The
Tewaaraton Trophy is an award given annually, since 2001, to the most outstanding American
college lacrosse player. It is the
lacrosse equivalent of
football's
Heisman Trophy. The trophy is presented by the
Greater Washington Sports Alliance and the University Club of Washington, D.C. One trophy is presented to the top men's player, and one trophy is presented to the top women's player each year. The 2010 Awards Ceremony was held at the
National Museum of the American Indian on June 3rd.
Lacrosse is one of the oldest team sports played in North America and the award honors the
Native American heritage of lacrosse in the name of its trophy, "Tewaaraton," the Mohawk name for their game and the progenitor of present day lacrosse. The Tewaaraton Trophy has received the endorsement of the
Mohawk Nation Council of Elders. Each year, the award recognizes one of the Six Nations of the
Iroquois Confederacy: the
Mohawk,
Cayuga,
Oneida,
Onondaga,
Seneca and
Tuscarora tribes. 2010 celebrates the "Year of the Seneca."
Trophy
The trophy is a bronze sculpture depicting a Mohawk native playing lacrosse. It was designed and created by Frederick Kail with the assistance of Thomas Vennum, Jr., a renowned Native American lacrosse historian and author, who consulted with Kail to ensure the trophy's historical authenticity. The 12-inch figure is mounted upon a hexagon-shaped slab of black granite and polished Cocobolo wood. The hexagonal base...
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