by By Dan Ninham
Shaydi Falcon, 16, is from Belcourt, ND. “My Indian name is Niimi Memengwaa and it means Dancing Butterfly. She will be a junior next school year at St. Louis Park HS in Minnesota.
“I’m part of the Ojibwe tribe,” said Shaydi. “I’m enrolled with Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and my dad is from Red Cliff and is bear clan.”
“I play for three teams including girls’ field lacrosse at St Louis Park HS, box lacrosse for True Lacrosse and I played both girls’ field and boys’ field for Twin Cities Native Lacrosse,” said Shaydi.
Shaydi won the JV Defender of the Year award for her first high school season in 2021.
Her other accomplishments include playing boys lacrosse and learning how to play the traditional game.
Tribal core values define who student athletes are on and off the field. Shaydi said players need to learn how to respect the game and the people around them.
“Respect is a huge part of our culture and I was taught to be respectful to everyone,” said Shaydi. “You have to respect the game in the sense that you have good sportsmanship when playing rather than getting angry or frustrated.”
Shaydi added players need to understand that you don’t play the game for yourself or your teammates, and they play for the creator and the earth. Being respectful to the game is making sure you’re playing by the rules.
Shaydi is going places with lacrosse. She has been places and she is continuing to go on her journey. She has goals and will make new goals when she surpasses them.
“I want to be playing women’s field lacrosse for college,” said Shaydi. “I want to keep playing traditional as long as I can too. If it’s possible I’d like play girls or box even past college. That would be a major accomplishment for me, and it’s a major aspiration too.”
Shaydi’s dad, Dustin Ojibway, first taught her how to play traditional lacrosse. Her love for the game came quick.
Although she is currently playing girls’ box lacrosse for the True Lacrosse club, Shaydi’s dad Dustin Ojibway said: “Playing a season of boys’ lacrosse is what made her play her favorite form of lacrosse which is box lacrosse. She enjoys the fact that there are not as many rules vs. girls’ lacrosse and she is able to make contact without being called for a penalty. She says it is her favorite form of modern lacrosse.”
Shortly after, John Hunter talked to Dustin about Shaydi joining Twin Cities Native Lacrosse (TCNL). Hunter and Veronica Nash became her coaches and they taught me how to play girls lacrosse. She aspired to be able to play like Veronica and her friend Nina Polk.
“I really looked up to them in playing style,” said Shaydi. “Nina plays attack and being able to stop her or even keeping up with her made me want to get better and keep improving.”
“Veronica was always showing me new moves and giving me tips on how to improve,” said Shaydi. “Her playing style always made me want to be able to play like her.”
In late 2019 Shaydi started playing boys field for TCNL because the boys’ coaches Shane Thompson and Nick DeShaw encouraged her. “I’m glad that I did play with them even though it was only a one season thin,” said Shaydi.
“Shaydi is one of the most fierce players I have ever coached,” said Nicholas DeShaw, Twin Cities Native Lacrosse coach. “She never backs down in any situation and always goes as hard as she can.”
“She’s a very dynamic player. She really has emerged as a defensive player but she has proven very capable on offense as well and even as a goalie so much so that some varsity programs have reached out to recruit her to play goalie,” added DeShaw.
Shaydi knows where she started playing lacrosse and where she is now. Her start was with the traditional game of her ancestors.
“I started playing the medicine game as a ceremony and I keep that as a thought while playing modern lacrosse,” said Shaydi.
Photo Credit: Dustin Ojibway
