The cultural significance of indigenous games like lacrosse

Players like the Thompson brothers play to honor the Creator, not for personal glory, reflecting spiritual values, per Neal Powless’ interviews.

Lacrosse was used to settle disputes and strengthen alliances between tribes, promoting peace, as noted in Haudenosaunee oral histories.

Snow snake, a Dene game, involves throwing a spear along snow to practice hunting precision, per ParticipACTION’s 2024 article on indigenous sports.

Early lacrosse was played barefoot with few rules to reflect its spiritual and communal focus, not competition, per Joe Finn at the Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Lacrosse’s legend of birds vs. mammals emphasizes unity, showing everyone has a role in the Creator’s plan, per the Oneida Nation’s website.

Lacrosse is seen as a medicine that heals physically, mentally, and spiritually, strengthening community ties, per a 2019 Lancet study on ecological grief.

The Onondaga term ‘Deyhontsigwa’ehs’ (‘they bump hips’) describes lacrosse’s physicality, reflecting its cultural intensity, per Lyle Thompson’s accounts.

Oneida Nation oral traditions describe lacrosse’s first game as played between birds and mammals, symbolizing unity, per Jeffrey Carey’s thesis.

Lacrosse was played to settle disputes, prepare for war, and honor the Creator, fostering community bonds, as noted by the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Lacrosse, known as Tewaaraton or 'Creator’s Game' by the Haudenosaunee, is a gift from the Creator for healing and gratitude, per Oneida Nation oral traditions.