USA Lacrosse Magazine
by MATT DASILVA AND PAUL OHANIAN
Alfie Jacques, the legendary Onondaga Nation stickmaker who handcrafted more than 80,000 wooden lacrosse sticks during his lifetime, died Tuesday after a nearly decade-long bout with kidney cancer and other ailments. He was 74.
A Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Famer, Jacques played junior, senior and professional lacrosse in the 1960s and 1970s. He played nearly every position in box and field lacrosse and was a goalie for the Syracuse Stingers during their one season (1974) in the National Lacrosse League. Jacques also coached and served as general manager for the Onondaga Red Hawks, leading them to a Presidents Cup championship in 2010.
Earlier this month, Jacques was honored with the 15th Spirit of the Tewaaraton Award.
“Alfie Jacques is a national treasure of the Haudenosaunee,” said Chief Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan and the 2015 Spirit of Tewaaraton honoree. “His tireless dedication to his life’s work has earned him the recognition and respect he justly deserves.”
Jacques’ true legacy is that of a cultural icon who preserved centuries of lacrosse tradition in the workshop near his mother’s house at the Onondaga Nation, where for six decades he used an axe and a mallet to break apart the shagbark hickory trees he felled from nearby forests and a carving horse to sculpt them.
“I’m Onondaga, Turtle Clan, and I’m going to do this as long as I’m able to do this,” he said in a 2019 interview. “It’s such a part of who we are as a people. It is important, as it allows us to play the Medicine Game the way it should be, with all wooden sticks.”
Jacques’ shop became a destination for people from all walks of lacrosse who wanted to hear his stories and feel connected to the sport’s Native American roots. He took his craft on the road, conducting demonstrations at major lacrosse events like the USA Lacrosse Convention, where droves of coaches, officials and fans flocked to his booth for a glimpse at his work.