Seven players from the St. Catharines Athletics box lacrosse team have been informed they can’t participate due to residency rules, just days before the provincial championships kick off.
The U17 athletes, four of whom are part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and three who are non-Indigenous U. S. citizens, learned after securing a spot in the Final Six Championship that the Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) wouldn’t permit them to compete because they reside in the United States.
Dotgahdöh (Ezra) Nephew, a member of Seneca Nation of Indians located about 40 kilometers south of Buffalo, expressed how difficult it was to hear this news as he had been looking forward to the U17 Championship for quite some time.
“I kind of feel like that was stripped away from me this year,” he said.
“I felt like I kind of poured my heart out. This season is my last minor season.”
Dotgahdöh (Ezra) Nephew, hailing from the Seneca Nation of Indians near Irving, N. Y., has played with St. Catharines Athletics for around six years. (Submitted by Klint Nephew)
Dotgahdöh is one of the players from the Haudenosaunee Nation who doesn’t identify strictly as Canadian or American and has been part of St. Catharines Athletics for roughly six years.
He attends The Hill Academy in Caledon, Ont., and shared that there were countless late nights spent with his parents driving him back and forth between school, practices, games, and home.
While he’s still holding out hope for OLA to change its mind about their decision, he stated “It kind of feels like it was all for nothing.”
No matter what happens, he hopes his team “brings it home” during this championship.
Moreover, he noted that this decision fails to acknowledge the nationhood and deep-rooted connection Haudenosaunee players have with lacrosse. “When you talk about inclusion we’re nations,” he commented.The Creator’s game
Keyan Leading Fox hails from Tuscarora Reservation near Sanborn NY approximately 15 kilometers east Niagara Falls ; he’s played defense alongside teammates over two years.
“My teammates have been really let down,”he remarked.
Parents say residency requirement wasn’t communicated
Klint Nephew, his father and assistant coach for the team, has also been informed he can’t coach due to his U. S. address. He mentioned not recalling this issue coming up at the start of the season. “Why didn’t you tell us when we registered?” he asked. “Because at that point, we probably wouldn’t have played for the [Athletics] or in A Division.” He pointed out that many lacrosse players want to compete in Ontario because it’s known for being higher caliber and provides more competitive chances. Klint believes this year’s involvement by OLA with Ontario Summer Games in Kitchener scheduled for July 30-Aug. 2 may have influenced their decision. “If there was no [Ontario] Games, this would not be an issue,” he asserted. “We would be going up to Whitby to play at Lacrosse Festival and nobody would say anything about American players.” He added there are other players within their division coming from outside Ontario as well as Quebec and even parts of America.Moreover, he noted that this decision fails to acknowledge the nationhood and deep-rooted connection Haudenosaunee players have with lacrosse. “When you talk about inclusion we’re nations,” he commented.
