Index European InfluenceExpansion of the GameThe Canadian GameConclusionThe game of lacrosse we know today is far from what it was in its origins in early North American society. Some of the earliest forms of what we know as lacrosse were called baggataway or tewaarathon. According to Morrow (1989), there were approximately 40 variations of lacrosse participated in by First Nations tribes in North America. From the Aboriginal perspective, baggataway served many purposes but was often a ritual affair. These principles ranged from medicinal purposes, or healing power, to games that helped prepare men for combat (Morrow, 1989). It has been reported that "historians have identified lacrosse as the most important Aboriginal game", due to the multitude of purposes it served the indigenous community. Bagattaway allowed for the promotion of respect between neighboring tribes, facilitated lifelong religious meaning, provided healing power, and ultimately allowed First Nations to honor the creator (Morrow & Wamsley, 2005). Towards the end of the 18th century, lacrosse began to shift from being about religion and customs to sporting competition, or competition, becoming a crucial factor. (Tomorrow, 1989). The purpose of this article is to examine the history and evolution of lacrosse in early Canadian history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay European Influence One of the earliest and perhaps most infamous accounts of lacrosse involving Europeans and First Nations dates back to June 1763, King George's birthday (Morrow, 1989). Two First Nations tribes used the holiday to invite British soldiers to Fort Michilimackinac to watch the bagattaway game. However, what began as a fun game quickly took a turn for the worse in the eyes of the men of the garrison. During the game, however, the indigenous players dropped their sticks, picked up hidden weapons, and massacred the British soldiers (Morrow, 1989). This likely played a considerable role in why Europeans did not participate in lacrosse with the First Nation for nearly a century thereafter. 80 years after the Fort Michilimackinac incident, as early as 1844, contests between European settlers and indigenous populations were recorded (Poulter, 2003). The initial competition was heavily dominated by the First Nations as it took the "whites" until 1851 to win their first lacrosse game. At the time lacrosse was still in its primitive stages and the rules, or lack thereof, were indicative of that. Dr. George Beers, perhaps the most influential figure in the expansion of lacrosse, noted that the style of play was a combination of sport and mortal combat (Beers, 1869). Beers wanted to adapt the game to Canadians by “appropriating and then transforming the Mohawk ball game into a rational sport” (Fisher, 2002, p. 26). Until the 1860s, lacrosse did not have a standardized set of rules to follow, but were agreed upon by the people playing before games. Since there were only three white clubs in Montreal, having standardized rules wasn't that important. In fact, at the beginning of the game the game was played more for the social aspect than the competitive one. Finally, in September 1860, a Montreal newspaper published the first lacrosse rules which consisted of 8 rules of play. The rules were created by the Montreal Lacrosse Club, the first lacrosse club in Canada, founded in 1856 (Morrow, 1992). Although the inaugural rules were somewhat ambiguous and nonspecific, they marked the beginning of what Morrow (1989) called the “embryonic stage of lacrosse development” (p. 48). Little by littlethat Europeans adapted the game to their liking, the original wild aspects of lacrosse were curbed by rules and regulations. However, further changes to the game would follow: in 1867, George Beers' "Laws of Lacrosse" were published. Consisting of 17 rules, Beers' Laws allowed for consistency throughout the sport and built the foundation that allowed lacrosse to thrive (Morrow, 1989). Beers noted that the new game allowed for maximum consolidation between physical and mental activity (Beers, 1869). He referred to the new game as “a beautiful Canadian girl” and the original game as an “uncultured squaw” (Beers, 1869, p. 33), a derogatory term used to describe First Nations women. The adoption of the rules along with the stick changes that emerged as the game gained popularity, shifted the focus from the native running mentality to a passing game that utilized cooperation and positional strategies between teammates. Expanding the Game Now that lacrosse had a standardized set of rules, all that was missing was a competitive platform to showcase talent. In 1867, the year Canada became a country of its own, the National Lacrosse Association (NLA) was formed. The conception of the NLA gave Canada its first governing body for the sport and following the formation of the NLA, lacrosse in Canada began to thrive. Within a year of its inception, the number of teams in Canada skyrocketed from eight to 80 (Morrow, 1992). Due to the multitude of teams, sports competitions required much more organization. A challenge system was adopted and representatives from various clubs interacted to create programs. Three tours of Great Britain between 1867 and 1883 are believed to be "the strongest unifying factors in the spread and acceptance of lacrosse" as they allowed the game to be "exported". as a showcase activity and as a symbol of Canada”. In 1867 Captain W. B. Johnson toured England with a team of Caughnawagas to demonstrate lacrosse, however, Johnson's motives were based on profit and did little to grow the game. On the other hand, Beers “viewed the promotion of lacrosse as a personal crusade, a means of promoting national unity in the era of the Confederacy” (Consentino, 1998, p. 15). Beers' intentions were for Canadians to see lacrosse the same way the British saw cricket, "a bond of loyalty to their home". In 1876 Beers organized a tour of the British Isles with a white team from Montreal and a First Nations team, Beers hoped the trip would be a Canadian image builder. The trip was very successful as it fostered the enthusiasm and development of lacrosse in Great Britain. During the tour a private game was held for Queen Victoria, which signified the legitimization of lacrosse as a sport as it was presented for the most important person in the country (Morrow, 1989). The uniforms worn by the White team on the tour were extremely significant as they marked the first instance in which a maple leaf crest was used as a symbolic element in tandem with Canadian identity (Morrow, 1989). When Beers returned for another tour in 1883, lacrosse in Britain had already begun to flourish. Before the first tour in 1876 there were only two lacrosse teams in Britain, when Beers returned for a second tour there were around 150 teams. The teams received financial funding from the government, and it became clear that the tour was propaganda to increase immigration to Canada, with lacrosse as the delivery system. The image that was painted to the British population was "that of a young and enterprising nation carrying on the sporting tradition. 927).