Author: Nicholas DeShaw

Nicholas DeShaw (Bois Forte Ojibwe) is a physical education teacher and lacrosse coach residing in St. Paul, Minnesota. He primarily coaches with Twin Cities Native Lacrosse and enjoys playing Great Lakes Indigenous lacrosse as often as possible. He hopes to bring wider awareness of Indigenous culture in lacrosse.

Nina Polk, the TikToker Featured on the PLL Instagram, Wants to Make a Lasting Impact

Nina Polk

Nina Polk is on fire! Polk (Sičangu Lakota/ Diné (Navajo)/ San Carlos Apache/ Quechan) has taken social media by storm with her viral TikToks showcasing techniques, equipment, and teachings connected to traditional Great Lakes Lacrosse. The social media star has become something of a household name lately among many young lacrosse players and has been […]

Isaiah Kicknosway Is the Man Behind the Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin

Isaiah Kicknosway is behind the Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin, the lax organization that represents Anishinaabe communities internationally.

There would be no Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin without Isaiah Kicknosway. The next World Junior Lacrosse Championship (WJLC) will be a historic tournament. There are eight teams representing eight different nations, but for the first time, two of those nations are Indigenous.  The Anishinaabe Baagaadowewin (Ah-nish-ih-nah-bay Bah-gah-ah-dow-way-win, which means Anishinaabe Lacrosse) will represent one of the largest […]

How David ‘Bezh’ Butler Became a Figure in Great Lakes Lacrosse

David 'Bezh' Butler has become a household name in Great Lakes lacrosse for his stick making after taking up the sport a decade ago.

David Bezhigaabaw Butler (Bezh) is one of the best Ojibwe stick makers out there. His ability to create a quality stick is widely known, and he has become one of the go-to stick makers of Great Lakes style lacrosse. Great Lakes lacrosse has seen a renaissance over the last decade. The game had gone largely […]

Randall Blackdeer Is Bringing Back an Ancient Lacrosse Tradition

Randall Nąątisak Blackdeer of the Ho Chunk Nation is bringing back an ancient lacrosse tradition by making Great Lakes style sticks.

Randall Nąątisak Blackdeer helped reintroduce an age-old custom to his community. In a way many people don’t realize, 2014 was a momentous year for lacrosse. Beyond the Final Four, Miles Thompson going pro, and the World Lacrosse Championship, it was the year that many Native Americans in the Midwest began to revive the art of […]