When invitations went out to men's lacrosse teams to compete in the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Ala., there was a big omission. The No. 3 Iroquois Nationals, a team that represents the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, wasn't on the list.
Organizers said the Nationals could not compete because they are not a sovereign nation — even though players have their own passports.
The Haudenosaunee are actually the originators of lacrosse, what they call the "medicine game."
A petition calling for the Nationals inclusion got more than 50,000 signatures.
Enter: Ireland. Its team was set to play in 2022.
"None of us would be going to Birmingham, Alabama in the first place if it wasn't for the Iroquois and giving us the gift of their medicine game," Sonny Campbell, a player for Ireland Lacrosse, tells Morning Edition.
He says the Irish team wanted to do more than make a statement.
So earlier this month they dropped out of the tournament, allowing the Nationals to take their spot.
To read more of Bo Hamby's article, please click here.
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