Anishinaabe Eighth and Final Nation Competing at 2020 IIJL World Junior Lacrosse Championship

[Photo: Twin Cities Native Lacrosse, Facebook]

BKEJWANONG TERRITORY - In a monumental partnership International Indoor Junior Lacrosse will welcome Anishinaabe as the eighth (8th) and final Nation competing at the 2020 IIJL World Junior Lacrosse Championship this August in Winnipeg, Canada, Treaty 1 Territory. 

"Competing at the 2020 IIJL World Junior Lacrosse Championship is a historic opportunity for the Anishinaabe people of the Three Fires Confederacy and for our athletes to unite together for the first time in generations to compete on the international stage," said Isaiah Kicknosway Founder of Anishinabe Baagaadowewin (Anishinaabe Lacrosse). "Even the most knowledgeable enthusiasts overlook the significance of the game in Anishinaabe history and culture, having played lacrosse for many hundreds of years using different sticks than what are used today." explained Kicknosway. The inaugural Anishinaabe team will be remembered not only for breaking barriers but also for playing on the traditional home of the Anishinaabe people, now known as Treaty 1 Territory. 

Traditional Haudenosaunee Territory	Traditional Anishinaabe Territory
Maps from Resource Website Native-Land.ca

"The inclusion of Anishinaabe at the 2020 IIJL World Junior Lacrosse Championship provides a tremendous opportunity to reflect, acknowledge, and educate the lacrosse community, Canadians, North Americans, and the World about the history of this land long before Canadian Confederacy." explained Chris Fox, President Canadian Lacrosse League and 2020 WJLC Tournament Chair. "The IIJL (International Indoor Junior Lacrosse) recognizes Indigenous Confederacies as independent Nations and honours their ability to represent their Nation on the international stage." Fox added. In the coming months the IIJL will announce new events that will provide qualifying for and promotion/relegation into the World Junior Lacrosse Championship. In 2015 the Squamish Nation competed in the inaugural World Junior Lacrosse Championship, known at the time as the U19 World Lacrosse Challenge. 

Haudenosaunee Flag

Anishinaabe Flag

"The Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Nations have a shared history in the Great Lakes region spanning generations." added Kicknosway. "Treaties between the two great Confederacies have deep roots and highlight the mutual respect each have for the other. Iroquois' mastery for the game and ability to consistency assemble competitive teams is the gold standard for lacrosse in the world." continued Kicknosway, who is Anishinaabe and has played for the Iroquois Nationals at numerous championships. Other Anishinaabe and First Nations players have played for the Iroquois Nationals as part of dispensations designated for non-Haudenosaunee Indigenous players to compete at international events. Those international experiences coupled with the exponential growth of modern lacrosse in Anishinaabe communities has blossomed into the opportunity for Anishinaabe to compete internationally. 

"Competing at the 2020 World Juniors is the opportunity of a lifetime and will be a source of pride among our Anishinaabe players, their home communities, and throughout Native country. The opportunity to gain international exposure at one of the highest levels of lacrosse, while also playing in an NHL arena, don't come along everyday." concluded Kicknosway.

Interest to Participate

The Anishinaabe team will be selected from multiple tryouts in various communities with dates and times to be announced in the upcoming weeks. Players expected to join the team will span from Ontario, Michigan, Minnesota, and Manitoba. Eligibility to play on Anishinaabe require players to have a minimum of one (1) Parent from an Odawa, Ojibwe, or Pottawattami community. Players from other Nations are welcome to attend tryouts to gain experience and work with a knowledgeable Anishinaabe coaching staff.

ABOUT ANISHINABE BAAGAADOWEWIN
A Nonprofit Organization founded in 2020 in Anishinaabe Territory. Our Mission is to educate and teach our culture and our history to others throughout the world and to represent by selecting players for the Anishinaabe lacrosse teams to represent the nations of the Three Fires Confederacy in international competition. For more information please visit the Anishinabe Baagaadowewin website www.anishinabebaagaadowewin.org. and on social media; Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.