by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Neeji Singer, or traditionally “Sings in the Timber”, is a lacrosse player. He is the son of Lyndon Singer who lives in Minneapolis, and Carri Chapman of Lac Du Flambeau, WI.
“I’m Ojibwe, Cree, Apsaalooke (Crow) and Shoshone and an enrolled member of the Crow Tribe of Montana,” said Neeji.
“I was born in Milwaukee, but have grown up on the Lac Du Flambeau reservation in Northern Wisconsin,” said Neeji.
“My Indian name is Nagweyaash which means Calm Before the Storm,” said Neeji.
“My family taught me great values, and I have learned to play my sports with humility, never thinking or acting better than anyone else,” said Neeji. “Treating everyone with the same respect, and helping our younger kids learn how to play lacrosse is important to me.”
Neeji talked about his positive influences to where he is now: “My we’ehs Damon Gezhiibideg Panek and Sandy Gokee along with Joy Schelble and my mom are my positive influences. They have all been supportive of me, we have all played lacrosse together many times, and the stories they have shared. My mom will take time out of her busy schedule to play catch with me and has helped me connect with other lacrosse players. Last but not least, Lyle Thompson. He’s been my inspiration to play lacrosse ever since I saw the movie Crooked Arrows when I was a young kid. It’s really inspiring that a young man like him cane from the ‘rez’ to playing on the television now.”
“Neeji was about five or six years old when he picked up a lacrosse stick, and has never been without one since,” said mom Carrie Chapman. “Since we live in an area that doesn’t have any lacrosse teams nearby, I have just done my best to get him involved in playing with the Bad River youth, camps and clinics. He’s played games with Twin Cities Lacrosse, and has mentored other kids younger than himself to play, and Will Jeffery, a lacrosse player who has come to our youth center several times to teach LDF kids how to play”.
“He has very strong values and morals, and made the decision a long time ago to live life free of drugs or alcohol. His lacrosse heroes like the Thompson Brothers are very influential in him wanting to be a good role model for other Indigenous kids.
Despite the fact that he has never played on an actual team, it has not stopped him from pursuing his dream of playing lacrosse in college. He’s a junior at Lakeland Star Academy in Minocqua, and has had many lacrosse coaches reach out to him. We made a visit to Edgewood College in Madison recently and he loved it there. They are just starting their lacrosse program, and although they are a NCAA DIII school, Neeji remains focused on his academic ambitions along with his desire to play college level lacrosse. He intends to pursue a criminal justice degree so he can become a game warden, hopefully with Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) someday,” added Carrie.
“The coaches we met with were so impressed with him because he brought his traditional stick,” said Carrie. “He told them how he has grown up playing lacrosse running through the woods tossing the ball back and forth with me or his brothers. They had never seen a traditional Ojibwe style stick before in person – only in museums or pictures so it was a really cool moment for them.”
“I think Neeji always strives to do the best he can, even if that means he fails sometimes,” said Carrie. “He conducts himself in a way that he is always honoring our ancestors. Culture and language are very important to him and he will definitely be someone who will pass knowledge on to the younger generation. I’m very proud of his accomplishments, and determination. He will spend hours practicing alone with his net, and has his modern and traditional sticks lined up right next to his bed. Pretty much everyone associates Neeji with lacrosse!”
“Neeji picked up lacrosse when I taught clinics at the LDF youth center years ago,” said Will Jeffrey. “He stayed committed and now wants to train with me to be ready for a college prospect day next fall, and he is hoping to develop his skills to the point that he can play NCAA DIII lacrosse for a school in Madison after high school.”
“We plan to train at least once a week starting late spring. I’m a former collegiate and high school lacrosse coach who supports the Lac du Flambeau youth center in providing lacrosse programming for their community. My title right now is founder of Will Jeffery Wellness, lacrosse coach and high school teacher,” added Will.
“Neeji is a wonderful young person,” said family friend Joy Schelble. “He is a gentle leader in our pick up games in Bad River. I’ve observed him showing littler children some skills with the traditional sticks, which can be frustrating for little ones to learn. Neeji also leads by example. I’ve encouraged kids to watch him cradle and pass. He kicks up the intensity and competition when his younger brother is on the field though.”
“I take my studies seriously because I have goals to become a game warden/wildlife technician,” said Neeji. “Playing lacrosse on a college level is important to me but so is a future career. It’s also very important to me that the colleges I visit for playing lacrosse understand that I play the traditional way first and always will honor where the original game comes from. This is our game from the Creator.”
“The advice I can give to others is that you need balance in your athletics and school,” said Neeji. “School is very important and always put school first. Don’t be afraid to do go out of your comfort zone in your sport and do better than you did the day before in practice. Remember that you always have the Creator on your side.”
Photo Credit: Neeji Singer
