The Saskatchewan Rush and professional lacrosse may be new to Saskatoon, but the game has a long history in Canada. Its origins date back centuries, possibly pre-dating European settlement in North America.
Recorded history of lacrosse began in the 1800s when colonizers noticed matches between stick-bearing warriors. Often lasting hours or even days, with hundreds of players, the competitions were meant to settle disputes.
For Saskatchewan Rush player Jeremy Thompson, lacrosse is a profession and a celebration.
“In our communities, lacrosse is something that is part of, not only a sport, it’s part of our culture and a way of our culture,” Thompson said.
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Thompson, whose three brothers also play in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), grew up in Upstate New York close to where the game was originally founded.
“It started on the east coast, around the Great Lakes area and our people was one of the peoples that came out with the game of lacrosse,” Thompson said.
Though the exact date and location of origin are difficult to determine, the Huron and Iroquois people are said to be some of the earliest players of the game.
In 1867, the National Lacrosse Association became Canada’s first national governing body for any sport.
Lacrosse is often called the national sport of Canada, but that’s only half true. In 1994, the National Sports of Canada Act declared lacrosse the country’s national summer sport, while hockey was named Canada’s national winter sport.
Evan Taypotat, principal of Chief Kahkewistahaw Community School, said it’s inspiring for young athletes to see an indigenous sport played by indigenous athletes.
“Athletics is sort of our avenue to show people that we’re just normal people,” Taypotat said.
Sports in his community, 150 kilometres east of Regina, also offer an incentive for students to succeed he added.
“Let’s be honest, the perception of a First Nations reserve is always not that great. The people that live there, we know it’s a great place to be. We know that we’re good people.”
For information on the history of lacrosse and camps for young people, follow Thompson Brothers Lacrosse on Twitter or Facebook.
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