BRANDON MEACHUM - The DENVER POST | Posted: Thursday, July 20, 2006 11:00 pm
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."
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D6.