Last Saturday was a classic mid-May day for experiencing the unparalleled joy of lacrosse, which, for me, began with coaching the fifth- and sixth-grade boys of Portland’s Back Bay Lacrosse Club, continued with tuning into the NCAA Division 1 quarterfinals and finished at the Cape Elizabeth-versus-Falmouth game.
As most know, lacrosse is one of the original games played on this land, the Medicine Game handed down to us from the Iroquois, and now the fastest-growing sport for both girls and boys. Lacrosse is one of the most significant of the many Native American cultural strands that are woven into the fabric of American life. So, after reading the piece in the Telegram last Sunday on CNN and Rick Santorum (“CNN cuts ties with former senator over comments,” Dispatches, Page A11), there’s one thing I learned: As smart and worldly as he appears to be, he’s never had the opportunity to experience the joy of lacrosse and appreciate its origin!
Maybe on Memorial Day he’ll tune into the championship game and learn something about the living presence of the Native American spirit that is lifting up thousands of kids, big and little, across our country!
Eduardo Duarte
Portland
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