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Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

The Creator’s Game

Lacrosse, Identity, and Indigenous Nationhood

Lacrosse has been a central element of Indigenous cultures for centuries, but once non-Indigenous players entered the sport, it became a site of appropriation – then reclamation – of Indigenous identities. The Creator’s Game focuses on the history of lacrosse in Indigenous communities from the 1860s to the 1990s, exploring Indigenous-non-Indigenous relations and Indigenous identity formation. While the game was being appropriated in the process of constructing a new identity for the nation-state of Canada, it was also being used by Indigenous peoples to resist residential school experiences, initiate pan-Indigenous political mobilization, and articulate Indigenous sovereignty. This engaging and innovative book provides a unique view of Indigenous self-determination and nationhood in the face of settler-colonialism.

364 pages | © 2018

Sociology: Race, Ethnic, and Minority Relations


Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Dewa’á?’:gajíhgwa’e’ – Prologue: The Creator’s Game

Baaga’adowewin – Introduction: A Trickster History of Lacrosse

1 Tewaá:rathon – The Canadian Appropriation of Lacrosse and “Indian” Performances

2 Metawewin – Colonizing the Creator’s Game in Residential Schools

3 Sk’exwa7 – Articulating Indigenous Nationhood on the West Coast

4 Ga-lahs – Box Lacrosse and Redefining Political Activism during the Mid-twentieth Century

5 Dey-Hon-Tshi-Gwa’-Ehs – Reclaiming the Creator’s Game

Dewa’ë:ö’ – Conclusion: A Trickster Ending

Págádowe – Notes; Yunenrúha?r – Bibliography; Index

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