Post by Okwes on Jul 21, 2006 10:35:54 GMT -5
Lacrosse a life force for many American Indians By BRANDON MEACHUM
THE DENVER POST
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600AP_WST_Indian_Lacrosse.html?sour\
ce=rss
<http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600AP_WST_Indian_Lacrosse.html?sou\
rce=rss> LITTLETON, Colo. -- When an American Indian boy of the
Iroquois tribe is born, he will go through a ritual to point him in the
right direction in life. He will be told who his mother and father are,
what clan he is a part of and will be informed of his duties as he grows
into a man. Then he will be introduced to lacrosse, a sport invented and
cherished by American Indians. At the recent North American Indigenous
Games in Colorado, the athletes followed the path of their ancestors by
playing an ancient spiritual game. "This sport is like walking or eating
to us; it is a big part of life," Team Ontario assistant coach Bruce
Longboat said. Lacrosse is known as the first sport in North America. It
was the sport American Indians were playing when Europeans first came to
the continent. Its history dates back even further - forever, in the
American Indian culture. "In our belief system, our people played before
there was even a world here," New York coach Vince Schiffert said. "It
was played by the people in sky world, the people that created our
Earth. That was one of the things that the people from sky world sent
down here. It is a sacred game. It is also a medicine game to help
people, to heal people. It is to help communities, to help them stay in
a good frame of mind." It is also meant for athletes to showcase
their speed, strength and aggression, but in a positive way. At the
Indigenous Games, lacrosse was played by young boys whose relatives
learned the game at an early age. Their fathers, uncles, cousins and
grandfathers have played the sport before them. "It has been in our
families for generations. We still play the young versus the old
sometimes," said Bruce's nephew, Ely Longboat, 19. "I love it. It just
feels good that we are all native and playing together." Lacrosse was
used by Indians long ago to get the men of the tribe ready for war. They
would play on huge swaths of land, sometimes with goals that were miles
apart, to condition for battle. Games could feature hundreds of players
at a time, with trees or rocks marked for the goals and deerskin used
for the ball. In those long ago days, Indians also might use lacrosse to
settle disputes between tribes in matches that could last for days.
While Indians are still involved in the sport, its popularity has soared
into the mainstream, from the youth level to collegiate competition and
professional indoor and outdoor leagues throughout the United States. To
the indigenous people, lacrosse is the sport that most reflects their
heritage. "It's in our blood," 18-year-old Tom Turner of Littleton said.
"We are closer to the game than everyone else. It feels like we are more
at home. It means a lot more to play this sport." The teams in the Games
earlier this month played against other Indian nations to see who would
be awarded the gold - Ontario won the 15- to 16-year-old midget
division, while New York took gold in the 17- to 19-year-old juvenile
division. In the end, though, they were playing for a higher power. "We
play for the creator's enjoyment," Bruce Longboat said. "We cherish this
game and we love this game. Basically, it is life." --- On the Net:
North American Indigenous Games: www.naig2006.com/
<http://www.naig2006.com/>
THE DENVER POST
seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600AP_WST_Indian_Lacrosse.html?sour\
ce=rss
<http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6600AP_WST_Indian_Lacrosse.html?sou\
rce=rss> LITTLETON, Colo. -- When an American Indian boy of the
Iroquois tribe is born, he will go through a ritual to point him in the
right direction in life. He will be told who his mother and father are,
what clan he is a part of and will be informed of his duties as he grows
into a man. Then he will be introduced to lacrosse, a sport invented and
cherished by American Indians. At the recent North American Indigenous
Games in Colorado, the athletes followed the path of their ancestors by
playing an ancient spiritual game. "This sport is like walking or eating
to us; it is a big part of life," Team Ontario assistant coach Bruce
Longboat said. Lacrosse is known as the first sport in North America. It
was the sport American Indians were playing when Europeans first came to
the continent. Its history dates back even further - forever, in the
American Indian culture. "In our belief system, our people played before
there was even a world here," New York coach Vince Schiffert said. "It
was played by the people in sky world, the people that created our
Earth. That was one of the things that the people from sky world sent
down here. It is a sacred game. It is also a medicine game to help
people, to heal people. It is to help communities, to help them stay in
a good frame of mind." It is also meant for athletes to showcase
their speed, strength and aggression, but in a positive way. At the
Indigenous Games, lacrosse was played by young boys whose relatives
learned the game at an early age. Their fathers, uncles, cousins and
grandfathers have played the sport before them. "It has been in our
families for generations. We still play the young versus the old
sometimes," said Bruce's nephew, Ely Longboat, 19. "I love it. It just
feels good that we are all native and playing together." Lacrosse was
used by Indians long ago to get the men of the tribe ready for war. They
would play on huge swaths of land, sometimes with goals that were miles
apart, to condition for battle. Games could feature hundreds of players
at a time, with trees or rocks marked for the goals and deerskin used
for the ball. In those long ago days, Indians also might use lacrosse to
settle disputes between tribes in matches that could last for days.
While Indians are still involved in the sport, its popularity has soared
into the mainstream, from the youth level to collegiate competition and
professional indoor and outdoor leagues throughout the United States. To
the indigenous people, lacrosse is the sport that most reflects their
heritage. "It's in our blood," 18-year-old Tom Turner of Littleton said.
"We are closer to the game than everyone else. It feels like we are more
at home. It means a lot more to play this sport." The teams in the Games
earlier this month played against other Indian nations to see who would
be awarded the gold - Ontario won the 15- to 16-year-old midget
division, while New York took gold in the 17- to 19-year-old juvenile
division. In the end, though, they were playing for a higher power. "We
play for the creator's enjoyment," Bruce Longboat said. "We cherish this
game and we love this game. Basically, it is life." --- On the Net:
North American Indigenous Games: www.naig2006.com/
<http://www.naig2006.com/>