2014 World Lacrosse Championships

Denver’s American Indian community welcomed the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team to Colorado this week with burning sage, eagle feathers and a traditional song honoring heroes.

“You guys represent our warriors. You are our role models,” said Francis Sherwood, celebrating the world’s only indigenous team competing internationally as a sovereign nation for the World Lacrosse Championships in Denver.

“It’s our way of life. It’s deep in our culture. In our cradle board, we are given a wooden lacrosse stick. We grew up playing since we’ve been walking,” said Jeremy Thompson, 27, a Syracuse graduate from the Onandaga Nation who forged a lacrosse path for his three brothers and cousin.

Read more at the Denver Post

Fri, July 11 • 10 p.m. • England vs. Iroquois • ESPN3
Sat, July 12 • 4 p.m. • Japan vs. Iroquois • ESPN3
Sun, July 13 • 10 p.m. • Iroquois vs. Canada • ESPNU
Mon, July 14 • 10 p.m. • Iroquois vs. Australia • ESPN3
Tue, July 15 • 7 p.m. • Iroquois vs. USA • ESPNU
(all times Eastern)
Complete Broadcast Schedule can be found here

Four years ago, the Iroquois Nationals were barred from traveling to England with their traditional passports. Opting not to switch to the new passport format, the team missed the 2010 FIL World Lacrosse Championships, sparking outrage and putting world-wide attention on the Iroquois Nationals organization.

This week, the Iroquois Nationals are preparing for the 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championships in Denver with what many believe is their strongest team ever, stacked with current NLL and NCAA stars, and with the memory of the 2010 debacle burning strong in the minds of the Iroquois staff and players.

Read More at Inside Lacrosse

This Friday in Denver, the Iroquois men’s lacrosse team will play its opening game of the World Lacrosse Championships against England, which hosted the last edition of the quadrennial tournament.

And this time, all is relatively quiet — at least in the travel department — for the Native American team whose ancestors invented the game.

Four years ago, the Iroquois squad made international headlines en route to the world championships in Manchester when, at the last minute, the British government wouldn’t recognize the tribal passports they had been using for decades. Hillary Clinton, then secretary of state, stepped in to grant the team members one-time travel waivers. Oscar-winning director James Cameron donated $50,000 to defray costs while the team was stuck in New York City as bureaucrats dickered over documents.

Read more at Al Jazeera America

The 6’1”, 205 lbs. attack man is a member of the Oneida Nation and was acquired by the Vancouver Stealth in 2012. In 2006, he was selected third overall in the NLL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Bandits. Bucktooth played for the Nationals in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship games, helping the team earn silver medals in 2007 and 2011.
Read more at Indian Country Today

The 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championship will take place in Denver July 10–19, 2014. The Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team should have a chance at winning first place with the addition of the Thompson triple threat to the team. The two Thompson brothers, Lyle and Miles recently made history when they became the first Native Americans to win the Tewaarton Trophy.

Read More at Powwows.com