In June 2022, the Nationals dropped Iroquois from their name, adopting the name the Haudenosaunee Nationals.[2]
The Haudenosaunee are currently seeking to compete in the 2028 Olympics under their own flag, and have received support from both the Canadian and United States governments.[3]
Lacrosse was originally played as part of a spiritual endeavour meant to praise and give thanks tothe Creator, a tradition still followed today by the Haudenosaunee Nationals. For example, before each game the Haudenosaunee Nationals gather around their spiritual advisor who leads a traditionaltobacco-burning rite, in addition to other rituals in an effort to prepare players before they take the field.[4] The traditions attached to lacrosse extend to the wooden sticks, central to theIroquois religion and culture.[5] Specifically, males are given a miniature wooden lacrosse stick at birth, sleep with their stick nearby throughout their life, and even take one to the grave. It is believed that the first thing a Haudenosaunee does after reaching theafterlife is grab the stick placed in his coffin.[5] The importance given to these wooden lacrosse sticks stem from the belief that these are gifts from Mother Earth. The Haudenosaunee believe that, because a living organism (i.e. a tree) died to make the stick, its spirit has been transferred to the stick's owner. Therefore, the Haudenosaunee play humbly in an attempt to honour the tree's sacrifice.[5]
The Iroquois Nationals men's lacrosse team was formed and sanctioned by the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee in 1983 in preparation of friendlies at the NCAA championship in Baltimore, Maryland.[6] The Nationals lost to theSyracuse Orangemen 28-5 and theHobart Statesmen 22–14.[7] Prior to the1984 Summer Olympics, the Nationals held the Jim Thorpe Memorial Games and Pow-Wow, a 6-team event with local and international teams inLos Angeles.[6][8] The nationals achieved their first victory over the national team of England. The following year, using theirHaudenosaunee passports, the Nationals traveled and toured England losing only once.[7]
The Iroquois Nationals team is the only First Nation's team with international recognition as a sovereign people.[5] After being denied membership by theInternational Lacrosse Federation (ILF) to compete in the1986 World Lacrosse Championship in Canada, the Iroquois hosted the teams for preliminary games at theUniversity at Buffalo.[6] The IFL accepted the Iroquois as a full member nation in 1988.
The Iroquois Nationals took part in their first international competition at the1990 World Lacrosse Championship in Australia, finishing fifth out of five teams. They warmed up for the world championship by competing in the Lacrosse USA tournament in Syracuse against top men's club teams.[9]
In 2002, the Iroquois Nationals were recognized with an Honoring Nations award for demonstrating nation building through traditional sports.[10] The Honoring Nations award program is administered by theHarvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.
Although holding cultural importance among Iroquois communities, lacrosse has been described primarily as a men's game.[11] After the recognition of the male lacrosse team in the 1980s, a group of female Haudenosaunee lacrosse players attempted to create a national women's team. However, Haudenosaunee leaders refused to sanction a women's team citing traditional and cultural restrictions. Despite this, lacrosse remained vital to the national identity of Haudenosaunee women.[11] Ultimately, the Haudenosaunee women were able to form a national team, becoming members of the FIL in 2008.[12]
Historically, the Iroquois Nationals operated on a very small budget while simultaneously trying not to accept any financial resources from the Canadian and American governments in an attempt to assert their sovereignty through financial independence.[11]
In 2006, the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Program signed a partnership withNike, Inc. in which Nike will provide the Nationals with their brand uniforms, clothing, footwear, and other equipment.[13] The company is to develop programs to "promote wellness-and-fitness activities in Native American communities throughout the region", and team members may go to speak to local groups. Team members will also assist in testing of sustainable produced sportswear for Nike's research and development of processes to use non-toxic dyes andbiodegradable organiccotton.[14]
Nike is the only Fortune 500 company to have such a relationship with a First Nations organization, and the Iroquois Nationals are the only such group.[15] This partnership extends beyond simply providing equipment and apparel and includes programs to promote wellness and fitness among Native American communities.[16] This focus on the promotion of physical activity among Native Americans is part of Nike's Native American Business Program; they have worked with theBureau of Indian Affairs and theIndian Health Service to establish and manage physical activity programs among Native American communities.[17] These programs are particularly important given the disproportionately high rates of obesity and diabetes among Indigenous communities.[18]
The Iroquois Confederacy began issuingtheir own passports in 1927 and its holders were able to travel without problem for many years.[4] However, with stricter security measures following the9/11 terrorist attack, theEuropean Union member states no longer recognized these passports as legal travel documents. While holders of these passports were still able to enter Canada, neither the United States nor Canada recognized the passports as valid travel documents.[4]
These passports became an issue when the Iroquois Nationals attempted to enter England for the 2010 World Lacrosse Championship held inManchester. The Nationals were unable to attend and compete in the2010 World Lacrosse Championship in England as the United Kingdom did not accept their Iroquois passports. The Nationals’ players were told by British officials to obtain either U.S. or Canadian passports if they wished to enter the country, as the team's 23 players were eligible to be issued passports from these countries.[19] The Iroquois Nationals refused to travel with Canadian or American passports, arguing that this would be a strike against their identity. As a result, the Nationals were forced to forfeit their three preliminary games.[20][21] In 2018, the Iroquois Nationals’ travel arrangements to Israel for the World Lacrosse Championship were delayed due to passport issues once again. However, after the intervention of the Federation of International Lacrosse and the local organizing committee, the Israeli and Canadian governments were able to resolve the issue and lift the travel restrictions.[22] As a result, the Iroquois Nationals arrived just before the opening ceremonies and their first game.[23]
On January 17, 2025,U.S. PresidentJoe Biden andCanadian Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau released a joint statement from theWhite House calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow the Haudenosaunee to compete in lacrosse at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games as their own team under their own flag.[29][30] They stated
While we respect the IOC’s independence, we encourage the IOC to take advantage of this historic opportunity. Permitting the Haudenosaunee to compete in lacrosse – the sport they invented – would advance the highest values of the Olympic Games and send a powerful message about respecting and valuing indigenous cultural heritage.[31]
Haudenosaunee players are eligible to play for either Canada or the United States depending on residence. However, most Haudenosaunee players maintain that they would only play for an Indigenous team.[32] Tom Perez, senior advisor to President Biden stated that they are "hopeful the IOC will see it our way". President Biden stated
"Their ancestors invented the game. They perfected it for a millennium... Their circumstances are unique and they should be granted an exception to field their own team at the Olympics."
Perez also stated that the U.S. is working with Canada to support inclusion in the 2028 Olympics.
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