Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

This past weekend, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Grand Chief Mike Kanentakeron Mitchell travelled to Old Fort Niagara in western New York to observe the reenactment of a 1796 lacrosse game.  Hobbyists in the region have been organizing a French and Indian War encampment reenactment for several years, and this year they included the game of lacrosse in the schedule of historical activities. 

Seneca players from Tonawanda and Cattaraugus were invited to participate in the lacrosse game, competing against “French” players who spared no detail in their colonial attire.  The men scrimmaged bare-foot on grass, with old-fashioned wooden lacrosse sticks and no protective gear aside from sheets of cloth tied around their calves.  

The game was entertaining to watch, but just like in 1796 the French were no match against the Iroquois players. However, it did offer historical insight for the many spectators who turned out to experience the French and Indian War reenactment. While the game was played, other participants roamed the grounds in full battle gear or other 1796 attire, doing their best to make the event as realistic as possible. 

 The announcer introduced the game as ‘the little brother of war’ and added that the game of lacrosse required “toughness and stamina.” Grand Chief Mitchell corrected the officials, explaining how Natives regard the game and why they refer to it as, “The Creator’s Game.”

“The connection the game has to the Creator is the reason we play it with great reverence and honor, even before going into battle,” the Grand Chief explained.

After the game the Grand Chief honored each player with a lacrosse book that he wrote, explaining that it was a gift from the Mohawk Nation to educate the public on the real story about the game of lacrosse.   

Mike Galban (Center), is a craftsmen with family ties in Akwesasne. He helped the organizers plan the reenactment game and he also provided the old-fashioned lacrosse sticks.

Other activities held throughout the 3-day reenactment included a Native American tattoo demonstration (highlighting how Natives performed and received tattoos in the 18th century), military music concerts, artillery and weapons demonstrations, and mock battles between the French and British with their Native allies on each side. There was no mention of any treaty promises though.

The most amazing part of the demonstrations was how non-Native groups (hobbyists) dressed up as Natives and the detail they put into their attire. It was explained that their sole purpose was to educate the public about the true life style of the Native Americans and that their sincere objective was to portray the Native people in a positive light, to which the Grand Chief remarked that it should be interesting to see how they plan to celebrate the anniversary of the war of 1812. Many communities plan on hosting similar reenactment events commemorating that war. 

 The event in total was very educational and the Native Americans who participated should be complimented for their involvement.    

 Photos by Grand Chief Mike Kanentakeron Mitchell