NMU to Host Anishinaabe Lacrosse Game

Northern Michigan University will host a traditional Anishinaabe lacrosse game-or bagodowe-as part of its 125th anniversary homecoming celebration, at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 22, in the Superior Dome. The game originated on a small island on Lake Superior, just north of Wisconsin's Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The public is invited to play or watch.

Lacrosse occupies an important place in Indigenous culture. Many communities have a deep connection and view it as much more than a sport of physical endurance. An online description states that "it is considered a gift from the creator-a 'medicine' used to drive away sickness and create positive energy while teaching athletes the value of community and working together for the greater good."

Justin Schapp, assistant director of NMU's Diversity and Inclusion Office, said that many of the Native nations in the Three Fires Confederacy composed of the Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi have been healing their communities by revitalizing this medicine game over the past decade.

"By including this game as part of NMUs homecoming events and the 125th anniversary, we are providing an opportunity to allow our students, faculty, staff and community to understand this journey from Indigenous perspectives.

"Bagodowe is a gift game organized to build community. Players are asked to bring a small gift to place on a blanket with others. When a player scores a goal, they are invited to select a gift. At the end of the game, the winning team is invited to select a gift from the blanket."

The event will open with the following tribal representatives providing participants with knowledge about the game's origins and instructions on how to play: Daniel Jackson, Saginaw Chippewa; Ricky Woods, Grand Traverse Band; Devon DeVerney, Lac du Flambeau Band; and Chris Shawa, Gun Lake Band.

Schapp said Sunday's event will also be a nod to Northern history. The first varsity women's athletic team, established in 1968, competed in the similar sport of field hockey.