Roots: Exploring the History of Lacrosse
Summary
TLDRThe video script narrates the rich history and cultural significance of lacrosse, originating from the Iroquois people as a ceremonial game for healing and unity. It discusses the sport's evolution, its appropriation by European settlers, and its current status as a predominantly white, expensive sport. Despite this, the script highlights the efforts to diversify the sport, with notable players of color and the reestablishment of lacrosse programs at historically black colleges. The narrative calls for a more inclusive and accessible future for lacrosse, reflecting the game's indigenous roots and promoting a community based on friendship, respect, and peace.
Takeaways
- đ Lacrosse is deeply rooted in the culture of the Iroquois (Huda Rosoni) people, who were given the game as a ceremonial medicine game over a thousand years ago.
- đ The game was originally intended to heal the sick, make peace among nations, and bring fun, reflecting a connection to the natural world.
- đ Lacrosse has a rich history, with the first recorded college game played in 1877, predating the first college basketball game by 22 years.
- đ The sport has undergone significant changes since its origins, including shifts in how it is played and perceived, especially with the influence of French missionaries and its adoption as Canada's national sport.
- đ Despite early racial segregation, the civil rights movement and subsequent changes have allowed for more diversity in lacrosse, with notable players like Jim Brown breaking barriers.
- đ Morgan State College was a pioneer in lacrosse diversity, fielding an NCAA team in the 1970s and achieving significant victories before financial challenges led to the program's closure.
- đŒ The cost of equipment and insurance has been a barrier to participation in lacrosse, similar to other sports like hockey and golf, affecting demographic expansion.
- đ Players of color have made significant impacts in recent years, with individuals like Lyle Thompson and Miles Thompson achieving records and inspiring others.
- đ The Iroquois Nationals hope to see lacrosse played at the Olympics in 2028, symbolizing a broader acceptance and appreciation for the sport's origins and values.
- đ± The future of lacrosse involves embracing its traditional roots, advocating for inclusivity, and addressing social injustices to create a more diverse and representative sport.
Q & A
What is the traditional name of the Iroquois people mentioned in the script?
-The traditional name of the Iroquois people is Huda Roshoni.
How old is the game of lacrosse according to the script?
-Lacrosse is over a thousand years old, as it was first given to the Hada Noshone people as a gift from the creator.
What were the original purposes of the game of lacrosse?
-The game of lacrosse was originally given as a medicine game to heal the sick, make peace among nations, and to have fun.
What materials were used to make the traditional lacrosse stick and net?
-The traditional lacrosse stick was made from the hickory tree, representing all plant life, and the net was made from the sinew of the deer, representing all animals.
How is the lacrosse stick connected to the Iroquois people's life cycle?
-The lacrosse stick is put in an Iroquois child's cradle board when they are born and is buried with them when they die, symbolizing a connection to the natural world and the next life.
Who coined the name 'lacrosse' and why?
-The French missionaries coined the name 'lacrosse' in the 1630s because they thought the stick looked like a crosier, or cross, that bishops carried.
How did the game of lacrosse evolve after being played outside Native reservations?
-After being played outside Native reservations, lacrosse began to take a new shape, eventually being declared Canada's national sport and distancing itself from its Native roots.
What was the significance of Jim Brown in the history of lacrosse?
-Jim Brown was a legendary lacrosse player who played midfield and remains the only black male player in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He was known for his exceptional skills and for inspiring others.
Why did Morgan State College discontinue its lacrosse program?
-Morgan State College discontinued its lacrosse program in 1981 due to financial hardship.
What is the significance of the phrase 'grow the game' in the context of lacrosse?
-The phrase 'grow the game' refers to the efforts to expand the sport of lacrosse's geographical footprint, demographic participation, and to make it more accessible and inclusive.
What is the hope for the future of lacrosse as expressed in the script?
-The hope for the future of lacrosse is that it will be a sport that represents the direction of where the world is moving, is inclusive, and brings a world community based on true friendship, respect, and peace.
Outlines
đ Origins and Cultural Significance of Lacrosse
This paragraph delves into the origins of lacrosse, highlighting its roots in Native American culture as a medicine game played by the Hada Noshone people, also known as the Iroquois. The game was a gift from the creator, intended for healing, fostering peace, and enjoyment. It was deeply connected to the natural world, with equipment made from elements representing all plant and animal life. The paragraph also discusses the evolution of lacrosse, from its traditional form to how it was adapted by French missionaries who named it 'lacrosse' and changed its original name to 'Iroquois'. It notes the sport's journey to becoming Canada's national sport and the subsequent distancing from its Native American origins. The narrative emphasizes the sport's significance to the Iroquois people, its cultural and spiritual importance, and the pride associated with being a lacrosse player within their community.
đ Lacrosse's Journey to Diversity and Inclusivity
The second paragraph explores the history of lacrosse's diversity and the challenges it faced in becoming an inclusive sport. It mentions the racial segregation that nearly excluded black, indigenous, and people of color from collegiate sports in the early 1900s. The paragraph acknowledges the civil rights movement's impact on sports, including lacrosse, and highlights significant milestones such as Jim Brown's exceptional play and the brief but notable presence of Morgan State College's lacrosse team, the 'Ten Bears'. It also discusses the financial hardships that led to the discontinuation of the Morgan State lacrosse program. The narrative then shifts to the modern era, emphasizing the sport's expansion and the efforts to make it more diverse and accessible. It celebrates the achievements of players of color in recent years and the launch of a Division One men's program at Hampton University, marking a return to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) involvement in lacrosse. The paragraph concludes with a hopeful vision for lacrosse's future, advocating for a more inclusive and representative sport that aligns with global values of friendship, respect, and peace.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄLacrosse
đĄHuda Roshoni
đĄMedicine Game
đĄIroquois Nationals
đĄOlympics
đĄRacial Segregation
đĄMorgan State College
đĄDiversity and Inclusion
đĄTraditional Roots
đĄAllies and Advocates
đĄWomen's Game
Highlights
Lacrosse is viewed as an exclusive and expensive sport, but it has a rich history that predates these modern perceptions.
The Huda Rosoni, also known as the Iroquois, were the original stewards of lacrosse, which was given to them as a ceremonial game over a thousand years ago.
Lacrosse was a medicine game intended for healing, making peace, and enjoyment, with no referees and played with wooden sticks and deer sinew nets.
The game is deeply connected to the natural world and the Iroquois culture, with the wooden stick symbolizing the connection to all plant life.
The Iroquois believe that the lacrosse stick is a lifelong companion, present from birth to death, and into the afterlife.
The name 'lacrosse' was given by French missionaries in the 1630s, who thought the stick resembled a bishop's crosier.
Canada declared lacrosse its national sport, which led to a distancing from the game's Native American roots.
Lacrosse's history includes efforts to share the game as a gift to the world, emphasizing its cultural significance beyond sport.
Racial segregation in the U.S. historically limited the participation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in collegiate sports, including lacrosse.
Jim Brown, a legendary football player, was also a standout lacrosse player and remains the only black male player in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Morgan State College fielded an NCAA lacrosse team, the Ten Bears, who were a top 25 team from 1970 to 1975, including victories over Harvard and Notre Dame.
Financial hardship led to the discontinuation of Morgan State's lacrosse program in 1981, marking a significant loss for diversity in the sport.
The modern lacrosse landscape has expanded geographically, with growth in Dallas, Denver, the Bay Area, and the Pacific Northwest.
The cost of equipment and insurance presents a barrier to participation in lacrosse, similar to other sports like hockey and golf.
Football's subsidization of equipment and insurance costs has contributed to its widespread popularity and demographic diversity.
Players of color have made significant impacts on lacrosse in recent years, including Damien Davis, John Christmas, and the Thompson brothers.
Hampton University launched a Division One men's lacrosse program in 2016, becoming the first HBCU to do so since Morgan State.
The future of lacrosse is envisioned as a sport that is inclusive, respectful, and representative of the global community.
Advocacy and allyship are called for to grow the game, especially the women's lacrosse, and to fight against social injustice.
The hope is for lacrosse to evolve into a sport that embodies the future direction of the world, with the Iroquois Nationals potentially participating in the 2028 Olympics.
Transcripts
how does the outside world
view lacrosse
it's exclusive it's expensive
it wasn't always that way it's white
it's not all white it's the boys club
lacrosse is a sport for everyone let me
tell you
our story the story of the huda roshoni
that is our traditional name today most
people
know us as the iroquois
[Music]
lacrosse is the oldest team sport on our
continent
the hada noshone people were first given
this game
over a thousand years ago as a gift from
the creator
it was given to us as a medicine game a
ceremonial game was called to heal a
sick
make peace among nations and to have fun
we had no referees it was a ceremony
game played with the wooden stick
made from the hickory tree representing
all plant life the net was made from the
sinew of the deer
representing all animals the wooden
stick
represented our connection to the
natural world
this game connects us to the earth his
stick is put in our cradle board
when we are born and we are buried with
our stick when we die
we will carry our stick into the next
world to play with our ancestors
who are waiting for us
when we play competitive lacrosse we
carry the values of the medicine game
onto the field and into the box
we are the originators of this game
it is our way of life for our people
it is a great honor to be a lacrosse
player
many first nations have many different
names for the game
in onondaga we call it the chief quads
which means they bump hips
the name lacrosse came from across the
waters
in the 1630s the french missionaries
coined the name
lacrosse because they thought the stick
looked like a crosier
or cross the bishops carried they also
changed the hodonus name to the iroquois
and the game began to take a new shape
first played outside the native
reservations
in montreal canada 200 years later
canada actually declared lacrosse as its
national sport
and in doing so they distanced across
from its native roots
and intentions
it's like saying for this to be ours
it's no longer yours
in our view the game was a gift from our
people
to share with the world to quote the
great oren lyons
former all-american goalkeeper at
syracuse lacrosse hall of famer
onondaga faith keeper and global speaker
when you talk about lacrosse you talk
about the lifeblood
of our six nations the mohawk
oneida onondaga cayuga
seneca and tuscore nations
the game is ingrained in our culture our
system
and our lives anthropologists come here
and stay for a year
i think they understand our life and our
religion
if you can't understand the language
you'll never get it right
i've been here my whole life and i'm
still learning
but when i die i know i'll be buried
with my goalkeeper's stick
college lacrosse was born when manhattan
college and nyu played the first game in
1877
22 years before the first ever college
basketball game tip-off
racial segregation in the united states
made the inclusion of black
indigenous and people of color almost
non-existent in collegiate sports
through the early 1900s and jim crow era
but the civil rights movement did bring
change to the sports world
texas western won a national
championship in basketball with an
all-black starting lineup in 1966 the
following year
kentucky's nate northington became the
first black football player in the sec
and lacrosse had jim brown yes that jim
brown
in his memoir legendary sports writer
and emmy award-winning writer dick
schaff recounts his days facing ground
while chat played goalie for cornell
in the big game against syracuse i made
22 saves
three off jim brown i never saw those
three shots
they bounced off me brown took four
other shots and scored four goals
jim brown was the best lacrosse player
who ever lived he played midfield
wielding a stick so short it poured it
on illegal and protecting that stick so
fiercely with his forearm
that double and even triple teams did
not slow him down
his legs brought to mind telephone poles
but telephone poles never moved so
swiftly
that was in 1957 63 years later
brown remains the only black male player
in the national lacrosse hall of fame
[Music]
like other collegiate sports lacrosse
slowly became more diverse in the 1960s
and that brings us to morgan state
college dr miles harrison jr
my father was an attackman on the ten
bears
though i fear the ten bears of morgan
state college have become part of
lacrosse's forgotten lore
morgan state was the first historically
black college to field an ncaa lacrosse
team
and until recently they were the only
historically black college or university
in men's lacrosse
from 1970 to 1975 the 10 barrett were
perennial top 25 team
morgan state beat harvard notre dame and
upset the number one team in the country
at the time
washington and lee university but as the
80s dawned the bears went into
hibernation
morgan state shuttered its lacrosse
program in 1981 due to financial
hardship
the ten bears became a distant echo
[Music]
in the modern age of lacrosse grow the
game has become a popular rallying cry
the sport has seen its geographical
footprint expand considerably
from hotbeds in dallas to denver the bay
area of san francisco
and the pacific northwest well-known and
established equipment and apparel
companies have invested
though demographic expansion has been
slow the access is limited
it's expensive to play as are other
sports like hockey and golf
games that require equipment and contact
insurance present high barriers for
participation
think about football though football on
the other hand
began subsidizing the cost of equipment
and insurance at the youth and rec level
decades ago
relying on taxpayer dollars to fund
participation and as a result
football enjoyed unrivaled popularity
and a wide range of demographic
participation
perhaps growing the game requires us to
return to our traditional roots
as well as to think critically about
access and funding
while the faces of the game remain
largely unchanged players of color have
made their mark in recent years
damien davis and john christmas won
national championships at princeton and
virginia
2005 while surrounded by tremendous
teammates and coaches at johns hopkins
university
i was fortunate enough to become the
first black player to win the warden
award
most recently albany's lyle thompson and
miles thompson smashed division 1
records
winning numerous accolades and inspiring
a generation
all while proudly championing their
hodashoni heritage
trevor baptiste turned into the greatest
face-off artist the game has ever seen
while miles jones inspired jim brown
comparisons and in turn inspired others
to follow in his footsteps
in 2016 hampton university launched a
division one men's program
the pirates became the first hbcu since
morgan state college to field an ncaa
men's lacrosse team
[Music]
so what's the future for lacrosse it is
my family's
and my people's hope that lacrosse
will be welcomed by everyone that the
game will be played
with honor we hope that lacrosse
will bring a world community based on
true friendship
respect and peace
[Music]
we hope that lacrosse and the iroquois
nationals
will be at the olympics in 2028
we have to own the past learn from
impact the present
and change the future we have to speak
up
be allies be advocates and we need to
grow the women's game
we have to be fearless we need to stand
together
to create change to fight against social
injustice
and build a more inclusive community
that empowers players
we have to be a sport that represents
the direction of where our world is
moving
we have to be the sport of the future
[Music]
you
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