There's No "I" in Blog: Handoff: Bid for Trophy Becomes a Test of Iroquois Identity

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Handoff: Bid for Trophy Becomes a Test of Iroquois Identity

That's the headline in from this New York Times article about the Iroquois national lacrosse team's struggle to travel to Manchester, England to play in a lacrosse tournament. Normally, we keep our "handoffs" to the weekly collection of interesting links, but this is one of those stories that I feel needs to be recognized for its direct connection to a people's national and cultural identity. This small passage from the article embodies the situation:

“Lacrosse is our game—we are the originators, we invented the game, there are 60 countries that play our game,” said Denise Waterman, a member of the team’s board of directors. “And now we can’t go to a tournament that’s honoring our game?"

I'll stop there because I don't know enough about lacrosse or international relations to properly expand on this story. Be sure to check out the New York Times link, though.

UPDATE: The Iroquois team has been cleared to travel to England with less than 24 hours before their first scheduled match.

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Rachel Partin

Rachel is a writer living in Somerville, Massachusetts. She spent her childhood shooting hoops with her beloved hot pink basketball and getting bowled over as she posted up against her towering brothers. Eventually learning that she was better suited to track and field, she pursued a high school career as a pole vaulter, only to inevitably end up sunbathing on the pit rather than practicing. In college she tutored athletes in writing and English, discovering, to her delight, that most college athletes truly care about academics. She edits a sports blog in her spare time.

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