Mission

The Tewaaraton Foundation is a nonprofit organization tasked with fulfilling the mission of the Tewaaraton Award, which includes:

• Recognizing excellence in the sport of lacrosse by annually honoring the most outstanding men’s and women’s college players and legends of the game.
• Honoring the Native American heritage of the sport through the Awards name and by integrating Native American traditions and culture throughout the program.
• Giving back to the Native American community in a meaningful way through educational scholarships and youth development.

Policy Statement

The Tewaaraton Foundation honors the historical and contemporary contributions the Haudenosaunee* – which refers to the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora peoples – have made, and continue to make, to the game of lacrosse. The board of directors of the Tewaaraton Foundation believes every lacrosse player should be educated about the native roots of lacrosse and understand its spiritual and cultural significance. The Tewaaraton Foundation, therefore, opposes the use of offensive or stereotypical American Indian names, symbols, or imagery in the sport of lacrosse. We believe that lacrosse is made stronger when all players, coaches, and fans demonstrate the kind of respect deserving of what the Haudenosaunee call the Creator’s game.

*Haudenosaunee (pronounced hoe-dee-no-SHOW-nee) means “people who build a house” or “People of the Longhouse.” The name refers to an alliance of six American Indian nations – the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora – that is commonly known as the Iroquois Confederacy.