Native sports : playing for tradition, culture and life, 2010 Lessons

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When Jean de Brebeuf, a Jesuit missionary in Canada, saw the Huron
(Wyandotte) people playing a stick and ball game in 1636, he recorded what he
saw and sent the news back to church officials in France. Of particular interest to
him was the Huron’s stick. He compared it with the “crosier” carried at religious
ceremonies by a bishop. Thus, the name “la crosse” evolved, and later became
simply “lacrosse.”
Native Lacrosse players and their equipment were considered culturally and
spiritually significant and team selection and victory were considered to be
determined by religious forces. Like pre-game tailgating today with music, food
and bets on the outcome, colorful pre-game dances were held before the game.
The women asked for the aid of the Creator in helping the players win. Men
painted their bodies, danced, sang and gathered large piles of goods that would
go to the winner.
Unlike today’s game, the ancient game featured teams made up of 100 to
1,000 players on each side and game fields could extend up to a mile in length.
Games lasted from sun-up to sundown and were played for two or three days.
The object of the game was to throw a small wooden ball (about three inches
in diameter) between goal posts set up at both ends of the field. Players swung
their sticks wildly, ran, pushed and shoved to gain possession of the ball as it
flew through the air. Injury was considered part of the game. The game ended
when a team scored a certain number of points. Not a sport for the timid, the
game of lacrosse earned its enduring name “the little brother of war.” Lacrosse
quickly spread in popularity and today teams around the world enjoy this
ancient Native American game.
The Great Game of LaCrosse by Doug Hall
Activity:
Know 	 Want to Know Learned
Now that you have a basic understanding of how lacrosse was introduced to the world, create
a KWL chart to explore other sports. This chart will have three columns labeled Know, Want
to Know, and Learned. Write down what you know or think you know about a certain sport
and what you want to know. Research a sport and fill in what you learned about the sport.
What cool new information did you find out? Share your answers with your class or as a group.