Among the Iroquois lacrosse was a religious activity as well as a sport. At times an ill individual would request that a lacrosse game be played as a means of curing him. Within a village moieties would play against each other, but it was not unknown for villages or even nations to oppose each other in the game. The older racket (notched handle) was collected in 1912. The maker notched the handle for each summer that he played lacrosse. The racket on the right was collected from the St. Regis (Akwesasne) Reserve in 1970. The wood-burned markings are simply decorative. Lacrosse as played in Canada today derives from the Iroquois version of this game which was played through much of native North America.
Courtesy: Canadian Museum of Civilization, National Museums of Canada (S86-379)
