A petition calling for the Iroquois Nationals to be included in The World Games 2022, a multi-sport, Olympic-style event that is a separate entity from the world championships conducted by World Lacrosse, has recently been circulated on social media.

US Lacrosse has issued the following statement in support of the Iroquois Nationals on the matter:

US Lacrosse stands firmly in support of the Iroquois Nationals’ participation as a sovereign nation in international lacrosse competitions, including The World Games 2022.

The Iroquois Nationals and the Haudenosaunee people they represent are the very essence of lacrosse. As the originators of the game who continue to share the gift of lacrosse with the world, they deserve our collective admiration, respect, and steadfast support.

The Haudenosaunee have remained strong against the winds of oppression that have blown fiercely against them for centuries. Their inherent sovereignty has never been extinguished and, like other Native nations, they possess powers of self-government that remain strong today.

The Iroquois Nationals are a testament to, and embodiment of, such strength; their participation in international lacrosse competition is as well-deserved as it is plainly right and just. The exclusion of the Iroquois Nationals from international competition is not merely a loss for the Haudenosaunee; it is a loss for all nations, communities, and individuals who have embraced their game and helped to make lacrosse into what it is today.

US Lacrosse stands in solidarity with the Iroquois Nationals, we extend our hand in offering to assist them and international governing bodies of sport to forge pathways that enable their inclusion, and we encourage the global lacrosse community to come together in support of our Haudenosaunee allies.