The Lacrosse Field as Source of Empowerment

It is important to note that while “modern” lacrosse may have been developed and disseminated in the service of non-Indigenous colonialism and civilizing efforts, it often did not have the desired effect. Lacrosse became a source of empowerment as the Stó꞉lō and other Indigenous peoples appropriated the “modern” European construction of the sport and reoriented it within their cultural and sporting traditions. While non-Indigenous settlers may have felt that lacrosse had been “civilized” of the Indigenous characteristic they perceived to be undesirable, the arrival of lacrosse into Stó꞉lō hands actually served to reinforce cultural traditions around stick and ball games such as shinny and double-ball. Thus, in a period where Indigenous cultural activities were either disparaged or outright banned (through the Indian Act of 1876), the sport of lacrosse offered the Stó꞉lō the opportunity to openly celebrate and participate in an activity with Indigenous roots. Ironically, “modern” lacrosse, intended to be an example of the triumph of “progressive” European culture over the “primitive” culture of North American Indigenous peoples, ultimately became a symbol and source of cultural pride amongst Stó꞉lō and other Coast Salish peoples.   

Lacrosse also helped to facilitate the fluidity of various Stó꞉lō identities, whether they were local (village or community), national (the Stó꞉lō Nation itself), collective (Coast Salish), or pan-Indigenous. Colonial forces, which had been increasingly successful at fixing Indigenous people onto specific sites, had unintentionally strengthened “localized collective identities” based around individual reserves. These localized identities were reinforced and strengthened with the formation of reserve-based lacrosse teams. Within the Chilliwack context, these localized identities are reflected in the formation and maintenance of the Sts’ailes, Tzeachten, and Chilliwack Landing teams. On a national level, lacrosse reflected and reinforced the “modern sense of a supratribal lower Fraser watershed-wide Stó꞉lō collective identity.” As lacrosse spread throughout the Fraser Valley, competition between the various Stó꞉lō communities of the region helped counteract the isolating effects of the reserve system. Lacrosse also helped develop and reinforce a collective Coast Salish identity. In Chilliwack, this collective identity could be seen in the games between local Indigenous peoples and migrant Indigenous workers who came to farm the hopyards. These matches facilitated intertribal cultural exchange as well as foster connectedness between the downriver and upriver Coast Salish peoples. Finally, lacrosse played a significant role in the development of a pan-indigenous identity. “Modern” lacrosse, though appropriated and “civilized” by European settlers, was still recognized by the Stó꞉lō and Coast Salish peoples as inherently Indigenous. Despite the Haudenosaunee and Stó꞉lō people being on opposite sides of the continent, the two peoples were connected through the tradition of stick and ball games that existed across Indigenous North America. The sport of lacrosse helped foster a sense of pride, identity, and connectedness that would play a significant role in early 20^th century Indigenous political activity and leadership.

The journey of the Creator’s Game from Haudenosaunee hands in the East to Stó꞉lō hands in the West tells a complex story of cultural colonialism as well as Indigenous resilience and cultural reclamation.