September 14 and 15 at Onondaga Lake Park in Syracuse NY
The Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival returns once again to Onondaga Lake Park. The event will feature traditional wooden stick crafters and other Haudenosaunee crafts; social dancing; presentations by Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Makers; and the Randy Hall Memorial Master’s Lacrosse Tournament. Faithkeeper Oren Lyons reminds us, “When you play lacrosse with a wooden stick you play with all the trees and animals in the world. Plastic sticks are dead sticks and don’t have spirit.”
This year we continue collaborating with Restore Our Sacred Lake 5K Fun Run/Walk on September 14, 2024. The eagles are returning to Onondaga Lake. We invite runners and walkers to Onondaga Lake for a day of celebration. This event will raise awareness of the importance of the lake and the urgency of furthering the cleanup efforts and the return of our sacred lake. We are excited to have our run celebrating the Eagle’s return as part of the Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival. When speaking about the United Nations Faithkeeper Lyons said, “I do not see a delegation for the four-footed. I see no seat for the eagles. We forget, and we consider ourselves superior, but we are, after all, a mere part of the Creation. And we must continue to understand where we are. And we stand between the mountain and the ant, somewhere and there only, as part of the Creation.”
“This year we will return to Onondaga Lake for another Haudenosaunee Wooden Stick Festival in September. We live in the heartland of Dehontsigwa’ehs (lacrosse)—homeland to the Haudenosaunee. Over 1,000 years ago the game was first played at Onondaga Lake to help bring 5 warring nations together in peace. CNY has benefitted from this rich legacy, and as a result this area is a hotbed for lacrosse. There are nearly 1 million lacrosse athletes in the US today and it continues to be the fastest growing game in the world. Lacrosse offers us a unique educational opportunity to teach these Haudenosaunee values to young athletes and enthusiasts.” According to Philip Arnold, the President of the Indigenous Values Initiative, and Founding Director of the Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center.
With the festival, we are also holding the “Randy Hall Memorial Master’s Box Lacrosse Tournament.” Randy Hall, Akwesasne Mohawk Wolf Clan, passed away in January 2018. He loved lacrosse and was committed to the Onondaga Athletic Club where he coached and played. In 2013 Randy Hall asked Philip Arnold and Sandy Bigtree to help bring the game back to Onondaga Lake. Ages 35+; 8-20 players per team.
This year we are excited to announce the addition of a Haudenosaunee Smoke Dance Competition. Health Hill (Oneida Nation, Wolf Clan) will be overseeing the competition. The Haudenosuanee are well known for their unique fast pace and freestyle Smoke dance. Participants vary in age and are judge on their regalia, grace, and dancing. Our emcee Heath Hill will explain Haudenosaunee history and culture as it is being conveyed with style and grace through the rich symbolism of Haudenosaunee traditional dancing. One of the most exciting parts of smoke dances are the lightning fast footwork where the dances seem to float on air. The Smoke dance is one of the most dynamic and popular dances seen at Indigenous dance competitions. There is still time for competitors to sign up. There will be prizes awarded. To signup email [email protected].
Join us for an exciting exploration of Haudenosaunee history and culture through running, lacrosse, and smoke dancing.
Learn more at www.aila.li/wsf
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Contact:
Betty Lyons
American Indian Law Alliance
(315) 760-4787
[email protected]
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.