The September Wabanaki Voices column was written by Corey Hinton, a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe (Sipayik) and a former member of the Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse Team. Wabanaki voices is a monthly column in the Bangor Daily News opinion section that shares tribal perspectives. Read all Wabanaki Voices columns here.
An important aspect of all cultures is the games that they play. Over history, some games have served as significant cultural or geo-political events, with potential to alter a nation’s trajectory. The gladiator games of the Roman Empire are romanticized in part for these reasons. But lacrosse, known in indigenous communities as “the Creator’s Game,” is another such cultural phenomena.
Growing up in upstate New York, I grew up a baseball fan first and then quickly grew to love the Creator’s Game. Cooperstown, New York’s Baseball Hall of Fame and the ghosts of Babe Ruth drew me in at an early age. However, it was the speed and physicality of lacrosse with which I fell in love. As I learned of lacrosse’s roots as the Creator’s Game, I became more appreciative of the game’s history and came to revere its place in my ancestors’ world.
My Passamaquoddy ancestors played lacrosse in the Dawnland for hundreds if not thousands of years before European contact. The games were played on fields, sometimes over a mile long. The game was played for several reasons — to heal the sick or to settle a dispute among tribes in a conflict. The Creator’s Game was (and still is) a tool of diplomacy and a ceremony.
The Haudenosaunee story of the first game of lacrosse, as shared by the Oneida Nation, imparts deep lessons for how the game can be a tool for community and team-oriented growth:
“Long ago, a lacrosse game was set to be played in the Sky by the four-legged animals and winged birds. Captains for the animals were: the Bear, noted for overpowering all opposition due to his girth; the Deer, known for speed and agility on the field; and the Great Turtle, who withstood harsh blows, but continued to move toward his opposition.
“The winged birds’ captains were: the Owl, who was wise and whose keen sight allowed him to keep his eye on the ball; and the Hawk and the Eagle, each excelling in rapid movements.
“Before the game began a mouse and squirrel approached the birds and asked if they could be on their team. They were considered too meek to play with the bear and his teammates. The birds agreed to allow them to join in, recommending the squirrel stretch his skin out and taking the leather off of a drum to provide wings to the mouse. Now the birds had a flying squirrel and a bat on their side.
“Two of the captains – Eagle and Bear – met and a face-off began. The flying squirrel caught the ball and passed it to Hawk, who kept it in the air for some time. But then, as the ball nearly hit the ground Eagle saved it and through elaborate maneuvers kept possession of the ball even saving it from the fastest of the four-legged animals – Deer. Faking a pass to Squirrel, Eagle passed it to Bat, who scored the winning goal for the birds.”
This story is emblematic of Indigenous values. Native communities are places where citizens help one another and where we see value in every person. Just as any successful team understands, success results from all team members striving, to the best of their ability, to create a cohesive and powerful team dynamic. A successful team is bigger than just one individual.
Since 1998, when the Maine Principals’ Association began recording lacrosse results, the number of Maine high schools offering the Creator’s Game has doubled. In 1998, there were 23 boys’ teams and 15 girls’ teams. Last season, Maine high schools fielded 50 boys’ teams and 48 girls’ teams. The game continues to grow internationally as well. Lacrosse will be played in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the Haudenosaunee Nationals, an all-native lacrosse team, will hopefully be allowed to compete and medal.
Next spring, when the local baseball game is rained out, take in a game at the lacrosse field instead. It could change your life for the better, as it did mine.
