We should reclaim Onondaga as the center of American Democracy.  A stance of neutrality is no longer acceptable as we now stand witness to murders that happen before our eyes on the evening news. Today, being “non-racist” means to be passively complicit which allows for violence and injustice to continue. As anti-racists, we must now move to end racism.

Mayor Walsh’s statement regarding to appoint an advisory panel to again study the Columbus statue, unfortunately further delays the inevitable. The Talking Circles were conducted by InterFaith Works, in the hopes of finding the “Common Ground” between those who honor Columbus—the perpetrator who introduced genocide to the Americas, and those who still suffer the oppression from what Columbus initiated. Since the Age of Discovery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Indigenous Peoples have been forced under the domination of the Church as a means to silence their voices, destroy their cultures, and convert them to Christianity. These religious institutions continue to perpetuate oppression and are no longer acceptable in determining when and how Indigenous Peoples should speak. As was stated by Resilient Indigenous Action Collective at the 27 June protest, healing can only begin when the Columbus Statue is removed. Now is the time to take bold and decisive action. The people have spoken on this issue.

At the Skä·noñh—the  Great Law of Peace Center it was crucial that we present for the first time a clear Haudenosaunee voice, that was unhindered by the Jesuit narrative of conquest that for nearly 90 years had been communicated at the “French Fort.” We’ve all been inundated with colonial texts that served to control history by selectively omitting what actually happened, and by silencing the voices of those who survived. Indigenous Peoples need to reclaim their right to speak, and we need to listen. The Founding Fathers saw great potential in how borrowing from the Haudenosaunee’s Great Binding Peace could help form a more perfect union. We need to revisit these ancient teachings to once again help steer us toward a more equitable future for humankind and our relatives of the natural world.

The debate on whether to remove Columbus from downtown Syracuse reflects the struggle of finding the soul of Syracuse. The choice for us is clear, we either fully embrace equitable democratic principles for everyone or we will reinforce the ongoing undercurrent of fascism that has been slowly seeping into our government since the late 18^th century.  We are at that critical edge right now.

Italians have a strong presence in Syracuse, and their many contributions greatly enriched our American lives. Let’s celebrate that. But we mustn’t forget the discriminatory injustices held against Italian Americans just a few generations ago.  During the Great Migrations of the 19^th and 20^th centuries they were subjected to the same racial profiling and violence that many People of Color (POC) experience today.  In 1891 11 Italians were lynched in New Orleans, while in other parts of the country, they were aligning themselves to Columbus to legitimize their citizenship. Today, however, Italian Americans no longer experience these same threats of racism and oppression. We must now re-examine why Columbus, who has since been revealed as the iconic face of world domination, should remain celebrated a hero, especially when so many around the world still feel the oppression of what he represents:

1. Columbus never visited what is now the United States. All 4 of his voyages were confined to what is now known as the Caribbean Islands and Central America.
2. Columbus was arrested after his 3rd voyage for “tyranny and brutality” and was sent back to Spain in irons to serve his sentence. In 2006, a 48-page report was discovered of his crimes of brutality against Indigenous Peoples and other colonists. Following one slaughter of an Indigenous community, he paraded their dismembered bodies throughout the city streets.  Columbus was much more than a “flawed human being,” as was suggested by Governor Cuomo, but rather a mass-murderer—one not even tolerated by the standards of his time. Remember, the Spanish Crown was responsible for the bloody Spanish Inquisition!
3. In 1934, the Columbus statue was gifted to the Italian community by Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. He not only created the Fascist Movement, but also supported Adolph Hitler’s quickly rising Nazi party. Mussolini paid for shipping the statue, had the body enlarged and requested that the inscription “Columbo Cristobal Discoverer of America” be prominently displayed.
4. Columbus was sailing under the auspices of what is now known as the Doctrines of Christian Discovery (DoCD), which was an extension of the 12^th century Christian Crusades. In a series of 15^th century Papal declarations, Christian explorers were mandated to seize and enslave non-Christians, take their lands and property for the express purpose of expanding the Christian Empire (Christendom). Portuguese and Spanish sailors set out to invade West Africa and the Americas, looking for gold, slaves and colonial outposts. These trips funded the Church’s exploits in their quest for world domination. The DoCD persists today as a fundamental aspect of law that continues to oppress Indigenous Peoples throughout the world.

For some, Columbus might stand as a symbol of Italian-American liberation, but for others he stands as the bearer of Christian domination, loss of cultural identity, destruction and commodification of the land, and representative of brutal fascism, white supremacy and tyranny. He has no connection to the American Democratic ideals that are now under threat.  In opposition to Claudia Tenney’s comments, this is precisely WHY Columbus needs to come down. His life, legacy and what he represents, inhibits our ability to function as an inclusive democratic society. The fact that Columbus is coming down all over the United States is a message of hope for all those whose lives were lost so others could live their American dream.

The opinions of Betty Lyons and Milton Norman Franson suggest a more inclusive vision that returns to those Indigenous roots to American Democracy which would make us unique in the world, and stand as a monument to the Great Peacemaker in our city center.  When we built the Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center it was to finally celebrate the Haudenosaunee and the contributions they have made.  Our cherished form of participatory Democracy, is the message that was delivered at the shore of Onondaga Lake over 1,000 years ago by the Peacemaker. We need to return to the Indigenous Values that inspired American Democracy, the early Suffragists, new sustainable ways of agriculture, lacrosse, & the values needed to truly know peace. Which legacy do you wish to leave your children?

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(1238 words)

Philip P. Arnold | Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Religion, Syracuse University

Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center | Founding Director

Indigenous Values Initiative

Sandy Bigtree | Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne

Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center | Collaborative

Indigenous Values Initiative

Deyhontsigwa’ehs: The Creator’s Game,
Lacrosse Weekend 2020

Saturday September 12-Sunday September 13, 2020
Onondaga Lake Park, Liverpool, New York
in the heart of Onondaga Nation Territory

5th Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival

The festival features wooden lacrosse stick makers and other Haudenosaunee crafters. The festival takes place on the sports fields on the south of Onondaga Lake Park. There will be traditional singing and dancing with traditional Haudenosaunee foods and speakers. This event will be educational and entertaining for the whole family.

There are several exciting events taking place at the same time:

• Wooden Stick Festival (9:00am-5:00pm)

• Rand Hall Masters Wooden Stick Lacrosse Tournament (9:00am-4:00pm)

The Haudenosaunee (Called “Iroquois” by colonists) are the originators and keepers of the game known today as “lacrosse.” Deyhontsigwa’ehs (“They Bump Hips,” in the Onondaga Language) goes back millennia and is also known as “The Creator’s Game” and the “Medicine Game” The Onondaga Nation is the “Central Fire” of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of six nations (Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora). The Haudenosaunee Confederacy was founded on the shore of Onondaga Lake––now called Syracuse, NY. Over 1000 years ago. Deyhontsigwa’ehs played an integral role in establishing “The Great Law of Peace.” Today throughout Haudenosaunee territory the “Medicine Game” is still played in ceremony. We are dedicated to re-establishing a Haudenosaunee presence back at Onondaga Lake where this game was originally played.

Our Sponsors.

Contact info@indigenousvalues.org to be a sponsor of this event.

Our Collaborative Spirit.

The Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival is a collaboration between the American Indian Law Alliance and the Indigenous Values Initiative. We are proud to collaborate with one another on such an important event. One of the many lessons we can all learn from Deyhontsigwa’ehs (lacrosse) is the importance of collaboration and working together.

Second Annual Randy Hall Masters
Wooden Stick Lacrosse Tournament

There will be referees, a tent for changing, a box sized field marked out on the grass with 4×4 nets by Onondaga Lake. Players will be responsible for helmets and gloves, and wooden sticks. Teams will be responsible for their jerseys. Wooden sticks are preferred but not required.

• Prizes
  • First Prize: Leather Game Ball, trophy, $700 cash
  • Second Prize: Plaque, and $300 cash.
  • Third Prize: Plaque and $300 cash.
• The tournament registration fee:
  • $300 Early Bird registration per team until 3/31/2020
  • $400 Regular registration per team until 8/31/2020
  • $500 Walk-up per team until 9/28/19
• Individual registration for house team(s) (includes jersey and lunch)
  • Early Bird registration $75 per person until 3/31/2020
  • Regular registration $100 per person until 8/31/2020
  • Walk-up registration $125 per person until 9/28/2020

Get Involved

About Randy Hall

Thomas Randall “Randy” Hall, Akwesasne Mohawk Wolf Clan, passed away January 18, 2018. He served in Vietnam with US Army (1965-68) and participated in the 1972 AIM take-over of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington D.C. He loved sports and was deeply involved with the Onondaga Athletic Club where he played and coached lacrosse and basketball. One of his favorite things to do was to travel and play in tournaments. In his memory, the Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival honors Randy by naming the wooden sticks tournament after him.

The inaugural Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival was held at Onondaga Lake in 2013. Previously the game had been played exclusively on Haudenosaunee Nation territories, but in 2013, Randy Hall asked Philip P. Arnold and Sandy Bigtree for help in bringing the game back to Onondaga Lake––its place of origin. It was here the Peacemaker arrived well over 1,000 years ago to bring peace to five warring nations. Few realize that Deyhontsigwa’ehs, the Creator’s Game, was an integral part of this peacemaking process. This ancient game is still played ceremonially among the Haudenosaunee. It is played hard, but always played to foster good relationships between human beings and the natural world.

#laxweekend20

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• US Lacrosse Adopts Native American Advisory Council. [magazine] [online]
• Making Wooden Sticks. [magazine]

Thank you to all the wonderful people who attended the Deyhontsigwa’ehs Lacrosse Weekend, which was comprised of the Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Lacrosse Festival and Randy Hall Memorial Masters Tournament at Onondaga Lake Park. Attendees to the festival were treated to traditional Native American Arts & Crafts , traditional wooden lacrosse sticks, and some exhilarating master’s level lacrosse along with plenty of time and space for people to shoot around and play lacrosse together.

Festival attendees were excited to visit with world-renowned wooden stick makers like Alf Jacques (Onondaga Nation), and Tionatakwente Travis Gabriel (Mohawk Nation) were on hand. Alf Jacques showed off his collection of Lacrosse sticks from all over Turtle Island, especially from the Indigenous Peoples of North and Central Americas. He demonstrated the wide varieties of sticks and styles of play for the game of Lacrosse as well as showing off some of his own handiwork. Three festival goers were excited to pick up their sticks from Alf Jacques after having waited several years. Tionatakwente Travis Gabriel, another highly sought after stick maker, brought some of his sticks to sell and promises next year to bring wooden and leather balls, as well as many attendees, were asking him about these items.

Thanksgiving Address

Tadodaho Sid Hill of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy opened #laxweekend18 with the Thanksgiving Address or the Words that Come Before All Else. The Address thanked the Creator, the earth, and all the animals for their many gifts and outlined humanities responsibilities to care for the animals and the earth. Tadodaho Sid Hill spoke of the importance of Onondaga Lake as a sacred site of the Onondagans and for the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and pointed out the tragedy of the lake’s polluted status. The polluted nature of the lake heightens the importance of the Creator’s Game (Lacrosse) being played with wooden sticks and a leather ball here at the lake.

Master’s Tournament

The Masters Wooden Stick Tournament served as a reminder that the world is sick and in need of healing. Players, referees, and attendees shared their excitement that the Creator’s Game (Lacrosse) was being played traditionally at such a prominent location. The wooden stick tournament while not a medicine game reminded all those who attended the earth and humanity’s need for medicine and healing. Three teams participated in the inaugural Randy Hall Memorial Tournament, the Onondaga Old Sticks, The Kanehsatà:ke Rez Dogs, and the Buffalo/ Cattaraugus Old Sticks. The games were played with a good mind and close intense competition. It was exciting to see players using multiple different types of wooden sticks from a wide variety of eras. In a fitting tribute to Randy Hall the Onondaga Old Sticks placed Randy’s old jersey on a chair throughout the games and spoke about how they could tell that Randy’s Spirit was with them throughout the games. Wooden stick maker Travis Gabriel, lead the Rez Dogz to second place, and Buffalo/Cattaraugus team played very well and came in third place.  Beautiful First-place trophy and Second and Third place plaques were designed by Tuscarora Woodworks.  The game leather ball was also awarded to the Onondaga Masters team.

Speakers

Johnson Jimerson

Johnson Jimerson (Cattaraugus/Seneca Nation), a defenseman for the 2018 Iroquois Nationals team, spoke about his unique journey to making the team and going to Israel for the FIL World Lacrosse Championship and being on the Bronze medal team. Jimerson spoke about what it means for him to be a traditional Haudenosaunee Confederacy man and how the Great Law of Peace has been a guiding force in his life. He remarked that one of the hardest parts of playing international lacrosse is being pressured to play with a plastic stick. A stick which is not traditional and is dead and lacking in spirit. Jimerson noted that the thing about a wooden stick is that it is alive and has a spirit. You are connected to the stick, and the stick is connected to you. You play better with a wooden stick.

Oren Lyons

As Faithkeeper Oren Lyons spoke an eagle circled over the lake and the lacrosse field where the Championship game was taking place. Lyons delivered a stirring call to the audience to understand the origins of lacrosse, why it is much more than a game, and how it can bring healing to one’s life. Lyons noted that by playing with wooden sticks and a leather ball the players were honoring the Creator, while also being respectful of Haudenosaunee Confederacy tradition. To paraphrase Lyons, when you play lacrosse with a Wooden Stick you play with all the trees and animals in the world. That’s why you carry it with you. Plastic sticks are dead sticks and don’t have spirit. Lyons went on to connect the how the skills necessary to excel at lacrosse are intimately connected to traditional indigenous ways of knowing in general and Haudenosaunee ways in particular. One example, Lyons utilized was seven-generation thinking. He pointed out that one common aspect of indigenous peoples today is thinking seven generations into the past and seven generations into the future. A generation is not just ten years as some people might think but more like seventy to eighty years, the average span of a person’s life. Lyons called on the audience to think with a long view about the ancestors and the future and he asked: “where are the US and Canadian leaders who thinking seven generations?” Lyons concluded his talk by asking the audience to embrace thinking with the good mind and to understand just how interconnected all life truly is.

Social Dancing

Dancers from the Onondaga Nation, led by Sherri Waterman-Hopper, appeared at the Wooden Stick Festival on both Saturday and Sunday.  Their social dancing was one of the highlights of the Festival.

Thank you

Thank you to our sponsors (Syracuse University, Nike, Gannon’s Ice Cream, and Summit Credit Union) and the many excellent crafters and vendors, especially Potato Skins Express for serving up a delicious variety of potato skins throughout the events. Finally thank you to the broader lacrosse community for talking about the Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival on their sites, blogs, podcasts, and social media.

Next Year

Come out and join us next year at Onondaga Lake for a celebration of Haudenosaunee culture, traditional lacrosse, and traditional lacrosse sticks. We look forward to having even more teams in the tournament, and we are planning on having a lake team (house teams but at the lake) for those who want to play in the tournament but can’t put together a full team. We would love to have traditional indigenous peoples teams, and teams made up of lacrosse players of all backgrounds.

We also hope to have some pick-up scrimmages for players of all ages. Everyone will put their sticks in the middle and then sticks will be sorted into piles, and those will be the teams for some fun lighthearted pick-up game excitement.

Join us September 28-29, 2019 for the Haudenosaunee Woodenstick Festival and Randy Hall Memorial Tournament.

Randy Hall Memorial Master’s Box Lacrosse Tournament

About: 4 teams,Wooden stick preferred, leather ball. 20 minute running clock halves, 5 minutes halftime

The teams are:

1. Onondaga Masters
2. Rez Dogs
3. Mohawk
4. Buffalo

Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival

Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center, 6680 Onondaga Lake Parkway, Liverpool, New York 13088.

• Learn More about Taking on the Doctrine of Discovery: What are our Next Steps?
• Book Your Hotel

view the tentative schedule

Follow along with all the updates via our hashtag: #laxweekend18

A unique and exciting weekend of events is happening in Central New York celebrating the origins of Lacrosse at Onondaga Lake which is the birthplace of the game we now call Lacrosse.
There are two main elements to the weekend:

• The Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival
• The First Annual Thohneñ’datek Randy Hall Masters Wooden Stick Lacrosse Tournament

The Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival

The festival will feature Native American/First Nations People’s wooden lacrosse stick makers, and other crafters. There will also be traditional Haudenosaunee singing, dancing, and foods. As an educational and entertainment event for the whole family, there will also be plenty of educational and entertainment options including some engaging guest speakers.

The First Annual Thohneñ’datek Randy Hall Masters Wooden Stick Lacrosse Tournament

About Randy Hall

Thohneñ’datek Thomas Randall “Randy” Hall, Akwesasne Mohawk Wolf Clan, passed away January 18, 2018. He served in Vietnam with US Army (1965-68) and he also participated in the 1972 AIM takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington D.C. He loved sports and he was deeply involved with the Onondaga Athletic Club where he played and coached lacrosse and basketball teams. One of his favorite things to do was to travel and be part of tournaments. In his memory the Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival honors him by naming the wooden sticks tournament after him. ( Syracuse.com Obituary).

The inaugural Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival was held at Onondaga Lake in 2013. The games had previously been played exclusively on Haudenosaunee Nation territories, but in 2013, Randy Hall asked Philip P. Arnold and Sandy Bigtree for help in bringing the game back to Onondaga Lake––its place of origin––where the Peacemaker arrive well over 1,000 years ago bringing peace to five warring nations. Deyhontsigwa’ehs, the Creator’s Game, was an integral part of this process. This ancient game is still play ceremonially among the Haudenosaunee. It is played hard, but always played to foster good relationships between human beings and the natural world.

About The First Annual Thohneñ’datek Randy Hall Masters Wooden Stick Lacrosse Tournament

There will be referees, a tent for changing, a box sized field marked out on the grass with 4×4 nets by Onondaga Lake. Players will be responsible for helmets and gloves, and wooden stick is preferable. Teams will be responsible for their jerseys. Wooden sticks are preferred but not required. Rules forthcoming. The tournament entrance fee is $200 per team.

• First Prize: Leather Game Ball, Plaque, $150 cash.
• Second Prize: Plaque & $75 cash.
• Third Prize: Plaque & $75 cash.

Hotels

We have secured a block of rooms for folks at the Hampton Inn and Suites.

• Hampton Inn and Suites East Syracuse Carrier Circle
• 6377 Court Street Road East Syracuse NY 13057
• Phone: 315-437-1060
• Fax: 315-437-1061

For more reservation details see: Hotels

Get Involved

There are a lot of ways to get involved with the Deyhontsigwa’ehs-The Creator’s Game, Lacrosse Weekend. You can attend the event or you can take part in the festivities by playing in the tournament, being a vendor, or by being a sponsor.

• Enter the Tournament
• Be a Sponsor
• Be A Vendor

About the Haudenosaunee

The Haudenosaunee (who have been labeled “Iroquois”) are the originators and keepers of the game now known as “lacrosse.” Deyhontsigwa’ehs (“They Bump Hips”, in the Onondaga Language) is thier word for the game, which is also referred to as “The Creator’s Game.” The Onondaga Nation is the “Central Fire” of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of six separate nations (Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora).

This confederacy was founded on the shores of Onondaga Lake––in what is now Liverpool and Syracuse New York––over 1000 years ago and it was Deyhontsigwa’ehs that brought together these original nations in what is referred to in English as “The Great Law of Peace .”

About Indigenous Values Initiative & The Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival

Indigenous Values Initiative is dedicated to educating articulating, disseminating and promoting the values expressed by the leadership of the Onondaga Nation, the Central Fire of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (made up of the Seneca, Tuscarora, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Mohawk Nations).  To learn more visit About Indigenous Values initiative .

Contact us

• • email us at info@indigenousvalues.org
  • Follow us on Facebook: @woodenstickfestival #laxweekend18
  • Follow us on Instagram @indigenousvalues #laxweekend18
  • Follow us on Twitter: @WoodenStickExpo  #laxweekend18

Social Media & Downloads

• • Download the Main Print Deyhontsigwa’ehs––The Creators Game Lacrosse Flyer featuring “The Art of Lax” by Vincent Ricasio Flyer as a PDF.
    • Download the Main #laxweekend18 flyer as an image.
  • Download the alternate Print Black and White Deyhontsigwa’ehs––The Creator’s Game Lacrosse Flyer featuring “The Art of Lax” by Vincent Ricasio Flyer as a PDF.
    • Download the alternate black and white #laxweekend18 flyer as an image.
  • Download The First Annual Thohneñ’datek Randy Hall Masters Wooden Stick Lacrosse Tournament as a PDF
    • Download the The First Annual Thohneñ’datek Randy Hall Masters Wooden Stick Lacrosse Tournament Flyer as an image.
  • Download the #laxweekend18 Facebook Cover Photo
  • Download the #laxweekend18 Instagram Photo

Event Press

• • • Philly Lacrosse
    • iHeartOswego
    • Just Lacrosse
    • NE Lax Blog
    • LaxAllStars 
    • Blog Talk Radio
    • SU Religion
    • Multicultural SU
    • Syracuse.com Event Page
    • News.Syr.edu
    • Traditional lacrosse returns to shores of Onondaga Lake

  • ###

We have secured a block of rooms for folks at the Hampton Inn and Suites.

• Hampton Inn and Suites East Syracuse Carrier Circle
• 6377 Court Street Road East Syracuse NY 13057
• Phone: 315-437-1060
• Fax: 315-437-1061

Reservation Procedures

In order to secure the group rate you must call the hotel and let them know that you would like to reserve a room in the block of rooms reserved for Indigenous Values Initative Wooden Stick Lacrosse Tournament. Reservations will be made in the following manner – Individual reservations, per team. Individuals/ Teams pay on own.

• The Cut-off Date for accepting reservations into this room block is 9/28/18. Reservation requests received after 5:00 PM local time at the Hotel on the Cut-off Date will be accepted on a space and rate availability basis.
• Individual Call-in reservations must be guaranteed by a valid major credit card, which will be supplied at the time of reservation.
• Reservations must be cancelled by 6:00 PM EST 48 hours prior to arrival to avoid a penalty of one (1) night stay plus taxes.
• If the reservation is no longer required and is not cancelled prior to this time, the reservation will be released and subsequent room and tax charges will be billed to the credit card on file.

Header image: Hampton Inn and Suites, Carrier Circle, Syracuse, NY.

“Each Haudenosaunee community has its own unique struggles, but what bonds us absolutely is lacrosse,” said Lyons. “When talking about our deep connection to this sport it’s important that we convey that message with love and reverence.”

There’s a beautiful segment about the role women play in the game. The joy from this being the first international competition held on indigenous lands jumps off the screen. They document the way in which Oren Lyons, Rick Hill, Tonia Fritchner, and Wes and Kim Patterson founded the Iroquois Nationals. Few sports teams have have done so much for the pride of a people.

A clip which may summarize it all comes from Jeremy Thompson, who speaks over some of the film’s most stunning action shots.

“When I talk about the good mind I talk about good thoughts, giving thanks to The Creator for giving me this game. Sometimes I feel like crying I’m overwhelmed, I’m so happy. If I have to shed a little tear I let it out. That’s what makes me grateful, content. I feel calm until the first whistle. And after that you put your best effort out there. That’s what I do.”

Free showings at Deyhontsigwa’ehs: Creator’s Game Lacrosse Weekend, 28-30 Sept–Fieldhouse @ Onondaga Nation. Check out our website! Catch the excitement and join us for another special moment: “Deyhontsigwa’ehs-The Creator’s Game, Lacrosse Weekend.“