Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Stick, Lacrosse |
Catalog Number |
1985.064.01 |
Description |
Lacrosse stick has a rounded one piece wood handle and cord net hoop. The hoop is circular shaped and lashed to the handle with buckskin strips. Hoop is made from a thin, bent extension of the same piece of wood as the handle. No nails are visible. Four holes are drilled in the hoop, and leather strips are laced through them to form netting. |
Other Name |
Cabnaikisik |
Provenance |
Deed of gift states that this lacrosse stick was given to the donor's father, Cleveland Stanley. Stanley, by Reginald Oshkosh, the "chief of the Winnebagos." (Reginald Oshkosh's obituary in the Milwaukee Journal, March 20, 1931, describes him as the Chief of the Menominee.) |
Owned By |
Reginald Oshkosh |
Dimensions |
L-42 Dia-4 inches |
Length (in) |
42.000 |
Dimension Details |
Overall length: 42" Diameter of hoop: 4" |
Subjects |
"Things that Matter" Cultures Sports & Leisure |
Search Terms |
"Things that Matter" |
Notes |
The development of the game of lacrosse far predates written history but it is known that three basic forms of La Crosse originated among Native American tribes on the continent; Southeastern, Great Lakes, and Iroquoian. This lacrosse stick is in the Great Lakes style. This style was played with a stick made from ash or willow with circular, dream catcher-like webbing on the end that held the ball which was made of wood, rock or clay with deer hide wrapped and sewn around it. Tribes who played this version of lacrosse included Ojibwe, Menominee, Potawatomi, Sauk, Fox, Miami, Ho-Chunk, and Santee Dakota. The Mississippi River Valley was the perfect place for the game of lacrosse as the river naturally flattened the surrounding earth as well as the tall grasses that would grow and hinder the sport. The game had a spiritual function as well as being for recreation; it was used as a celebration, a healing ritual, a way to honor the dead, and even to settle territorial disputes. Featured in Things that Matter "The name "La Crosse" is thought to have been inspired by a popular game played by Native Americans in the region, which was known as Prairie Lacrosse to the first white settlers. Today, lacrosse continues to grow in international popularity, but what is known about the origins of this game and the people that played it? The game of lacrosse, also known as the "Creator's Game" to the Ho-Chunk, has a long history, as there were three different types played across the United States at the onset of European contact in the seventeenth century: southwestern, Great Lakes, and Iroquoian. The stick pictured here is in the Great Lakes style, and was likely made and used in our region by a Ho-Chunk man. Lacrosse sticks like this one are made from a single piece of wood that is carved, and then steamed, boiled, and bent to create the circular shape. It is believed that these curved sticks reminded early French settlers of the staff carried by bishops, called la crozier, which sparked the name La Crosse. Lacrosse games were grand events, and were not necessarily a ‘game’ in the same sense that we think of today. While it was played for recreation and ceremonial purposes, lacrosse could also be used to determine wealth, land, or social status, and was frequently used as a substitute for war. Because of this, a game could have hundreds of players spread out over miles." This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune. Title: Lacrosse Stick Author: Calli Niemi Publish Date: February 6, 2016 |