by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
“My values set a positive example for the younger ones coming behind me,” said Anahalihs Doxtator. “I am a positive role model and live a healthy traditional lifestyle like our ancestors by participating in ceremonies and learning and singing the Creator’s song. The teachings of our people is to live how you’re supposed to be as a person according to our traditional teachings and that means to be respectful and caring.”
Anahalihs Doxtator, 16, is Oneida and a member of the Turtle clan. He said: “My Onkwehuwe name means, ‘Shaking the vines’. My Oneida name was given to me by my ‘Laksoht’ (Grandfather in the Oneida language) Sim Elijah. I live on the Oneida Settlement in Ontario with my sister, Tekaluhyuni and Aknulha, and that means ‘my mother’ in the Oneida language. Her name is Yakowin Chrisjohn.”
“Throughout my athletic career, I played eight years of hockey, and five of those were AAA with Elgin Middlesex Chiefs,” said Anahalihs. “My minor lacrosse career was with the London Blue Devils Rep Teams from Tyke age 6 to Junior B at age 16 taking the Midget team to the Final Six in Ontario. During my lacrosse career, I played with Team First Nations from Peewee to Midget winning bronze medals in my two final seasons and won a gold medal, B Division, at Calgary, Alberta in 2018. My final year as a minor Midget, I was named captain and we finished with Bronze in Coquitlam, BC, 2019 as well. I played two years with the Rochester Jr. Knighthawks, coming in first place both years. In 2018, I played lacrosse for Team Ontario at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) held in Six Nations, and won the gold medal. I also participated in the Dick’s Tournament of Championships in field lacrosse in Florida for three years from ages 9 to 12. I finished off my minor career being drafted by St. Catherines Junior A.”
“The person who supported me the most is my Pops (Grandfather) Sim Elijah,” said Anahalihs. “He supported me in every way I can think of, especially with my game. He really taught me a lot about the fundamentals and taught me the skills to be a team player. This improved my game and made me a better player. He pushed me to work harder and to learn that you have to put the work in to see good results.”
“Having a clear mind is one of the most important things before I play, meaning not using mind changers,” said Anahalihs. “Having a good mind will have a big effect on how I play. When you play the medicine game, you’re supposed to give it everything you got for the people and most importantly for the Creator.”
“My Pops would play catch with me in the front yard and provided me all the equipment needed to develop my skills including nets, balls, sticks, and a freshly mowed lawn. He helped me to learn about proper and safe equipment and bought me a lot over the years. He drove me to practices and games and he shared his knowledge with me about his experiences as a lacrosse player and coach. He was always there to help with my fundraising for tournaments,” added Anahalihs.
“Anahalihs always showed interest in our ceremonies,” said grandfather Sim Elijah. “He has learned a lot during his young life and a lot on his own. He always made sure he’s ready to take part in any way he can with the medicines and the Creator song. He always had been a responsible and respectful young man to the elders and he takes pride when talking about and being a part of his grandma Grace’s life. She had a big influence early in his life.”
“Anahalihs took to the game of lacrosse very young. He always had his stick with him night and day. He would see guys make moves and tried mimicking every move they would make. As a young man he is willing to share all the gifts that the Creator gave to him with the younger lacrosse players that look up to him. As a lacrosse player he always shared the ball and looked for the open man. As his grandfather, I’m very proud of his accomplishments and the proud young man he has turned into,” added Sim.
“John Doxtator, Minor lacrosse coach with the London Blue Devils, was an awesome coach who pushed me because he knew I could do better and was always sharing his knowledge with me,” said Anahalihs. “He always knew me as a player and put me in the right situations at the right time. Away from the arena, John also took the time to teach me life lessons and always looked over me like an uncle.”
“I have had the pleasure of coaching Anahalihs since he has been five years old,” said John Doxtator, London Blue Devils Minor lacrosse coach. “From London Minor to the national levels his passion for the game of lacrosse is extremely intense. His traditional aspect of the game is also greatly tied to the young man he is becoming. He has a lot of little boys looking up to him from Oneida.”
“On the floor you will be able to pick him apart from the rest. His vision and intensity on the floor is unmatched. His IQ for the game of lacrosse is through the roof. Every time the ball is in his stick you have this sense that something special is about to happen. One of our highest achievements was qualifying for the Ontario Summer Games and being one of the top six teams in the province. He was a huge part of our success,” added John.
“Ron Elijah, field lacrosse coach, always pushed me no matter what and believed in me to do things that I thought I couldn’t do,” said Anahalihs. “Ron gave me the opportunities to play at a higher level which made my game better and helped me to become a better player and more confident.”
“My training plan is to continue to work on specific areas that will help in real game situations,” said Anahalihs. “This includes working out with weight training, jogging, and practice shooting for accuracy and high velocity.”
“I learned to always try to make your teammates better around you and I’m always looking to help the team with game plays,” said Anahalihs. “I could improve by asking questions and sharing my knowledge.”
“I learned that lacrosse is a medicine game that was given from the Creator and to always play with respect,” said Anahalihs. “Wherever I travel, I take my wooden lacrosse stick and that makes me feel protected. I belong to the medicine game society that has brought me healing.”
“When I get stressed, I sit on the bench and take a minute to breath and just know that there will always be another chance and another game,” said Anahalihs. “Just as long as I’m playing the game, it keeps me happy. I know that every game is different and doesn’t always go the way you want it to and I can accept that.”
“A story I’d like to share with people is about how I came back from a car accident in 2016 and what I had to do to get back to the same playing level where I was before the accident,” said Anahalihs.
“Back in 2016 he was a passenger in a bad car accident,” said Grandpa Sim Elijah. “It was very devastating to us. They rolled over and hit a hydro pole and he sustained a brain injury. He was in a coma for a month. Anahalihs had to learn to walk, talk, run, throw and catch the ball again and learn to skate as well. He worked very hard every day for a year and a half and they finally let him practice with the team no contact. They told us he might not be able to play any sports again. It was the last thing I wanted to hear. I cried every day while he was under, then he opened his eyes and looked in my eyes and smiled, it was a hard time. The doctor said it’s a miracle he’s with us.”
“I look at it this way. The Creator has a bigger plan for him,” said Grandpa Sim. “He got through it. It’s been four years and he’s doing awesome. Still working hard to follow the dream of representing the Oneida Nation and for the Iroquois Nationals. A little boy’s dream is getting brighter.”
“Right from the time of his birth, it was seen and known that he was going to be an exceptional boy right from the start,” said uncle Bob Brown. “That being said, it was becoming apparent during the first time he was introduced to the name that he was going to be entrusted with. During the naming ceremony, his eyes lit up, and he was very attentive hearing the words spoken of him when he received his name. Then again once the song was sung for him, as in the ceremony of naming, his name was elevated for all creation to see and hear.”
“As he began to grow, step by step, he was introduced to songs of our ceremonies, in which he was a quick study. Next was the time he was introduced to his first lacrosse stick, or tewa’?a:latu ka:nhi’ in the Oneida language. From there he started to hone in his skills, and learning the knowledge of the game from his Laksho’t, Sim Elijah, and his dad Luke. Working with him daily became a passion for the two of them,” added Bob.
“As he entered into playing on teams in an arena setting, there is when he began excelling and becoming one with the game,” said Bob. “He always was respectful of the game and other players and opponents of the game. Now this was during the spring and summer months, and during the fall and winter months he played hockey, and he also honed his skills playing. Again his Laksho’t and dad helped him through the various ranks of playing. Again a passion was born into playing hockey as well.”
“Then suddenly there was an abrupt stop,” said Bob. “During one summer he and some of his cousins were out riding around, and his older cousin was driving. He had lost control of the vehicle, and they slid into the ditch, and this is when Anahalihs sustained injuries from the accident. However it was, he sustained most of the injuries in this accident, to which he ended up in the hospital for a duration of time.”
“He would begin rehabbing to even walk again. At first it wasn’t clear if ever he was to play the sports again, he was passionate in. He was given encouragement from many people, family members, as well as other players in the sports. From there he made up his mind that he was going to once again be at the top of his game and sportsmanship. He was determined each day building his strength throughout his whole being, even strengthening his spirituality as well. With the combinations of all these that he had to plug into, it wasn’t long before he was back out there playing the sports that he loved, and once again reaching his goals.”
“Each of us are given a path in which we travel along in life, our trials and tribulations, the good and bad,” said Bob. “We learn for ourselves, and for each other, the understanding is. When we are placed here on earth, we are packed with instructions, including who is going to be our family, friends, and acquaintances. Along with the various feats that will test us, is what he learned from.”
“Anahalihs has proven to be the young man who has shown us all, of how with determination and will to succeed, we can accomplish anything, proving we make that step to do so,” said Bob.
“It was couple weeks after the accident I was told I wasn’t able to return back to the lacrosse season,” said Anahalihs. “I was really upset and didn’t really like it when I was told that. I didn’t return back to playing lacrosse until two years after the accident happened. I basically had to relearn how to walk, I was weak and scared that I wasn’t gonna have the skill I had before the accident. I had to do physical therapy for a long time to get my strength back. I began to work out with my own trainer five months after the accident then just been hitting the gym ever since. Even tho’ I wasn’t able to play the game that didn’t stop me from keeping my stick in my hand. I was outside almost every day working on my game and to be better than I was. I would always have friends or cousins over throwing the ball around with me or just having a little backyard game, just being around the game brought good medicine to me. I then made my return back to the game and felt better than ever. I still work to be better, faster and stronger to play at the highest level of lacrosse.”
“I met Anahalihs at a Right to Play Lacrosse for Development Program at the Oneida territory,” said Dan Dawson, current player for the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). “He must have been eight or nine years old at the time. Our love for lacrosse has kept us in touch over the years and it has been a pleasure to watch him grow up into a great young man.”
“I remember the call I received from Grandpa Sim about Lihs being involved in a car accident and he will be in the hospital for a couple of weeks if not months. I was playing for Rochester at the time and made my way up to the hospital with a Knighthawks jersey and swag to help Lihs through this tragic event,” added Dan.
“Little did I know I would be the one gaining the strength from him. Watching him rehab and fight to get back to playing hockey and lacrosse inspired me to push myself playing the game we both love. I never once heard him complain and he always told me he is making progress. I am so proud of Lihs for being the fighter he is. I know one day I will be brining my sons to watch him play in the NLL.”
“I first seen Anahalihs Doxtator through our ceremonies at longhouse every other year for gaiwiyoh,” said Jeremy J. Thompson, GaaGwagyehe’, current player for the NLL’s Saskatchewan Rush. “This is our preaching of the ‘good mind’ during the fall time that alternates from community to community every year. He was about six or seven years old when I first seen him at longhouse, and he was a little young boy with a braid and I could tell he took such pride in our customs and values of our culture with helping out wherever he could.”
“I would have to say he was about 11 or 12 years old and I thought it was the coolest thing I got to see him do besides seeing him play lacrosse, was to sing the great feather dance songs. Oh man, did this ever give me a special feeling inside to see and know that our future was gonna be bright with young singers. I think it was around the same time where I first officially met him and his father at a Buffalo Bandits game and our friendship continued from there. I believe I gave his dad my number or one of his family members my number just to keep in touch as he grew into his lacrosse journey. I think that was enough to know that I thought he was a special kid and I think that helped him along his journey in life and lacrosse,” added Jeremy.
“I believe it was his mother that had reached out at the time of his car accident and had mentioned that he was in critical condition and they weren’t sure which direction his condition was gonna go in,” said Jeremy. “There were no second thoughts, I was there and went seen him at the hospital. A few days or so had passed by one of his folks reached out and said he’s starting to make movements because he wasn’t really before. So right then and there I knew I did the right thing and I knew the Creator had something to do with our connection and friendship.”
“I watched him battle out of this and continue to strive for greatness in his life and showing relentlessness to want to continue on his lacrosse goals,” said Jeremy Thompson.
Photo Credit: Anahalihs Doxtator
