This Is More Than Lacrosse.
It's Unity in Motion
A Living Legacy: The History of Lacrosse
The Sacred History of Lacrosse: From Creator's Game to Global Movement
Lacrosse is more than just a game—it is a sacred thread that weaves through centuries of Indigenous culture, spirituality, and resistance. Born from the spiritual heart of Native American communities, it stands as the oldest team sport in North America and now ranks among the fastest-growing sports globally. From sacred ceremonial grounds to modern Olympic stadiums, the journey of lacrosse is a story of resilience, cultural reclamation, and the unwavering spirit of Indigenous nationhood.
Indigenous Origins: The Creator's Gift
Long before modern helmets and turf fields, lacrosse was played by Indigenous peoples across the land now known as North America. Tribes such as the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), Cherokee, Choctaw, and many others played the game for spiritual, healing, and community purposes. To the Haudenosaunee, lacrosse is known as Tewaaraton (Mohawk) and Baggataway (Algonquin groups)—names that carry the weight of centuries of sacred tradition.
Photo courtesy of Library of Congress, LC-USZ62-114959
The Spiritual Significance
Known to the Haudenosaunee as the Creator's Game, lacrosse was played to settle disputes, prepare warriors, and honor life itself. According to Indigenous oral traditions, the game itself was a gift from the Great Spirit, transmitted through dreams and visions to those chosen to steward it. Legendary tales acknowledge that the Great Spirit came to ancient peoples with lacrosse stick and ball in hand, teaching them how to play and declaring that the game belonged to them.
The game held profound spiritual meaning that extended far beyond athletic competition. Fields were strategically positioned near rivers or streams to facilitate sacred cleansing rituals, and laid out east to west to orient toward the path of the sun. Every aspect of the game—from the preparation of players to the construction of sticks—was infused with spiritual significance.
Sacred Ceremonies and Medicine Games
Before each game, elaborate ceremonial preparations took place. Players observed strict fasts, consuming only special potions prepared by medicine men. These spiritual leaders played a central role in game preparation, performing rituals to remove bad spirits from sticks and equipment. Players were adorned with ointments and salves believed to grant them strength and protection. The night before a game, players wore ceremonial regalia and held special dances. Sacred expressions were shouted to intimidate opponents, and sacrifices were held to honor the Creator.
In times of sickness or community crisis, lacrosse became known as the Medicine Game—a healing ritual through which communities called upon the life forces of Mother Earth. When illness struck a village, the medicine people would prepare themselves and call for a lacrosse game, believing that the right medicines would appear and the game's power would bring about healing and togetherness among the people.
Indigenous Ball and Stick Construction
The early construction of lacrosse equipment reflected the sacred nature of the game. The ball, approximately the size of a baseball, had a deerskin cover and was stuffed with hair—a design that connected the game directly to the natural world and the animals that sustained Indigenous communities. Sticks were carved by hand from wood, with netting made from deer sinew. Each stick was a unique creation, often personalized with spiritual markings and blessed for the sacred purpose of play.
The Scale of Ancient Games
Games in their original form bore little resemblance to modern lacrosse. Fields stretched anywhere from 500 meters to several kilometers in length, and games could last from sunrise to sunset for up to three days. Teams consisted of anywhere from 100 to 1,000 players—entire villages might participate in a single match. The scale of these games reflected their ceremonial importance; they were not merely sporting events but major community gatherings that served spiritual, social, and governance functions.
The Great Law of Peace, which established the Haudenosaunee Confederacy more than 1,000 years ago, centered lacrosse as a foundational element of Indigenous governance and unity. The game became embedded in the fabric of tribal diplomacy, conflict resolution, and the maintenance of social order.
Lacrosse as Resistance: The Masked Warrior Tradition
The Massacre at Fort Michilimackinac (1763)
One of the most significant and strategic uses of lacrosse in Indigenous history occurred during Pontiac's Rebellion (1763-1766). On June 2, 1763, the Ojibwe nation staged a game of lacrosse with the Sauks near Fort Michilimackinac (in present-day Michigan), inviting British Major Etherington and his garrison of 35 soldiers to watch what they were told was a celebration of King George III's birthday.
The British officer, having wagered money on the Ojibwe victory, accepted the invitation and—despite warnings from French civilians—ordered his soldiers to leave their weapons behind. As approximately 500 warriors played on the field before the fort, Ojibwe women strategically positioned near the open gates wore heavy blankets despite the warm June weather. When the ball landed near the gates, these women threw off their blankets and distributed tomahawks and knives to the players. The game transformed instantly into a coordinated military assault, and the warriors rushed the fort, overwhelming the British garrison.
Source: Spalding’s Official Lacrosse Guide (1907), p. 92, HathiTrust
This event, known as the Massacre of Michilimackinac, demonstrated lacrosse's strategic importance beyond spirituality—it was a tool of Indigenous resistance and sovereignty. The French civilians within the fort were spared, acknowledging the distinction between colonial powers and Indigenous authority. Though Pontiac's Rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful and the Ojibwe were forced to return the fort after a year, this event remains a powerful testament to Indigenous ingenuity and the cultural significance of lacrosse as an instrument of liberation.
Historical Artifacts: Echoes of the Ancient Game
The Beltrami Lacrosse Stick (1823)
One of the most precious surviving artifacts of pre-contact Indigenous lacrosse is the Beltrami stick, collected in 1823 from the Red Lake Ojibwe in Minnesota. This ancient stick, now housed in the Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali in Bergamo, Italy, represents one of the oldest known lacrosse sticks in existence. Its preservation across centuries provides invaluable insight into the design, craftsmanship, and material culture of traditional lacrosse—a direct link to the hands of Indigenous stick-makers who understood the sacred geometry of the game.
The presence of this artifact in a European museum also reflects a broader history of cultural appropriation and the removal of Indigenous patrimony by colonial powers. Its existence outside North America serves as a reminder of the need to reclaim and honor Indigenous historical narratives.
Painting of Giacomo Beltrami. Painted in 1931 by Gian Antonio Micheli. Look carefully and you can see the lacrosse stick in the canoe.
From Colonization to Codification: The Transformation
European Contact and Early Documentation
In the 1600s, French Jesuit missionaries in what is now Canada observed Indigenous lacrosse being played by nations such as the Huron-Wendat and Algonquin in the St. Lawrence Valley. One missionary, Jean de Brébeuf, documented lacrosse being played by the Huron in 1636 and gave it the name "lacrosse"—derived from the French word for "bishop's crosier," a reference to the curved stick's resemblance to the religious object.
With colonial curiosity came colonial appropriation. European settlers began adapting the sport to fit their own sensibilities. Over time, the colonizers reshaped the rules, shortened the fields, and dramatically reduced the number of players per team. The game's sacred and ceremonial dimensions were gradually stripped away as it was transformed into a secular sport suitable for European social structures.
The Codification of Modern Lacrosse
In 1856, Dr. William George Beers of Canada codified the modern version of the game, organizing the first official club and establishing standardized rules. Beers' codification marked the beginning of lacrosse's transformation from an Indigenous ceremonial practice into a Western sporting institution. The Montreal Lacrosse Club became the first organized club, and the sport rapidly gained traction among Canadian and American settlers.
However, this "modernization" came at tremendous cost. Indigenous communities were systematically excluded from the organized lacrosse establishments that Beers and other colonial organizers created. Native players and communities continued to play their version of the game, passing it down through generations, even as lacrosse expanded into colleges and clubs dominated by non-Indigenous players.
The Dark Legacy: Lacrosse in Residential Schools
Perhaps the most troubling chapter in lacrosse's colonial history is its use as a tool of cultural assimilation. The Carlisle Indian Industrial School (1879-1918) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, famously introduced lacrosse to Indigenous students as part of a deliberate strategy to erase their cultural identity. The irony was devastating: the very game that embodied Indigenous spirituality and nationhood was weaponized to destroy Indigenous youth.
This practice was not isolated to Carlisle. Lacrosse was introduced in residential schools and boarding schools across Canada and the United States as a tactic to assimilate Indigenous youth in the early 20th century. Historian Dr. Allan Downey, an award-winning Indigenous author and filmmaker, documents this painful history in his groundbreaking work The Creator's Game: Lacrosse, Identity, and Indigenous Nationhood (2018). Downey's research reveals that lacrosse was deployed in residential schools across almost every Canadian province, making the sport complicit in the systematic cultural suppression of Indigenous peoples.
The Resurgence: Reclaiming Indigenous Nationhood
Despite centuries of appropriation, exclusion, and misuse, Indigenous communities never abandoned the game. Even when banned from organized lacrosse organizations and pushed out of the sport's institutional development, Native players and communities continued to play, ceremonialize, and teach lacrosse according to their own traditions.
Contemporary Indigenous Leadership
Today, Indigenous athletes and leaders are reclaiming lacrosse as a vehicle for cultural pride and political sovereignty. The Haudenosaunee Nationals—representing the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy—compete internationally as an independent nation, asserting Indigenous sovereignty on the global stage. The emergence of the Thompson brothers (Lyle and Miles Thompson of the Onondaga Nation) has marked a watershed moment; they became the first Indigenous players to win the Tewaaraton Trophy (named after the Mohawk word for lacrosse), with Lyle Thompson becoming the first to win the award back-to-back.
As Lyle Thompson states, lacrosse means far more than competition: "It's a competitive sport that means more to us than just winning or losing. That's something we're taught—this game is played for medicine; it's played for our Creator."
Women's Leadership in Lacrosse
The Haudenosaunee women's team has emerged as a powerful symbol of Indigenous resilience and cultural continuity. Despite historical denial of access to the game, Indigenous women have become prominent voices in lacrosse, inspiring a new generation of girls across North America who now see themselves reflected in the sport's leadership.
Global Growth and Olympic Recognition
By the 20th century, lacrosse had crossed oceans and continents. The sport made appearances in the 1904 and 1908 Olympics and has since gained momentum in Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and across Europe. Today, lacrosse is played in over 80 countries, governed internationally by World Lacrosse.
In a historic moment of recognition, lacrosse is officially returning to the Olympic stage at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. This Olympic return represents both a celebration of the sport's evolution and a necessary acknowledgment of its deep Indigenous heritage—though it also raises important questions about whose narrative dominates when the sport takes the global stage.
Source: Wikimedia Commons, 1908 Summer Olympics Official Report (page 225)
The Mission of the Unity Through Lacrosse Tour
The Global Lacrosse Foundation's Unity Through Lacrosse Tour is built on the belief that lacrosse can serve as a bridge between cultures, communities, and continents. By bringing together players from North America and Europe for clinics, competitions, and cultural exchanges, the tour honors the past by expanding the future with integrity.
Through every pass, dodge, and goal, the tour echoes the spirit of those first players: to play with purpose, to connect across borders, and to grow the game while centering Indigenous voices, sovereignty, and spiritual practice.
Conclusion: A Living Legacy
Lacrosse stands as one of the most powerful examples of cultural resilience in human history. From its origins as the Creator's sacred gift to its appropriation by colonial powers, from its weaponization in residential schools to its reclamation by Indigenous youth today—lacrosse tells the story of Indigenous survival, resistance, and triumph.
Today's players—Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike—carry forward the legacy of thousands of years of tradition. When they step onto the field, they connect to the medicine game, to the ceremonies of their ancestors, and to the ongoing struggle for Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.
Lacrosse is not just about winning. It is about healing. It is about community. It is about honoring the Creator and the sacred gift that was given to Indigenous peoples. And it is about the future—a future where Indigenous voices lead the narrative, where the spiritual roots of the game are honored, and where lacrosse remains a powerful expression of Indigenous nationhood and global unity.
Sources and Further Reading
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Downey, Allan. The Creator's Game: Lacrosse, Identity, and Indigenous Nationhood. University of British Columbia Press, 2018.
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Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada. "Sport." Accessed 2025.
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Medicine Man Lacrosse. "Medicine Game - The Story of Lacrosse."
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World Lacrosse. "History." Accessed 2025.
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USA Lacrosse. "Indigenous Brilliance: A Conversation with 'Creator's Game' Author Allan Downey." USA Lacrosse Magazine, 2024.
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Edwards, Lissa. "Deadly Lacrosse Game in Mackinac Straits at Fort Michilimackinac in 1763." My North, 2010.
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University of Toronto, Global Knowledge Service. Lacrosse stick collection (1823, Red Lake, Minnesota).
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Burns High School Lacrosse. "Honoring the Spiritual Roots of the Medicine Game." USA Lacrosse, 2025.