A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Lacrosse festival organizers. L-R: Richard Mitchell, Paul Thomas, Sarah Rourke, Victoria Ransom, Randy Hall, Raienkonnis Edwards, Natalie Jacobs and Rick Oakes. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
First and second place teams after the Wooden stick tournament.
At the conclusion of the Medicine game. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
Big play on the breakaway during the Wooden tournament. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
After the Championship game a Smoke Dance exhibition was held. L-R: Jianne Lazore, Starlyn Mason and Kaneniokwas Cree. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
L-R: William Sunday, Bobby Delorimiere, Richard Mitchell and Rick Oakes. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
Visitors exchanging welcomes. At third from left is Marcus Rickard one of the stars from the movie Broken Arrow. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
Debbo Thompson receives his 2nd place medal from Sarah Rourke. Photo: Derrick Lafrance.
Celebrating our National game was on the agenda this past weekend on Kawehnoke.
There were displays about the game, history, speakers and a traditional Medicine game. But the centerpiece of the two day event was an old school wooden stick lacrosse tournament with the team representing Tekahshon'karo:rens (Hogansburg). Josh Sargent and Taylor Barnes worked the scorekeepers booth.
Various members of the Akwesasne Lacrosse Hall of Fame were on hand for presentations as well as Opening Ceremonies.
Mohawk Council of Akwesasne District Chief Billy Sunday talked about the game back in the 1960's when he played and Rick Oakes spoke about the special rivalries between Cornwall and Akwesasne teams in the 1970's. Richard Mitchell gave a presentation on the origins of the game and Peter Garrow talked about how playing lacrosse can lead to opportunities in education as far as scholarships.
Louise McDonald-Herne gave a presentation on women in Lacrosse. The recent Keepers of the Game film was shown which highlighted the Salmon River Girls lacrosse team and their personal stories and struggles as well as how the sport defined their lives. That film was produced by Flatbush Pictures and shown in the Turtle Room at the Anowarako:wa Arena. Present coach of the Lady Shamrocks Lacrosse team Elisha King and Steevi King did some fitness activities with the kids.
Those same players featured in that film were on hand for Lacrosse clinics.
There is a movement in the lacrosse world to ban the time honored wooden stick, but the Tewa'a:raton Festival's tournament was played entirely with them. Alfie Jacques gave a presentation on those sticks.
There were two Medicine games held at the Tewa'a:raton Festival. One was with school students and another with visiting players from Onondaga and other Confederacy Nations. Among them was Marcus Rickard who appeared in last year's movie "Broken Arrows."
At the conclusion of that second game Mike Mitchell addressed the players and told them the significance of the game they just played. Several local players were recruited for that game.
Immediately after the Championship game a small social dance was held with local dancers taking center floor at the Anowarako:wa arena. Many others who made this event possible were Toby Sunday, Akwesasne Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Mike Thompson, Native North American Travelling College staff, Fred Thompson, Tewaaraton Award, Amy Lazore, Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School (CCVS) Community Service Volunteers, Traditional Lacrosse, Akwesasne Convenience Store Association, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Child and Family Services; Community Health, Economic Development and Akwesasne Mohawk Board of Education.
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