Halifax Thunderbirds honour Indigenous roots of lacrosse
Lacrosse is more than just a game for Halifax Thunderbirds captain Cody Jamieson.
“This game is medicine, it’s known as the medicine game,” said Jamieson. “It teaches you a lot about yourself and a lot about life and kind of helps you work your way through things.”
Jamieson is one of five aboriginal players on the Thunderbirds roster, which is owned by Curt Styres, an Indigenous businessman from Six Nations, a First Nation reserve near Brantford, Ont.
Styres brought the lacrosse franchise to Halifax in 2019 after he moved the team from Rochester.
The Thunderbirds are dedicated to Indigenous causes and hosting its annual Every Child Matters night, which includes a pre-game ceremony to draw attention to and honour the victims and survivors of Canada’s residential school system.
The Thunderbirds also celebrated the Indigenous history and culture of the sport with a special halftime performance.
Jamieson said it’s important to share the history of the sport and when he’s not playing the game, he spends time going into schools and teaching lacrosse to youth.
“It’s good to share our culture and share what we know and share what we have and to share this game,” said Jamieson. “This game was given to us by the creator and to share with everybody.”
“That’s what’s important about tonight, it’s reconciliation and being together and sharing knowledge and sharing stories and just being around each other.”
Lacrosse is a part of a positive way of life for Jamieson and his teammate Randy Staats, who was acquired in an offseason trade. Both are from Six Nations and represent the Iroquois national team at international lacrosse competitions.
Staats says he feels at home with his new team and is encouraged by the Thunderbirds advocacy around Indigenous issues.
“It’s always good when we have the opportunity to do that in front of people,” said Staats. “I think it’s good for the game and good for people’s knowledge around where the game comes from.”
Both players enjoy the chance to play the game and grow the sport in the Maritimes.
“The fan base here is incredible,” said Jamieson. “They are loud and knowledgeable about the game, and I think it gives us a distinct home field advantage that many teams in this league don’t have.”
For these lacrosse players, the game is more of a way of life. That’s why they both call it “the medicine game.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'