History of Lacrosse & the Mohawk Indians

Popular mostly in North America, lacrosse is the continent’s oldest sport and the fastest growing sport at all levels – youth, high school, college, and professional. In its modern form, lacrosse is played by three attackers, three midfielders, three defenders, and one goaltender. Players wear helmets and other protective equipment because physicality is an important part of the game. Players use a netted racket to pick the ball off the ground, throw, catch, and coax it into a goal to score a point. The ball must not be touched with the hands. Unlike the sports of baseball, basketball, and hockey, sports historians agree that the game of lacrosse was present on the North American continent well before exploration and European colonization.

According to the Mohawk Nation, the game of lacrosse was given to them by the Creator to play for his amusement. It was called Tewaarathon (French settlers gave it the name lacrosse) and was played not only for recreation and entertainment, but also to honor and respect those who had done great things for the Mohawk Nation. Tribe shamans specially prepared the equipment that was used in the games. Those who played trained for months. When the Europeans first witnessed the Mohawk playing lacrosse for the Creator, they were disgusted with the violence and savagery. This was a misinterpretation. The Europeans did not understand the purpose of the game or that there were no hard feelings between opposing teams and players.

The Mohawk also believed that lacrosse had healing powers. When anyone in the Nation became sick, the elders would ask for a lacrosse game to be played, to provide added healing power to the natural medicines they prescribed. By showing the Creator that he was still appreciated and his goodwill was remembered, it was believed that the sick person would be spared.

By the late 1800s, the game of lacrosse began to decline. Betting on games and violence began to erode the Mohawk culture. Government officials and missionaries argued against lacrosse because it interfered with attending church and left many Mohawks poor.

Modern lacrosse has not forgotten its Native American roots. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) awards the Tewaarathon Trophy to the top college lacrosse player. The bronze trophy features a Mohawk native clothed in a loincloth and a feather. The Mohawk Nation Council of Elders has endorsed the Tewaarathon Trophy. Mohawks not only continue to play the game of lacrosse, but also manufacture products for the modern-day game. Mohawk International Lacrosse (MIL) is a manufacturer of lacrosse sticks that is located on the Akwesasne Reservation (a modern Mohawk reservation). MIL is one of the leading producers of plastic lacrosse sticks and is profiting from the increasing popularity of lacrosse