How Native American Lacrosse Sticks Are Carved From Hickory Wood

Native Americans began playing lacrosse as a spiritual and social activity more than 1,000 years ago. Their lacrosse sticks were made of wood and had sacred meaning. But many Indigenous stick artisans went out of business when plastic and aluminum replaced wood in the 1970s. Alfie Jacques, however, managed to stay afloat. He’s crafted more than 80,000 sticks by hand, and he’s one of the last people who knows how to make them this way. He is Onondaga, one of the Haudenosaunee nations that invented the game. We went to the Onondaga Nation to see how, with Alfie’s help, this tradition is still standing.