Lacrosse: A Game with Native American Roots
Beecher Scarlett leverages a degree in communications from Denison University toward his most recent position as a vice president of national advertising sales for a television network in New York. Aside from his professional responsibilities, Beecher Scarlett enjoys coaching lacrosse.
Long before lacrosse was a popular high school sport, it was played by Native Americans across the entire region east of the Mississippi. An early resident of the Jamestown colony referred to the aggressive, often violent game as “stick ball” in a historical document dated 1689. At that time, a ball made of hide and straw was hit with sticks through trees or structures that were designated as goals. According to historians, stickball was played by several tribes and widespread geographically.
Early lacrosse was much more than a game. In fact, historians believe that tribes used stick ball to help train young men in endurance and bravery. They trained extensively in preparation for games that provided tribes with a much anticipated opportunity for socialization and entertainment.
In 1793, what appeared to be an ordinary lacrosse game between local tribes in northern Michigan turned into a violent military incident that was part of a larger movement called Pontiac’s Rebellion. It resulted in the deaths of at least 27 soldiers occupying Fort Michilimackinac, a central post for the fur trade. Native Americans, angry that the British had won control of the fort in the French and Indian War, gathered in front of the fort for a game of stick ball. Soldiers, anticipating an entertaining game, left their posts and began placing wagers on their favored teams. Meanwhile, Native American women who hid weapons underneath the heavy blankets they wore, were strategically placed around the field. Players seized an opportunity for attack when a ball rolled through the gate of Fort Michilimackinac. On their way after the ball, they grabbed the hidden weapons and defeated the entire British garrison that occupied the fort. Native American tribes maintained control of Fort Michilimackinac for over a year until they returned it to the British.
