Women’s Team Honors Native Origins of Lacrosse

Before a spring women’s lacrosse game in Griswold Stadium, a different form of connection happened on the field. The announcer read a short statement over the intercom, acknowledging the Indigenous origins of lacrosse. “Lacrosse is a Native Game” was printed on a banner that faced spectators. The competitors circled up, teams intermingled, and athletes passed around a traditional lacrosse stick. It was a quiet moment to reflect on where the game began.

JD Elquist, founder and executive director of PNW Native Lacrosse, guided the pregame ritual, offering a traditional sage smudging ceremony for students who requested it. His nonprofit began working to return lacrosse to its Native origins, often overlooked and misappropriated, in 2023. The verbal acknowledgment, called “Respect the Roots,” is now an official practice of the Premier Lacrosse League, the sport’s professional organization. In spring 2025, Lewis & Clark was the first adopter.

Lindsay Newman, head women's lacrosse coachHead Women’s Lacrosse Coach Lindsay Newman first got in touch with Elquist in 2024. In previous coaching positions, Newman connected with the Umatilla and Warm Springs Tribes, and when she began at Lewis & Clark, she made a conscious effort to bring Native traditions and respect to the center of team culture. PNW Native Lacrosse offered something distinctive: educational opportunities for the team, as well as outreach to Native students in the region who had long been excluded from the sport.

“The students appreciate knowing where the sport comes from,” Newman says. “And not just from an educational perspective, but also because it allows them to engage with lacrosse on a deeper level. There is a sense in which we’re playing for something more than ourselves.”

 

Credit: Nina Johnson

The first stick-and-ball “lacrosse” game can be traced back to the Haudenosaunee people in the 17th century, and the tribe is credited with being the keepers of the game. But the tradition of lacrosse goes back even further, and was meant to transcend athletics. It was a sacred ritual, often referred to as “The Medicine Game.” If a person had fallen ill, the powerful qualities of the ball—filled with the effort, sweat, and tears of the team members—could be transferred to heal their ailments.

In modern lacrosse, leagues and clubs often do not recognize these historical roots—nor do they involve Native youth. One of PNW Native Lacrosse’s priorities is encouraging Indigenous young people in the Pacific Northwest to learn the sport, offering free clinics to teach the fundamentals and build confidence. Lewis & Clark was the first collegiate program to host a clinic with the nonprofit, and two more all-girls clinics are on the spring schedule.

“It’s important for players to remember that the game has so much more depth and meaning than just who wins each match,” says team member Kate Corsaro BA ’27. “I’ve always loved this sport, and I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with PNW Native to honor the game, its history, and its community.”

Elquist notes that the game is complex and multifaceted—it is a spiritual opening where conflicts can be resolved, the sick can heal, and people can celebrate. The nature of lacrosse lends itself to moments of connection—and even to delight.

“There is a shared language in lacrosse. That’s the medicine, right?” he says. “It doesn’t matter what the score is. It’s fun, it’s loose, and it’s free. It doesn’t matter if you’re a high-level collegiate player or a girl who’s picking up a stick for the first time. It’s an equal playing field.”

Women’s Lacrosse