Lacrosse: The Powerhouse of Life (2019)

This art piece is a “story stick” speaking to science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education and Indigenous Ways of Knowing. Fashioned with mitochondria (powerhouse of the cell) and woven with a 3-dimensional raw-hide representation of the nuclear DNA helix-strand—the stick is representative of how the strength of lacrosse remains an integral genetic fabric of Haudenosaunee life ways. This collaborative community piece was co-created by traditional wooden stick maker, Dr. Rodney C. Haring (Seneca, Beaver Clan), world-renown artist Carson Waterman (Seneca, Snipe Clan), and weaver Brody D. Jimerson (Seneca, Wolf Clan). The ancient Indigenous artistry of steam-bending, woodcarving, and weaving of ancestral lacrosse sticks is a cultural form of resistance and resilience. These works share Indigenous Knowledge in lacrosse teachings as medicine, art, and community wellness.