Rock pays tribute to Indigenous heritage
Saturday’s matchup with Albany honours First Nations culture, roots of The Creator’s Game
Saturday is a deeply meaningful night for the Rock, extending beyond even the importance of maintaining their drive for first place in the National Lacrosse League.
The 9-3 Hamilton pro team, which had won eight straight until they were edged 11-10 in Philadelphia on Monday night, plays host to the Albany FireWolves at 7 p.m. at FirstOntario Centre in the second annual Indigenous Heritage Night.
The evening honours, and is dedicated to, lacrosse’s First Nations roots, which are centuries old.
“It’s such a special night,” says hall-of-fame-destined Rock goaltender Nick Rose.
“We have great Indigenous players in our league and we’re finally getting to that point where we’re talking more about where lacrosse came from. And they have the biggest part to do with that,” the goalie added.
The Rock will wear jerseys that are sequels to the symbolism-rich sweaters designed last year by Tracey Anthony of Vision Artworks at Six Nations, and they’ll be auctioned online until Tuesday night, along with game-worn helmets and shorts. Proceeds go to the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, founded to create a path toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Indigenous dancers will perform prior to the game and at halftime, captains of both teams will participate in a pre-game smudging ceremony, a traditional wooden stick game (featuring both men and women) will be played at halftime, and Wahta Mohawk children will do a reading from “The Great Lacrosse Game.”
There will also be a variety of displays on the concourse to help fans learn about Indigenous culture.
Lacrosse, known widely as The Creator’s Game, is arguably the most spirituality-based of all team sports.
“Our community members obviously already enjoy lacrosse, but that’s especially true when they put more emphasis on the Indigenous cultural pieces,” Mark Hill, elected chief of Six Nations of the Grand River, told The Spectator. “I think it’s important to focus on the history of lacrosse on these kinds of nights. It goes over very well with our members and I think it educates even the average Canadian who doesn’t know that lacrosse is a medicine game.”
The Rock’s Dan Dawson, who last week became just the second NLL player to reach 1,500 career points, agrees.
“It’s important that we pay homage to the people who were here before you, and this is their game,” Dawson says in a team video tweet. “They have given us this amazing game that has meant so much to me and my family, so the least we can do is pay respect. It’s so detailed that it would take you a whole day to go over every inch of that jersey to comprehend how meaningful it is.”
More than 10 per cent of NLL players are from Indigenous backgrounds, and the league has increasingly explored and amplified the connection between the current game and its origins, which occurred long before any Europeans set foot in North America.
The NLL, other leagues and several First Nations are among the prime movers to have lacrosse included in the Olympic Games. In a landmark decision, it was recently made part of the World Games, an unofficial precursor for Olympics acceptance.
“There’s appreciation for the things that have occurred, but there’s always more that we can do, and that’s where our push has been. We need to include more people, more education, more learning,” says Hill, who acknowledges that the pro league and several successful high-level Six Nations teams are making positive impacts.
“To me, it’s so much more than the sport itself. It’s about healthier lifestyles, it’s about mentorship, it’s about leadership, it’s about motivation, it’s about inspiring young people.”
‘‘ We have great Indigenous players in our league and we’re finally getting to that point where we’re talking more about where lacrosse came from.
NICK ROSE ROCK GOALIE