Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Tuesday 22 May 2018
Native American lacrosse teams leagueless in South Dakota

By BLAKE NICHOLSON measures as requiring U.S.
Associated Press Lacrosse certification for
Travis Brave Heart was coaches. He has formed a
planning to spend his se- board of directors with Na-
nior season this spring and tive American representa-
summer tuning up to play tion to run the league and
college lacrosse in the fall. said he will step down as
Instead, the 17-year-old director after this season.
standout from Aberdeen, None of the league's pre-
South Dakota, is faced with dominantly white teams
the prospect of not playing responded to requests for
at all. comment, though the as-
His Lightning Stick Society sociation that runs the
team was one of three Na- team in Fargo, North Da-
tive American clubs kicked kota, quit the league and
out of a developmental issued a statement saying
league in North Dakota it doesn't condone racism.
and South Dakota amid That association's president
their concerns about racial didn't respond to an inter-
abuse, leaving players and view request.
coaches upset and scram- The Native teams said they
bling to find ways to con- are getting support and
tinue playing a game that offers to play from teams
originated with their ances- around the country, and
tors and means more to are lining up other oppo-
them than just competition. nents.
"I got my anger out of "At the end of the day,
the way," Brave Heart we only want these kids to
said. "I went outside and play," Jackson said. "We
practiced lacrosse, even deal with disenfranchised
though it was snowing. Af- youth that can't even af-
ter I played, I wasn't angry ford to buy a mouth guard
anymore. Then I thought, half the time. We under-
'What do we need to get stand how to empower
past this? To get playing these kids."
again?'" That's true for Brave Heart,
The head of the league re- This undated photo provided by Denis Brave Heart, shows Travis Brave Heart, front left, of Aber- an Oglala Sioux tribal mem-
jected any notion of wide- deen, S.D., playing lacrosse. ber who helped captain his
spread racism, and said Associated Press team to a league champi-
the teams were removed onship last year and par-
not for complaining but for in neighboring states like resting in the shade under to people in the league af- layed that success into an
issues such as unreliable at- Minnesota and Nebraska, some trees, in which a par- ter the complaint informing athletic scholarship at Em-
tendance. said Kevin DeCora, a Light- ent from another team car- them of a zero-tolerance manuel College in Geor-
Lacrosse is considered ning Stick Society coach. rying a cellphone camera policy for discrimination or gia. But the sport means
America's oldest sport — "Racism kind of goes across came looking for evidence racial slurs. much more to him than a
an important part of Na- the board with all sports," of drugs or alcohol, "assum- Mitchell said the league pathway to a future as an
tive American cultures he said. "It's the attitude ing we were a bunch of had problems with the historic preservation officer.
long before the arrival of and belief that people in drunk Natives." Native American teams "We play for the Creator,
Europeans. It's still used to the Dakotas have always The primarily Native teams including unreliable atten- and we play for the com-
teach Native youth about had to the indigenous expelled from the Dakota dance and improper reg- munity," he said. "You think
culture, values and life skills population, for hundreds of league — Susbeca and 7 istration of some coaches of all the people who can't
like keeping emotions un- years." Flames are the others — say and players. play, like people in wheel-
der control. It can also be As an example, Lightning they were kicked out after "I think this is nothing more chairs and the sick, and
a path to college for play- Stick director and co- asking the league to ad- than a response to be- when you play for them,
ers who often come from coach Franky Jackson and dress their allegations. They ing held accountable," he you get this drive you just
impoverished reservations. others cited a 2015 incident provided copies of letters said. can't explain.
The Dakota Premier La- in which Native American they said they sent to the Ali Vincent, who writes "The day just gets bet-
crosse League is part of a children were sprayed with league and to U.S. Lacrosse grant requests to fund the 7 ter when you start play-
surge in popularity. Partici- beer while watching a mi- in 2016 and 2017, detailing Flames, said the teams dis- ing," Brave Heart added.
pation on organized teams nor league hockey game the cellphone-toting par- pute they did anything that "It's definitely more than a
— mostly youth and high in Rapid City. ent incident and other spe- warranted expulsion. game."q
school level — more than Brave Heart said he has cific instances of racial slurs U.S. Lacrosse in a statement
tripled over 15 years to a endured taunts about his and overly rough play. said "diversity and inclusion
record 825,000 players in Native American ances- League Administrator Co- are essential components
2016, according to U.S. La- try from white players and rey Mitchell said he re- of our sport" and that it
crosse, the sport's national their parents, rough play ceived only one formal would investigate.
governing body. he feels crosses the line complaint, in 2016. He said Mitchell acknowledged
Since the Dakota league into abuse and what he he investigated and found that the fledgling league
launched in 2016, Native views as biased refereeing no evidence of miscon- has had its struggles, in-
American teams have ex- toward white players. He duct warranting punish- cluding inexperienced ref-
perienced racial abuse described an incident after ment, but he provided a erees, but said it has strived
that they don't experience one game, as his team was copy of an email he sent to improve through such