrison on the lands taken from the Indians in Fort Michilimakinak, Michigan, to arrange an exhibition match in honor of King George III. The British, as true athletes, agreed with pleasure.In the midst of the game, the ball accidentally flew over the wall of the fort. The commandant, getting excited, ordered to open the gate and get the ball. But as soon as the guards finished the gates, the Indians grabbed battle axes instead of rackets and killed the entire garrison.
This made the British to be wary of the sports hobbies of the Indians. Soon the Baggataway was banned. It was only recently that a modified baggataway named lacrosse entered the sports roster of American college students.
Lacrosse was included in the program as a demonstration sport and not an official event of the Olympic Games in 1928, 1932 and 1948.
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Blitz-fax across Canada – 4.
Good afternoon to everyone who is interested in life in Canada, for the time of the blitz-fax.Briefly and quickly about the accumulated. Three blitz-faqs that preceded today’s one are here, here and here. Let’s get down to business quickly.
A weekend in Canada?
The question could be caused by a strange system of displaying the days of the week in calendars when the week starts on Sunday. I myself do not understand this, because here the weekend is called Saturday and Sunday, and the week starts on Monday. In short, Canada has the same two days off as Russia. Saturday and Sunday.
Well, and, perhaps, it’s time to mention the BBoard message board for those who need to buy building materials. Here you can sell not only building materials, but also tailoring services, furniture, pets, electronics and everything else.
Canada is Orthodox.
The Orthodox Church in Canada is represented, how could it be otherwise, with such huge, often, communities from countries where Orthodoxy is the dominant religion. There are churches and parishes.It should be borne in mind that when speaking of the Orthodox Church, one can mean the Greek Church, the Lebanese Church, and even Coptic Orthodox Christians from Egypt.
Canada – what does it mean?
As we all already know, Canada means “settlement” or “village” in the local Iroquois dialect. This is how the French explorer Jacques Cartier marked the settlement of Stadacon (in the area of present-day Quebec) on the map. Later, he also began to designate with this word not only the village, but the entire region.From that it began.
Which is the capital of Canada?
We in Russia are used to the fact that the capital is the largest city. Conversely, the largest city is the capital. And in some countries it is different. The largest city in Canada is Toronto, but the capital of Canada is Ottawa. That, we agree, is very convenient. The huge metropolis of Toronto lives its own life, and Ottawa is a city of senators, officials and other parliamentarians.
Cigarettes in Canada?
It’s not easy for smokers in Canada.Smoking is allowed a little more than anywhere else. Cigarettes are very expensive. On the packages are creepy photos of tumors and other gangrene. They are sold only from under the counter, in the truest sense of the word. They are not on the counter, you have to ask the seller. 🙂
So quit smoking. 😉
Canada’s official national summer sport.
We all know that in winter sports Canada few countries will compete. In the summer, there is a lull, and even the summer Olympics are not particularly ambitious.So, it would seem, strain here with summer sports. H, it’s probably lacrosse and softball.