Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse: A Game for Life
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>View discussions about this entry País: United States
Organization: Syracuse University
Sport - Other
Year the initative began (yyyy) - 2007
Project URL: http://www.iroquoisnationals.com
Positioning in the Mosaic of solutions
What is your signature innovation, your new idea, in one sentence? - We are creating an Iroquois Lacrosse Curriculum that will confer lessons in life for Iroquois and other indigenous youth across the world.
Describe your innovation. What makes your idea unique and different than others doing work in the field? - The Iroquois Game of Lacrosse is sacred. It teaches about respect, community, culture, team before self, and the importance of putting our minds together as one to give thanks. These lessons, learned through preparing for, playing and watching this sport, protect and strengthen the individual, family, community, and all of nature.
The Iroquois were the originators of the game of Lacrosse. We also are a sovereign Indian nation within the United States. Since date, we have fielded a Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team that plays on an international level. Our top Iroquois Nationals players are now teamed with elders in our community to create this curriculum. The finished curriculum will be used in one-of-a-kind lacrosse camps that support sport for social change for youth in our communities, and ultimately extend to other Native and non-Native communities throughout North America. We believe the inherent values conferred through learning our game will help to heal the earth. What are the existing barriers, the biggest problem, your innovation is hoping to address/change? - Through 500 years of intense oppression by the dominant society, Native communities have suffered cultural, social, economic and physical upheaval. Our ability to hold on to our values and sacred connection to Earth and the Creation is damaged. Our Native children and families now suffer high rates of substance abuse, low educational achievement, poverty, and hopelessness about the future. Lacrosse provides a pathway to reconnecting to our value system and healing our peoples and planet.
Delivery Model: How do you implement your innovation and apply it to the challenge/problem you are addressing? - Our Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Curriculum will be implemented at first through five-day overnight camps. The curriculum will have four primary teaching components: heritage, skills and drills, team concepts, and wellness/healthy lifestyles. Each compenent will confer the following values: Respect, Culture, Community, Team before Self, and Peformance Principles. The ovenight camp will blend rigorous field-based learning of the game of lacrosse with workshops where metaphors from the sport teach leadership, service and the importance of education. In addition, there will be activities with our elders to confer important lessons about our history, heritage and culture. The camps will create an indelible life-changing experience for youngsters, which will be reinforced as they play Lacrosse in the future. After camp, camp participants will be given access to a web-based Lacrosse community for sharing and receiving messages from other campers, Iroquois Nationals players and elders.
How do you plan to grow your innovation? - The curriculum will be created in modules that can be used in various camp formats (1-day, 3-days, 1-week, 2 weeks) as well as through semester-long school based programs or through community-based afterschool programs. Branding this camp with the Iroquois Nationals identify will help raise awareness and promote it among Native and non-Native communities across the country. We have also partnered with Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health, who works with tribes across the country. They will assist in facilitiating connections and are willing to partner in offering the curriculum through their existing Native Vision sports and lifeskills initiative. We will also incorporate a train-the-trainers component that will prepare our best participants to become coaches in future clinics. Finally, Iroquois Nationals sports apparel, designed in partnership with Nike, Inc. will be marketed via the camps, and revenues can help support future expansion.
Provide one sentence describing your impact/intended impact. - We will create healthier Native children and communities, and as we grow stronger, sharing our lessons through Lacrosse will create a healthier world
What impact has your innovation had to date/or what is your intended impact? Exactly who are the beneficiaries? - Our innovation is currently generating social cohesion and community empowerment as our Haudenosaunee Lacrosse players, elders and grassroots community leaders are gathering to engage in curriculum production.
Our beneficiaries are first our Haudenosaunee six nations youth, including 10-19 year olds from the (include the tribal names) tribes. Second, we will reach out to our Native youth in North America. Third, we will serve youth from other disenfranchised communities from North American and across the world. We expect our innovation will help youth who receive the curriculum to chart a healthy, productive future for themselves and our communities. As we grow stronger through our youth and leadership, our values of respect for people, nature and the planet will impact the world.
Please list any other measures reflective of the impact of your innovation? - N/A
What are the main barriers to creating or achieving your impact? - We do not perceive any barriers at this point in town.
How is your initiative financed (or how do you expect your initiative will be financed)? - The creation of our curriculum is being supported by consultants from Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health. Up to $25,000 in funds are supporting community consultants who are participating in the development of the curriculuar content. A moderate revenue stream and in-kind support is coming from the Iroquois Nationals team.
If known, provide information on your finances and organization. - Please list: Annual budget, annual revenue generated, size of part-time, full-time and volunteer staff. This initiative is being run by a volunteer staff. We have one part-time project director who is being paid on a stipend basis. The total annual budget for the Iroquois Nationals is $200,000. The total budget for this project will be $25,000 to $50,000.
What is the potential demand for your innovation? - There are 15,000 youth from the six Iroquois Nations who could be served by this effort. In addition, there are approximately 1 million Native youth in the age range 10-19 across North America who could benefit from this curriculum. Finally, this curriculum will ultimately have relevance to hundreds of thousands of youth across the world.
What are the main barriers to financial sustainability? - We may face competition from other corporate-sponsored U.S. Lacrosse clinic and camp initiatives, as Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in North America. However, we will offer a truly unique experience, as youth can learn from the originators of the game and understand lacrosse as a path to life skills, personal and community development, social coheion, and respect for Nature and the planet.
What is the origin of this innovation? Tell us your story. - The Iroquois people are the originators of the game of Lacrosse, which dates back to more than 1000 years ago. We have played Lacrosse internationally since the 1800s. As the result of racial oppression, we were barred from playing our own game internationally, until the 1990s, when we officially reentered international competition with recognition as a separate nation by the International Lacrosse Federation.
We remain the spiritial grandfathers of the game, the keeper of the Creator's gift of Lacrosse to humankind. As our nations seek solutions to the increasing social ills and mainstream pressures that threaten our youth, we see the renaissance of Lacrosse as a path back to the traditions and spiritual connections that make us strong. This year the idea of formalizing the rich and life-generating lessons of Haudenosaunee Lacrosse into a published curriculum evolved from meetings with elders and community leaders. It is the right idea and the right time. Please provide a personal bio. Note this may be used in Changemakers marketing material. - Neal Powless is a member of the Onondaga Tribal Nation, Eel Clan. Born Oct 27, 1974, he is a member of the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team, and has competed in World Championship tournament play since 1994. He was nominated to the ALL-World team in 2002 in Perth, Australia and member of the silver medal team that competed in the 2003 Indoor World Championships. He is currently Career Counselor/Native Program Academic Coordinator and completing a Masters degree at Syracuse University.
Contact Information:
Neal Powless
Career Consultant, Center for Career Services and Native Academic Coordinator, Office of Multicultural Affairs Syracuse University (Academic Program) Discussions about this entry |
Fantastic concept with vast potential for all Americans!
Your answer to Ziba's first question above, about the social impact implementing the Iroquois lacrosse curriculum will have on Native youth, opens my eyes to the fact that some nations might be reluctant to take up the traditions of another nation. Yet, I still wonder about the effect of just one other Native American Nation embracing the Iroquois lacrosse curriculum. Would other nations then become interested in lacrosse as an additional connection among nations? Has there been any contact with The Cherokee in NC, who have a Fall Festival where they play stickball, to explore lacrosse? What if the Onondaga Nation played a lacrosse exhibition during the Cherokee Fall Festival?
Though this is a good idea for Native Americans, it is not very far reaching and will only affect a small fraction of the population. I can see it being a good thing for Native American cultures but it does not have the ability to change the world because it is simply not big enough.
While I understand your point of view, I have a different vision.
Everything we do changes the world in a positive or negative way. This program is an attempt to make a difference in the perceptions and awareness of Native Peoples, using lacrosse as its platform. Any awareness to anybody, Native or not, is a positive thing. It brings about social change, and can create awareness of the atrocities that have been a part of America’s relationship with Native peoples throughout its history that has been long denied. Before the Holocaust, there was genocide, right here in the USA.
While a rock may make a bigger splash, a pebble still changes the reflection of the water and the lake itself.
Hi there,
I would actually disagree because the values that are at the heart of the game of lacrosse are ones that can be relevant to sport-based youth development programs anywhere in the world. I also think that the rest of us have a lot to learn from Native communities and if this curriculum can help that education process unfold, then we are all the better off for it. Their way of life - based on the principle of making decisions that take into account the seven generations in the future - is something that might just save our planet from self destructing.
I do think, obviously, that there is particular value to the Iroquois community as well as other native communities in the US as building up role models from within that community is an important need that this project addresses. I also think that the program model could inspire indigenous communities outside the United States which could have an important knock on effect.
The beaty of this competition is that it is an opportunity for innovators in the field of sport for development to learn from each other and build on each other's learnings.
All the best,
Ziba
Greetings Neal-
what a fantastic venture you have launched.
Having worked closely for over a decade with your father on environmental matters, he has always
spoken of the interconnection of all of the web of life to the Haudenosaunee way of life.
Reading your curriculum initiative is a testament to your leadership and to your continuation of your father's vision for Haudenosaunee unique perspectives to be offered to the world.
As you say, not only does it assist Haudenosaunee youth to connect to the history, but also offers to the world at large, a program of leadership with integrity, teamwork, equity and respect.
Please let me know if there is any way I can assist you with this endeavor, and thank you for your service and leadership.
Neil,
I just saw this on Insidelacrosse.com. What exactly is this project and how can I help? Let me know man, take care.
Corey
Corey,
Nice to hear from you, I hope all is well. Thanks for the offer, I will be in touch later as this thing progresses. Basically we are writing a program to market to Lacrosse camps all over the country. We are also planning to connect with a few other organizations to include Nationals Alums to coach at our own camps for Native communities' country wide. I will be in contact with you later with more of the details, but knowing that you’re interested and willing, makes the possibilities of this project very exciting. I am actually compiling a list of Alums who are interested in getting involved, so I will add you to the list.
Talk to you soon Corey,
Neal
Actually its a great idea to write to someone at Insidelacrosse. I was also thinking that you guys should visit other programs that are using lacrosse for positive social ends, like metrolax in boston and Winners in DC. There is another program in Brooklyn. They are not emphasizing the heritage element, but are focused on the lifeskills and broadening horizons element for less privileged kids.
http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2007/11/16/iroquois-nationals-up-for-major-award/
and another link to a Boston Globe article on the Iroquois that has a good description of what they are doing:
http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2007/10/09/iroquois_shedding_light_on_roots_of_lacrosse/
Hi,
not knowing a lot about lacrosse - can you briefly line out to me how it helps to revitalize your community´s value? Also, are you targeting you community only or are you planning to reach out to non-native players?
Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Jasper,
Lacrosse has given the Iroquois Nationals a platform to bring about awareness and create learning experiences for individuals who may have otherwise never learned about Native heritage and culture other than the brief distorted view from educational textbooks. Our way has always been from a more ecological perspective, meaning that all things are interrelated and affect each other. This includes choices regarding the environment, governmental, social and individual repercussions of choices we make every day. These values are not distinct only to Natives, but we do place more emphasis on community, the earth, democracy, equality, heritage and teaching history through story telling to name just a few. These qualities we believe are things that all people can benefit from.
The way in which we teach teamwork and these other values is by putting team goals ahead of individual aspirations through sports and games. Lacrosse is our most popular and coveted game that was given to us by the creator. We play to give thanks for all of the gifts we are given each day. We play to relish in the physical, mental or other gifts we are all given, and use those individual gifts to achieve a single team goal. We all celebrate in the triumphs of a team, or the disappointment in defeat, but we live to play another day, every day. It is in this way that we teach our youth to play the game, to play as hard as you can, but to respect nature, to respect your fellow teammates, and respect your opponents for all of the gifts they have all received, therefore we do not turn away players, for everyone has a gift to contribute and a role to play.
Kevin Carroll
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sport for a Better World Competition
Neal, I really believe that you have a fantastic idea and opportunity to inspire the the Native American youth via lacrosse as well as enlighten the growing numbers of young players in the USA. While working at Nike, I had the opportunity to support and participate in Native American youth sports and education programs. I've had th chance to spend time at a Native American HS/Riverside in Anadarko, OK via Nike's Sam McCracken who heads up the Native American outreach efforts. I've seen the impact that sports can have on indigenous youth in places like the USA and also in Australia.
I read through your project and kept thinking that you could potentially offer a program to non-Native youth, and coaches as well. I believe that your heritage allows you to be the "authorities & experts" in the sport and you should position yourselves that way. This could be a revenue generating opportunity and a chance to educate others about your community, the game and the Iroquois way. Has any thought been given to that possibility? The game of Lacrosse has so many lessons to share with young people(I played growing up in Philly so I know firsthand) that participate in it and I believe that you will be able to reach young men & young women with your effort. Besides your on-site curriculum, I think you could also create instructional materials that capture all the "teachings" involved in the game that is so rich with the Iroquois heritage, lessons, rituals, and honor - that could be another chance to create revenue to fund the camps as well. So, extending the camp offering to non-Native LAX players, coaching clinics, creating curriculum/books (fyi, I think you could speak to ESPN Books perhaps).
Your program deserves support for so many reasons but, the biggest reason is that it will provide empowerment, a greater sense of community and hope for a very deserving group of young people. Great stuff,Neal!
Kevin,
Good to hear from a fellow LAX-er. I actually played in Philly also, but only as a visitor against the Wings… All I can say is WOW!!! Your city definitely has some of the most passionate and rambunctious fans in the National Lacrosse League.
I too know Sam McCraken very well. I got to sit in on a focus group for his new shoe, the Native Air. Sam was part of initially setting up this relationship between NIKE and the Iroquois Nationals. But the shoes are a very interesting concept and remarkable idea to connect to Native communities and this project is geared to do the same thing, as well as connect to the world.
We appreciate your support and suggestions. Be well.
Neal
As for outreach to non-native players, yes, that is a major goal of our curriculum. It is our hope to not only teach and educate our own youth but the world about who we are and where we come from. Teaching some of these values to those who may not hear that message on a regular basis is part of that mission. It is also the source of potential revenue for our organization allowing us to fund more events and train and compete more competitively in International tournaments. Part of this outreach is going to be attempting to connect to currently run camps around the country as well as developing our own camps and events.
Hi, Neal,
Really impressed on what you want to implement in the Iroquois Lacrosse Curriculum. It’s so scare these days to find anyone cares about “respect, community, culture, team before self, and the importance of putting our minds together as one to give thanks.” And having someone to take the initiative and effort to promote such high vales of life really deserves our full support. So, thank you Neal for making the change and wish you all the luck to having the curriculum go live!
Best from NYC. Julia.
Julia,
Thank you very much for your good wishes, and we all appreciate your support.
Neal
Hi, Neal,
Really impressed on what you want to implement in the Iroquois Lacrosse Curriculum. It’s so scare these days to find anyone cares about “respect, community, culture, team before self, and the importance of putting our minds together as one to give thanks.” And having someone to take the initiative and effort to promote such high vales of life really deserves our full support. So, thank you Neal for making the change and wish you all the luck to having the curriculum go live!
All the Best from NYC. Julia.
Hi Neal,
Great job! I think the potential for this project to affect change among youth in native communities is enormous. Not only on Iroquois lands, but across the country and globe. With the growing prevalence of internet use I think the web-based interaction presents a great opportunity not only to connect camp participants, but also to attract interest among lacrosse enthusiasts and potential collaborators on a larger scale. Also, I think it could be used as an important tool to gain feedback about the curriculum, which will be helpful in creating and tailoring it to become most effective. Will this be part of the Iroquois nationals web page? Also, another thought in the way of enhancing the cultural and community aspects is possibly integrating into the curriculum other traditional games and the unique perspectives and lessons gained from them.
All the best,
Kaylena
Kaylena,
Nice to hear from you, and thanks for your comments. In regards to the development on the website, that is once again a financial issue. Maybe a forum could be part of the site or setting up a link to a discussion forum may be a possibility. The issue with that is hiring someone for the design of the site as well as having an available mediator once the site is operational.
In regards to the “other games” that we have as part of our Native heritage, I feel that including them into the curriculum would probably be something added to the most comprehensive version. This version would be more extensive than just the one for lacrosse camps. There is a hope that this project could be expanded to include after school projects and learning activities. It is here that other Native games would have their own place. Once again this is something for us to discuss as a group.
Neal suggests in his proposal that this initiative may face competition from US Lacrosse. On the contrary, I see this is a wonderful Iroquois National initiative that US Lacrosse would welcome the chance to support. US Lacrosse is already collaborating with the Johns Hopkins University Center for American Indian Health with respect to the Native Vision program, we have initiated a lacrosse curriculum as part of that program’s annual sports camp, and we have sent a number of clinicians to teach lacrosse at the sport at the camp. It would not be our intent to infringe on the “ownership” of this proposed Iroquois Nationals program, but perhaps there is a way for US Lacrosse to be a supportive partner. Such collaboration could be very positive. I would welcome any thoughts you may have on how we could initiate discussions in this regard.
Steve,
I can see how you are concerned with the wording used in regards to “competition.” Competition refers more to the existing curriculums available and the effort needed by us to introduce the Iroquois Nationals into the existing market of lacrosse camps.
I also understand the difficulty that can be associated with breaking into established camps and Colleges or Universities that already have their own “format” for teaching lacrosse at their camps.
Any collaboration is always a good thing. I think that our governing bodies need to have a discussion to determine to what extent this type of connection would be able to generate.
Neal:
I would like to advance the discussion with the appropriate representatives but have had difficulty receiving a response to past correspondence/outreach. Could you advise?
Dear Neal
I grew up in Haida lands on the pacific coast of Canada and I have seen many traditional first nation games being played including Lacrosse. Do you have any connections with the Canadian First Nations and outreach into sport camps for them? Also how do you want to sustain the effect of your camp after the 2 weeks is over? Do you have an alumni plan or some other sort of measure to keep the people who you taught in touch with each other? Finally, how do you plan to grow the programme (more athletes, more coaches, more locations?)
All the best from Berlin Germany
Heather
Heather Cameron / Boxgirls Roadwork
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Heather,
Thank you for your insightful questions. Some of the individuals we have collaborating on this project are Natives from Canada. Our Native communities include reservations near Cornwall and Hamilton Ontario, as well as Montreal, Quebec. As for possibly connecting to lacrosse camps in those areas, that is still something we have to look into.
I like the idea of connecting the participant to something after the camp. The internet and blogging sites are something that is growing exponentially and it definitely creates a connection and awareness of the curriculum and the effect it would have on the athletes who attend our camps.
The growth of this project is really driven by need and interest. Marketing the curriculum is obviously a part of the growth process, as well as connecting Iroquois Nationals Alumni to lacrosse camps and the creation of our own camp is all part of that initial plan. We still have to meet as a group to come up with a distinctive marketing scheme targeting specific populations, as well as availability of the athletes’ participation.
In the States, Neal, we're so accustomed to instructing other countries, cultures, and societies as to how they can become more egalitarian that we forget to extend this same advice to ourselves. For your part, however, you're helping us keep honest in terms of honoring the customs and traditions of our own Native peoples with the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse and Lacrosse Curriculum.
I was wondering if affiliating your efforts with those varsity lacrosse programs at major Eastern colleges and universities would help extend your reach to even more indigenous peoples, especially along the Eastern Seaboard. I know that you've partnered closely with Syracuse and Johns Hopkins, but are affiliations with any other schools possible?
At my school on the West Coast, lacrosse is enthusiastically played but only as a club sport and so not within the NCAA apparatus of sports competition. I don't think you're similarly limited at Syracuse and other Eastern campuses.
Steve Byars
Marshall School of Business
University of Southern California
At this point in time, we are still at the developmental stage and are really just evaluating the scope of impact, but we are hopeful. I think that ultimately, the people in the lacrosse community that have come into contact with the Iroquois Nationals or players from that team are intrinsically intrigued by the charisma and love for the game we carry into everything we do. Many of us from those teams have been invited to many camps all over the country to talk about Lacrosse history. This project will allow for more of that, and creating connections with whoever is interested, either at the varsity or club level.
As for reaching more Natives, last year a couple of our players participated in a NIKE sponsored event teaching lacrosse in Arizona. The event featured professional football and basketball players teaching the games fundamentals. This was the first time lacrosse was included and featured two of our most highly regarded players. This event was fantastic, and even drew some of the better Native athletes from the other sports over to lacrosse. I was told there were some definite “naturals” in that group. That event speaks volumes to the ways I which we teach the game to our youth and the interest of Native youth to learn from Native professionals.
I was also very interested last year to see the Club Championship played in Colorado. I was really impressed by the number of fans at that game. The players gave it everything they had, and the fans were the beneficiary for that. It was an impressive game and event. I number of years ago I also played against Texas U’s club team at the Mardi Gras Tournament. This type of exposure for lacrosse is great to see at any level. I was equally impressed to see BERMUDA at the most recent world games in London Ontario in 2006. So connections can be made in a variety of places, it really comes down to availability and funds. It is impressive to see how much lacrosse is growing and the speed at which it’s happening is staggering.
Hi again :-)
Do you guys have any connection to the folks at Native lax in Colorado? Seems like a natural partnership: http://www.nativelax.org/home
Z
Great work! Are there any efforts on your part to incorporate Iroquois Lacrosse into more main stream sports and reach a broader community? This seems to be a really great way to unify individuals within the Iroquois culture. Are there any possibilities for using this program as a way to integrate with other cultures? Could a similar program be applied to reclaiming other sports in other cultures?
I look forward to hearing from you.
Dana Frasz
Changemakers
Lacrosse itself has been broadening into mainstream culture exponentially over the past 25 years with the creation of professional Lacrosse Leagues, although there have been others, dating as far back as the 1930's. I think it is our time to show people where this game came from who may not already know the origins. This project has always been something that has prided itself on the connection of all of our communities and lessons it teaches our youth. I think these are values that are vital to any culture. For right now, our goal is to create something that may help teach about who we are as Haudenosaunee as well as inspire others to search out their own roots through sport. For how do you know who you are, if you don't know the history of your heritage, even if that means creating it for yourself? That may be the way in which this program may inspire other groups to search out their traditional games and cultures.
Hey Neal,
I know that any player of Native American heritage can try out to play on the Iroquois Nationals. Can you talk a little bit about how different Nations relate to one another when it comes to identity, i.e. will other nations embrace lacrosse as their own and part of their identity or will it be seen to be only Haudenosaunee?
Can you also talk about what social impact implementing the Iroquois lacrosse curriculum will have on Native youth? What are the intended outcomes/ benefits. I know you explain this a bit in your entry, but would love for you to expand....and after this....I promise I will stop asking you questions!!
Cheers,
Z
Actually that is a really technical and difficult question to answer. I guess I can briefly talk about “Native Identity.” There is a basic sense of mistreatment that most Natives can share in, that is the sad truth of the American “melting pot” culture.
As far as games go, it is my understanding that many Nations had their own version of a “stick and ball game.” Some western nations use two smaller sticks the whole game, using them to pick up and throw and catch the ball while other nations toss the sticks and run with the ball once it is off the ground and in a players’ possession. I guess that’s why I refer to youth researching their own traditional games. I was given an article from a friend who was in the Carolina’s or Georgia, Not really sure (it was a while ago), in which they play a game much more similar to rugby, with sticks. They talk about lacrosse, and actually say they wouldn’t play, because they feel it is too soft. On player wanted to know why the players wore pads. Oddly enough, in our traditional games, like them, we don’t wear pads either.
As for aligning with lacrosse, although it was originated by the Haudenosaunee, it is essentially a game designed to highlight individual skills, used for the betterment of a TEAM, with the ultimate goal of uniting communities.
In regards to player eligibility, that is a much more complicated issue. The Haudenosaunee are unique for many reasons, but the one that allows us to compete at an INTERNATIONAL level is that not only do we have treaties with the United States, but they are still being honored today…to an extent. (Treaties with individual states are illegal) This is obviously a very vague and brief description of just how we were able to create that status, which includes our own passports that we travel on. Therefore, at this time, in order to be eligible to play for the Iroquois Nationals you have to be able to prove your Native status with one of the nations in the Haudenosaunee. Some of the Nations have relatively strict rules for getting onto their roles.
Hi Neal,
I have another question for you: have you thought of existing camps, even those that you may think of as competitors as a potential "client" for your curriculum? I would imagine that the curriculum could be structured in a modular format so you could deliver the heritage component at other pure lacrosse camps and perhaps use this as a source of revenue to fund the lacrosse camps targeting communities that have fewer resources to pay for camps/ clinics?
Best,
Ziba
I don’t see why not. Many of the Natives from our communities that have played college lacrosse work college camps or have in the past. Most recently, the Onondaga Nation hosted a day camp teaching the fundamentals of indoor lacrosse, for the youth program. That program is an indoor league, so many current and former Native indoor professional players worked that camp. The turnout was outstanding for the first year, and a good contingent of the players involved we non-native players. The organizer of that camp, and many of the coaches involved in that camp are also integral parts of this project as well. So I guess the answer is no, I don’t see any reason why we couldn’t “outsource” our unique perspective on lacrosse as descendants of the game itself. Lacrosse is about community, it always has been, and I would hate to see that value change, no matter how popular the game gets. It really comes down to contacts, marketing and the desire of the young players to want to learn about the unique origins of this game. Many players refer to the “fraternity” that is lacrosse, and it is true. During the game we are opponents, respectful of each others gifts and afterwards we are brothers just enjoying the community of lacrosse, and the atmosphere that was the result of the excitement of the game.
Neal,
As you know, I am a HUGE supporter of this project. I would love to know more about what your "blue sky" vision for this project would be, i.e. where do you want to see this project in 5 years and what resources, both in terms of human resources, partnerships, knowledge, etc. would you need to realize this vision?
Also, what do you see as the main challenges or risks to successfully completing your vision.
Thanks and GOOD LUCK!
All the best from Amsterdam!
Ziba
Oddly enough, I think the biggest challenge for us is financial. We have always been a volunteer based organization that’s structured very similar to our own government. All of the people involved are so busy, so successful professionally, and so dedicated to the sport and the teams’ development, which has made things difficult at times to really generate the financial backing we needed, yet we have always found a way. I think that now with corporate involvement, marketing and the desire to be more self sustaining as opposed to spending much of our time fundraising creates a bigger need for MORE quality individuals within or communities to step up and play a bigger role. As an organization we have began to research a business model and evaluate its development, while keeping our own ways of thinking and heritage intact. Five years is a tough prediction, but # 1 in the World Rankings would be a good start, and I believe we have the talent to do it.