Iroquois Lacrosse Association to host Iroquois Nations Cup Tournament

(Akwesasne – August 11, 2008) Akwesasne and The Iroquois Lacrosse Association will be the host of the 2008 Iroquois Nations Cup Tournament to be held in Akwesasne Territory at the A’nowara’ko:wa Arena on Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) from September 18 to 21, 2008.

The first revived Iroquois “Nations Cup” Tournament was held in Akwesasne in 1997 with the Six Nations Frog Pond Maulers becoming the inaugural Champions by defeating the Akwesasne Thunder in the final. The second Iroquois Nations Cup was held in 1999 at Ohsweken in Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and the Frog Pond Maulers repeated as Cup Champions by beating out the Six Nations Warriors. In the years 2000 and 2001 it was held in Akwesasne; in 2002 it was held in Onondaga, and in 2003 it was held in Six Nations. In 2004, it was held in Akwesasne, while in 2005 it was held in Six Nations. In subsequent years, the Nations Cup has been held in Akwesasne in 2006, and Six Nations in 2007. Akwesasne is very pleased to be the host for the 2008 competition.

The Iroquois Nations Cup will see some of the finest Native Lacrosse players compete for the Iroquois Nations Cup and prize money totaling $10,000 with the eventual Champion taking home $5,000. The Tournament Runner-up wins $2,500, and the 2 semi-finalists get $1,250 each. The 2008 Iroquois Nations Cup can accommodate up to eight (8) teams of all-native players with the players being drawn from Senior and Junior Clubs and Leagues.

The Iroquois Nations Cup is sanctioned by the Canadian Lacrosse Association for the Iroquois Lacrosse Association to organize these events. The games will be played under CLA rules with the only special criteria being that the players must be of North American First Nation descent. The tourney schedule calls for two games to be played on the evening of Thursday, September 18th, with games to be played all day Friday, September 19th, and Saturday, September 20th. The semi-finals and Championship Game will be played on Sunday, September 21st. Each team will play at least 3 games in a round-robin format with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals and the two semi-final winners playing for the Championship. The champions will receive $5,000 plus a replica of the annual ‘Nations Cup’ trophy.

The Iroquois Nations Cup is the rebirth of an all-Native Championship that was held in the middle-to-late sixties and early seventies by lacrosse legend Ross Powless. CLA First Nations director Mike Kanentakeron Mitchell later revived it in 1997, and has been a huge success for lacrosse fans as they get to see the best Native lacrosse players in one major event. “This is the venue where the pro scouts have picked out Native players for their professional leagues” stated Mitchell, “and the lacrosse fans will turn out in the thousands for this four day event. The Nations Cup games will rotate among the Iroquois communities of Akwesasne, Kahnawake, Onondaga, the Senecas at Cattaraugus and Six Nations at Grand River (Ohsweken) with the odd year going to other communities and the even years coming back to Akwesasne, at least until we are satisfied that it will continue to be a major Native lacrosse event” for lacrosse fans. The popular “Iroquois Nations Cup” has attracted the top level talent of Native lacrosse players and has drawn huge crowds in every event and has been credited with revitalizing the game of Lacrosse among the Iroquois communities.

For more information, contact: Laura Morris (613) 933-8484, email [email protected] or Mike Mitchell (613) 937-0623, email [email protected].