“…playing the sport Indigenous People created…”
“It means a lot being Indigenous and playing the sport Indigenous people created. It really brings awareness to the roots and where this game came from.”
– Challen Rogers, Toronto Rock captain
Lacrosse goes back to at least the late 1600s. Back then, there were only two guidelines: no touching the ball with your hands, and no out-of-bounds gameplay areas. Matches could last days and feature hundreds of players.
In the 1860s, a Montrealer named William George Beers colonised the sport, designing a list of rules, different equipment, and reducing the number of players. He also removed the spiritual and ceremonial components. Today, contemporary lacrosse resembles Beers’ version, but Indigenous educators, players, and leagues are bringing the sport back to its roots.