Haudenosaunee Nationals 'optimistic' about playing lacrosse at L.A. Olympics

The Haudenosaunee Nationals are still hopeful they can play lacrosse at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

An Indigenous people that live in Ontario, Quebec and New York, the Haudenosaunee invented lacrosse centuries before European settlers arrived in North America. In recognition of their role as creators of the game, the Haudenosaunee Nationals have competed separately from Canada and the United States in all international lacrosse competitions for decades.

"We're cautiously optimistic, but we've still got a big lift to do yet," said Leo Nolan, executive director of the Haudenosaunee Nationals, on playing at the Olympics. "We're working in that regard."

Men's lacrosse was contested at the 1904 and 1908 Olympics. Canada won gold both times and a team comprised entirely of Haudenosaunee athletes playing under the Canadian flag took bronze in 1904.

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Nolan said that his organization has been speaking with the International Olympic Committee for years about what needs to be done for the Haudenosaunee to compete as its own entity.

Olympic teams don't necessarily represent countries. Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, has competed at the Olympics since 1948. The IOC currently recognizes 206 national Olympic committees, 13 more than the member states of the United Nations.

"We certainly have provided a lot of information to the IOC," said Nolan. "We've been in pretty constant contact with them, and we're waiting for them to review all the documents. "If there's more that they need to make our case better known to them, we'll be all in."

The Haudenosaunee Nationals' women's team competes at the World Lacrosse