Lacrosse is a stick-and-ball game that Native Americans have played for hundreds of years. The name “lacrosse” comes from French settlers in the 1600s who called any game played with a curved stick and ball “crosse” in French. While many tribes have some version of this game, modern lacrosse is most similar to the game played in the the Northeast USA and Canada, mostly by the Iroquois Nation. Native Americans thought the game had spiritual meaning and was a gift from their Creator. They believed it could heal illness - medicine men made balls and gave them special powers. It was also a way to
