Mr. Couch and Mr. Dodds - Lacrosse!

                                           
Our grade 2 and 3 classes were lucky to have a special guest to teach us the history of Canada's national summer game--lacrosse. Our special guest was Jim Calder author of he book, Lacrosse- The Ancient Game. He is also a former member of Canada's national lacrosse team.

The game of lacrosse is part of the First Nations creation story. It is considered a medicine game, as it was used to solve problems between villages and the exercise made everyone feel good!
Jim told us a legend in which the animals played lacrosse, but the squirrel and the bat were excluded because they were too small. However, the birds let them play and they helped the birds win the game.
The moral of the story is, everyone has a special gift to share!

Facts about Lacrosse

-Lacrosse is Canada's official summer game
-The modern rules were developed in 1867 almost 150 years ago
-Lacrosse modern rules were developed in Montreal
-It was originally played by First Nations people and other native Americans across North America 
-Goals were 5 km apart and involved 1000 people per team!
-1637 was the first recorded game by a Jesuit priest named Breboeuf

The Tradition and Craft of Stick Making

-Sticks take a year to make
-There are only about 6-7 stickmakers left in the First Nations
- The art of stick making is extremely important in the First Nations culture.
-We saw sticks that were over 100 years old! 
-Sticks were made out of hickory by the stick maker
-The wood had to be steamed to be bent into its shape
-Groundhog or woodchucks leather were originally used to make the net on the stick

Alf E. Jacques Onondaga nation - stick maker notice his mark on the stick, it is like an artists signature. The hawk is a symbol that is important to Jim

The ball in the picture is over 100 years old! It is made of deer hide and stuffed with Spanish moss.


The round dark stick is over 100 years old and was used by the Seminole nation, which is located in the state of Florida. 
Here are some replicas of lacrosse sticks. The stick with the red stripes is a replica of a stick from about 1810.

We were taught some skills of Lacrosse. We were taught to scoop the ball, cradle the ball and the we played a game where we had to shoot the ball.