I have a different perspective on lacrosse than some of the people here at IMG. Last year, we had a few Native Americans here — Chase Scanlan, Devin Buckshot, Dan Burnam. This year, it’s kind of different, and you can see it. I have to get back to my roots whenever I play here and keep it in perspective.
My coach and I — Mark Burnam, who is a Native American — we talked about the kids that have a different upbringing. You really notice it. These kids play to get recruited. It’s a one-man thing. For me, being Native, we learned about the roots of the game. It’s a family. You have your brother beside you. My team is a family, but you can see in certain instances that it’s not there. It’s harder to connect.
I wish there were one or two more Native players here to help each other. I’m definitely welcome. IMG has had a lot of Native American players and it has always been good in their favor, so I just want to continue that. I also have Mimi and Jacelyn Lazore here to help me. But on the field, I have to deal with it myself.
A lot of teams try to get under your skin by saying certain things. The first week I was here at IMG, we flew to Dallas. Tehoka Nanticoke texted me about the team saying, “Hey, try to keep your edge and just be ready for anything you hear.”
I knew it was coming. They called me a dirty redskin. “Cut your hair, you redskin!”
That’s how people get to me. It’s like a trigger. It gets under my skin really fast. Things like, “Hey, go back to your teepee, wagon burner!