by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Tyren Boots is a 5-10, 180 lb. hockey forward and lacrosse midfielder. He attends and competes for Marian University in Fond du Lac, WI. He is a double major in criminal justice and psychology.
Tyren is Mohawk from Akwesasne, ON. His mother is Cheryl Boots-Swamp, Mohawk of Akwesasne, and father is Casey Swamp, Mohawk of Akwesasne. Both live in the Mohawk territory of Akwesasne.
Tyren Boots is on loan at Marian University. He is 1500 miles away from home in Akwesasne, ON, among the Mohawk people. Indigenous tradition states that someone is considered being on loan to another area when they attend school, go to work, or go for any other reason. There will be a time when the elders of the community will call the person to come back home. That time period may take a few weeks or months to more than a few decades.
“I feel homesick from time to time yeah but it’s nothing I get too overwhelmed on!” said Tyren. “I’ve been away from home for the last three to four years of my life and at this point my happiness and success is in my hands and there’s no time to be sad about not being home. My grandfather taught me that home will always be there no matter where you go in life, home will always be home. I’m fortunate to have such great family members in my life that I strongly believe that and I take advantage of my opportunities of being free to make what I want of life.”
“I know when it’s my time to come back it will not only benefit myself but it’ll benefit everyone around me and hopefully make our community better overall! Not many young people from our territory get the chance to let sports move them away and experience different things. When it’s my time to come back home, I’ll do my best to spread wisdom and stories to help others achieve their goals and help them get further than I ever have.
I grew up going to all ceremonies at longhouse but being an athlete really makes it hard to attend all the ceremonies. I miss being in kanon:sesne and hearing my elder speak. I wish I was fluent but I know small conversational words to get by… I can introduce myself and ask for whatever I need in the moment. Not nearly as knowledgeable as I wish to be,” added Tyren.
Tyren is among relatives with the Oneida Nation about 75 miles north but there are also several Oneida’s on the Marian University lacrosse team. The Mohawk and Oneida are among the Iroquois Confederacy: Seneca, Cayuga, Tuscarora, Oneida, Onondaga, and Mohawk.
“The way many of young men and women of my community are brought up are to be positive role modes for the younger ones who are always watching and learning from us,” said Tyren. “I play to the best of my ability because I’m not only representing myself, I’m representing my family and where I come from. I play for the ones who cannot play any longer as well as the ones who are just starting.”
“My first and biggest influencer would have to be my late, great great uncle Sonny (Philip Boots),” said Tyren. “Growing up my uncle taught me many things and always seen the good in my journey. He was the most supporting person I had in my life. My uncle shown me no matter how stressful life or the game can get, it’s easy to sit back and be grateful for how amazing the journey I am truly is. This man was absolutely the happiest person I’ve ever known. No matter what was going on, he’d always be able to put a smile on my face and make me more thankful for everything I have.”
“I am forever in my grandfather Kevin Boots debt for how much he’s done for me throughout the years,” said Tyren. “He has taught me so much for the game of hockey. He taught me that no matter what, I don’t back down. They may be bigger and stronger but it’s not about what you can show on the outside but what you have within you. No matter who I’m playing against or what happens during the game, I always play hard and make sure I play the in your face style that’ll make any opponent angry but I’ll also put points up on the board. Physicality is a huge part of my game and always working hard, my grandfather is the one who engrained that mentality into my head.”
“My uncle Philip Boots, son of my grandfather Kevin Boots, was one of my biggest idols growing up as he was my favorite hockey player,” said Tyren. “I remember watching him while growing up and always spending time with him. I see him as my big brother in that he’s taught me so much about life, education, career paths, and of course sports. My uncle will put me in place if he sees me slacking because my grandfather did the same to him his whole life. Having these people in my life allows me to stay on a positive path and be thankful for family.”
Uncle Phillip Boots addressed the leadership qualities of his nephew: “Having been privileged to be in his life since the day he was born, I can attest to the wonderful young man he’s become. Tyren, for the better part of his life, has been involved in sports since a very young age. My father Kevin Boots had a significant influence in his sports, as he was relentless in driving him to many hockey and lacrosse games throughout this childhood. Luckily for Tyren, my father instilled great leadership qualities through the long rides to the sporting events. At times I’m sure were quite boring for a young boy too. Nonetheless it proved to be quite the blessing. Those trips also encompassed college visits to Morrisville State College where my older brother Nathan Boots played college hockey, Utica College where I played college hockey, and to Ohio State and Oswego State where our cousin Ian Boots played college hockey. Tyren’s goals from that point on to attend college or university would expose the leadership skills he has today through his dedication to community service and his choice of job placements. Being a leader in the community through community service events such as working for the Iakwa’shatste Youth Fitness group, and working for the Akwesasne Child and Family Services children’s summer camps, Tyren has fulfilled a necessary position in the community as a role model for the youth. The lasting effect on me as his uncle was, while he was teaching them life long lessons of leadership, respectfulness and friendship, he never realized he had such an impact on the children he was working with. As they say, ‘work is not work if you love what your doing’.”
“Those are traits of a leader, which I’m proud to witness in my nephew Tyren Boots,” added Uncle Phillip.
The journey continues for a young Mohawk man who began playing hockey at a young age and is playing university hockey and lacrosse. “It’s been quite the journey that’s for sure,” said Tyren. “I started playing hockey at the age of 3 or 4 with the North Franklin Minor Hockey Association and then continued on to the Akwesasne Minor Hockey Association. I would make the jump to playing A, AA, AAA minor hockey throughout the years with the Seaway Valley Rapids and the Casselman Pirates. I played four years of high school at Salmon River where I was recognized by the coaches around the league and awarded with Second Team All-Northern.”
Tyren addressed his early days of Junior hockey: “While playing high school hockey, during my senior year I was also playing Junior B hockey for the Akwesasne Wolves. In April of that same year (2015) I was fortunate enough to play for team Eastern Door and the North, in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was recruited to play for the Opaskwayak Cree Nation Blizzard in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL). After a short stint there I came back home to play for the Char-lan Rebels Jr. B hockey club for the remainder of that season. After that season I was able to make the jump up and play with the Gloucester Rangers Jr. A of the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL). I returned to Char-lan to finish off the season. After recovering from a knee injury, I decided to move back to the city of Ottawa and continue with schooling. I attended Algonquin College for 2 years, while I played out my junior career in the city.”
“With a solid final year of junior hockey playing with the Ottawa West Golden Knights, I was approached by Chris Fredrickson of Marian University where I am currently playing for the ACHA Division II men’s hockey team,” said Tyren. “Last season I had the best year of hockey as I had a successful season personally but more importantly we made it to the National tournament in Frisco, Texas. I’m in my second year here at Marian and I’m hoping for another successful season! Another crack at a national championship is definitely a huge need. I also met coach Bob Leary who coaches the Men’s Lacrosse team here at Marian. Coach Leary called me into his office and asked me if I’d be interested in playing lacrosse while I’m here … no chance I was going to pass up the opportunity! So after hockey season was over I jumped right into lacrosse, which is just as important to me as hockey. I’ve always been a better hockey player than I was a lacrosse player but I sure do love the game. Going to school and getting a degree is surely terrific but also being able to play both of my favorite sports makes my time out here very exciting.”
“Tyren came on our team last year and made a difference right away for us as a freshman,” said Chris Frederickson, Marian University Head Hockey Coach. “His gritty and ‘pesty’ attitude on the ice makes for an interesting style of hockey that we love.”
“Tyren always wanted to play hockey, every minute,” said Tim Cook, high school hockey coach. “As a senior, I found him to be a strong leader who let his play do a lot of the talking. Tyren was good at both ends of the ice. He also was beginning to speak up in the room to his teammates. He’s stuck with the game since I last had him in 2014-15. He has risen through the Jr. B ranks to where he is today. That continued dedication to the game and now his education shows me his strong character. He was a favorite of mine. Always had a great smile.”
Marian University Head Lacrosse Coach Bob Leary said: “When I first arrived at Marian, I was looking over our hockey rosters and I noticed they had a player from Akwesasne, Tyren Boots. I did a quick search and discovered Tyren had played juniors on the Akwesasne Indians. He played alongside some guys who had helped us win the 2018 National Championship at Onondaga Community College, so I knew he was a quality player before I even met him! What I didn’t realize was what a critical role he would play in improving the social awareness of the Iroquois at Marian.”
“There was a speaker on Indigenous People’s Day, an Ojibwe elder,” said Coach Bob. “At the conclusion of the program, Tyren approached Tracy Abler, a leader at Marian, and enlightened her about the Iroquois being a sovereign nation with it’s own passport.
As a result of his actions, the Hiawatha Belt now hangs in recognition of the Iroquois Confederacy in our library among flags representing other nations from which students have travelled from to study at Marian. It was a proud moment indeed when Tyren got to pull the rope to unveil the flag, with invited guests from Oneida in attendance.”
“Tyren on the field or the ice is the kind of player you want on your team and don’t want to see on an opponent’s roster,” said Coach Bob. “He is the kind of guy that will go into the corners for the ball and he plays physical defense. He isn’t the biggest player in the field but he will find the other teams biggest guy and challenge them all game. He can contribute on offense but he is very unselfish so he will often go unnoticed until a big goal is needed. He scored one of our biggest goals last season: The game winner in a crucial matchup with Northwestern St. Paul.”
“I first met Tyren on Indigenous People’s Day in 2018, when he attended a program I organized,” said Tracy Alber, Marian University Co-Advisor of the Indigenous Student Council. “He had transferred to Marian earlier that fall. I was immediately impressed with his passion in wanting to help educate others about his sovereign nation and it was because of him that our university proudly hung the first indigenous flag for the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy in our library. The celebration was lead by our University President, Dr. Andrew Manion, and guests included prominent members of the Oneida Nation. Since then, flags honoring other students have been hung to include Lakota Souix and Ojibwe. Tyren continues to be active on campus and is the Vice-President for our Indigenous Student Council. I value his contributions. He is a dedicated student and athlete with strong ambitions, and is an excellent role model to others.”
“I’ve played on some great teams that have fallen just short of a great success story,” said Tyren. “I’m hoping in my time at Marian University, we can win a national title as we learn from our experience at the tournament last year and move forward. Stay tuned…”
