In the 1600s, French Jesuit missionaries first documented that they saw lacrosse being played by native people in the St. Lawrence River Valley, and it’s the French that gave Lacrosse its name from the curvature of the stick. In Mohawk, lacrosse is called tewa:aráton, pronounced de–wa–ah–lah–doon, which translates to “it has a dual net.”  Another Mohawk name is teiontsikwaeks, which means “they bump hips. “

In Akwesasne today, lacrosse is an important and vibrant part of our community. The game has a few forms: recreational, competitive and traditional. Recreational lacrosse is played for fun, often called yardball or pick-up. The competitive game is played at all levels around the world, and takes place either outdoor (field lacrosse) or indoor (box lacrosse). The traditional form is considered medicine and is conducted ceremonially for healing. In Akwesasne, most players have experience with all forms of the game. The relatively recent growth of lacrosse among Akwesasne girls and women was the subject of a 2016 documentary, Keepers of the Game and a feature in The Washington Post.

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Lacrosse, America’s oldest team sport, dates to 1100, when it was played by the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois people, in what now is New York and areas in Canada bordering the state.

The early versions of lacrosse matches played by Native American nations included 100 to 1,000 men or more using wooden sticks, sometimes with net baskets or pockets attached, and small, deer hide-wrapped balls. Deer sinew formed nets.  Borderless fields could span miles, and games could last days. 

“Lacrosse was an integral part of Native Americans’ culture,” says Joe Finn, archivist at the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum. “It was played to prepare them for war, and it was also a social event where tribes would get together for trade and sport. It was sometimes used to settle disputes.”

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Lacrosse originated in Native American tribes and was originally known as stickball. The games were seen as major events, which took place over several days.They were played over huge open areas between villages and the goals, which might be trees or other natural features, were anything from 500 yards to several miles apart. Any number of players were involved. Some estimates have mentioned between 100 and 100,000 players participating in a game at any one time. The rules were very simple, the ball was not to be touched by a player’s hand and there were no boundaries. The ball was tossed into the air to indicate the start of the game and players raced to be the first to catch it.

The original wooden balls were later replaced by deerskin balls filled with fur and the sticks developed over time to become more sophisticated, the netting made from deer sinew. In preparation for a game, players used paint and charcoal to decorate their faces and bodies.

Lacrosse games were played for a number of reasons. It was considered a sport that toughened up young warriors for war, but it was also a game played for recreation and for religious reasons. It was not unusual for bets to be placed on the outcome of games.

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