Month: May 2022

Hello, and welcome to my website!

My name is Carlanna Thompson, and I am a fourth-year History Honours student at the University of the Fraser Valley. While this website was created to fill my Directed Studies requirement, the idea and thoughts behind it have been bouncing around in my head for years. I have loved lacrosse and been interested in the history of the sport for as long as I can remember. I began playing lacrosse when I was six years old and have continued to play well into my twenties.

Growing up playing lacrosse in Abbotsford, B.C., it always felt like you needed to travel to the British Columbia lacrosse meccas like New Westminster, Vancouver, or Coquitlam to get a taste of the sport’s culture and history. It wasn’t until I took HIST 440 in my third year at UFV that I realized the rich lacrosse history I desired had been right under my nose the whole time. Through that class, I was able to spend time in the Chilliwack Museum and Archives, where I discovered that lacrosse had been a popular sport in the city on-and-off for over a hundred years! During my research at the archives, I stumbled upon newspaper clippings from the late 19^th century to early 20^th century about lacrosse games between local “white and Indian” teams.” While these clippings did not end up in my HIST 440 project, I just couldn’t forget about them. Okay, I’ll admit it.. I was a little obsessed. I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand the relationship and dynamics between the settlers and local Indigenous people (the Stó꞉lō) that played in these games. I wanted to know more about the Stó꞉lō people and their relationship with the sport of lacrosse. And thus, this website was born.

Through this website, I hope to take you on a historical journey. I want to show you how lacrosse, an indigenous sport, was adopted and adapted by Euro-Canadian settlers who brought the sport to British Columbia where it was embraced and “re-indigenized” by local indigenous people.

Note: Throughout this website, I will refer to Indigenous peoples by their chosen names. In the portion of my webpage in which I focus on contemporary newspaper articles concerning the Stó꞉lō people, I will also include the name used in the articles for the sake of clarity. Chosen names, out of respect, will always be listed first.

I am grateful to be living and learning on S’ólh Téméxw, the lands of the Stó꞉lō Peoples.

I would like to thank Tristan Evans and Matthew Cook at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives for all the help they provided me with on this project. Research is made easy…(or should I say easier) when the staff is so knowledgeable and friendly. Thank you for your guidance and willingness to help me keep digging.

Thank you to Keith Thor Carlson for connecting me with Squiala Chief Dave Jimmie. Being able to connect names to the faces of the young lacrosse players (see Lacrosse Field as Source of Empowerment) reminded me that to study the past and tell these stories is not only a privilege and an honour, but a responsibility. It is important to remember that behind the history, there is humanity.

I would also like to thank my supervisor, Scott Sheffield, for his guidance and support throughout this project. You know you picked the right supervisor when every check-in chat ends up running an hour longer than expected… I’m glad I found someone who matched my level of excitement at each new discovery and connection. Thank you for believing in me and helping me turn my vision into reality!

Lastly, I’d like to thank my family for supporting me through all the late nights and random info dumping. I know you weren’t always ready for a 7am rant about George Beers and cultural colonialism, but you all listened and nodded when appropriate anyway! Thank you for the countless coffees, the mid-research meals, and all the drives to the library and archives. Your love and support made this project possible.