The ancient game of lacrosse, originally played by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) for the entertainment of the Creator, has been spotlighted by media over the past year with a focus on the Oneida Nation. From an actor’s impromptu discovery of the Nation’s Web site leading to Oneida lacrosse players in a feature film to major print media’s well-rounded coverage of the sport, lacrosse enjoyed attention on a national level during 2007.

Lacrosse in Film

Three Oneida Members became intimately involved in the making of the film “The Only Good Indian,” a tale of the Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools in 1910. The executive producer of the film, James McDaniel – known for his role as Lt. Arthur Fancy on “NYPD Blue” for eight seasons – was looking for American Indians who could play lacrosse and for authentic lacrosse sticks.

After surfing the Web, McDaniel came upon the Nation’s site. Through a series of communications with Nation officials, McDaniel explained his needs for the film: two lacrosse players to sub for the actors and lacrosse sticks that would fit the 1910 time frame. Photos of Members were sent out from the Nation. McDaniel made his selection and the two lacrosse players, who would stand in for the main characters of a father and son, went off to film in Kansas for a week.

At the same time, a craftsman from the Nation signed on to create lacrosse sticks for the film. Modern lacrosse stick heads are usually 4 inches wide with a 13-inch bend; in 1910, the width was 10 inches and the bend 18 inches. To complete the modifications, it was necessary to re-steam wood that had been previously prepared for today’s lacrosse sticks so it could be bent to the different dimensions. The making of a lacrosse stick is a process that usually extends over months. The Oneida craftsman in this instance had five days to complete two sticks.

“The writers didn’t know anything about lacrosse,” said McDaniel, who had played the game in both high school and college. “I thought we should show people what lacrosse looks like, including using authentic lacrosse sticks. I wanted Native Americans and a master craftsperson (lacrosse stick maker), and I found the Oneida site.”
The film will be released in 2008.

In Print

“American Indians Widen Old Outlet in Youth Lacrosse.” Such was the title of the July 13, 2007, article in The New York Times. Columns were spent chronicling all the news fit to print and more on the Oneida’s Silverhawks team and their fellow members of the North American Minor Lacrosse Association.

The Silverhawks also received notice through three-page spreads published in the “Scholastic News” and “Scholastic Scope” in their November issues.

The Nation’s lacrosse team made a resurgence in 2004, recruiting 9- to16-year- old boys and girls to play the ancient sport.