Cody Jamieson, a professional lacrosse player from Six Nations of the Grand River, says it would be a huge achievement and an honour to represent the Haudenosaunee people at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Jamieson poses for a portrait at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena, in Hagersville, Ont., Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio
Canada’s sport minister says she hopes to see the Haudenosaunee Nationals compete in lacrosse under their own flag at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Carla Qualtrough issued the statement hours after U.S. President Joe Biden announced a similar stance.
Biden formally requested the International Olympic Committee allow the Haudenosaunee Nationals to compete as its own team at the Los Angeles Games as the White House Tribal Nations Summit.
That would require the IOC to make an exception to a rule that permits teams playing only as part of an official national Olympic committee to compete in the Olympics.
The Haudenosaunee are a collection of six nations whose territory covers parts of Ontario, Quebec, and upstate New York.
Formerly known as the Iroquois Nationals, they have competed as their own team at international lacrosse events since 1990.
The current world rankings have the Haudenosaunee men in third, behind the U.S. and Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 6, 2023.
