by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
The Creator’s Game: The traditional and modern medicine lacrosse games may have similar purposes with indigenous people and cultures. One story of the medicine game is the medicine occurs when people are playing the game the right way with a good mind and action on and off the field. The medicine helps people continue on their path in a good way.
Nina Polk is continuing on her path in a good way. She is a 17 yr. old, 6-2, senior and plays attack/midfield lacrosse for Pryor Lake HS, MN and MN Elite club lacrosse. She also plays the traditional wooden stick lacrosse game.
Nina recently made a verbal commitment to attend Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO in the fall of 2020.
She is Navajo, Sičangu Lakota, San Carlos Apache, and Quechan and is from Rosebud, SD. Her mom is Dyani Whitehawk Polk, Sičangu Lakota, and dad is Danny Polk, Navajo, San Carlos Apache, and Quechan.
“It has helped me a lot because knowing my background and my lacrosse background has helped me reach my goals and teach others the history of lacrosse and my people,” said Nina. “Lacrosse has been assumed that it comes from hockey, which is sad to hear because it’s not true. I play traditional lacrosse at home with my family and friends.”
“I am part of a group called Twin Cities Native Lacrosse (TCNL),” said Nina. “TCNL has inspired me to try modern lacrosse and play in college. I was never into sports that much at first, but when I first held a traditional lacrosse stick, I knew I was meant to play. I have played traditional lacrosse for five years and modern lacrosse for three years. Now I can teach society about lacrosse and where it came from.”
“One of my goals is to show society that we are still here and we created the game of lacrosse for not only competition, but for the Creator and healing,” said Nina. “Thanks to my family, friends, and TCNL, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
“The TCNL group has inspired me the most,” said Nina. “John Hunter is the main coach and has helped me for these past years. He has shown me that I can do anything, but it takes work and discipline to do so. He has helped me realize who I am and what I want to do.”
John Hunter, Director of Twin Cities Native Lacrosse, said: “Nina’s success has been to keep it simple, it has been the two simple aspects of her love of the game and willingness to try her best that will continue to see her success on the field continue. There is nothing to stop her from achieving a NCAA tournament success or earning a spot on the Team USA roster. She is a leader by example, and her leadership style is effective but subtle, not following normal standards of the outspoken, driven-to-all-costs type of presence. She never misses an opportunity to play, even for games and practices in far places, and she often recruited extended family to help her get to games. Most impressive of all is her connection to her Native ball game. Her pride in our traditional game has inspired other young players across the region.”
“Nina played both modern and traditional lacrosse with Twin Cities Native Lacrosse. This last July at the annual Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tournament, Nina led both teen and adult co-ed divisions in scoring and led both of her teams to win the tournament championship,” added John.
“We play for the Creator and it’s a healing game. When we play, we always have a prayer with us and think about someone we want the Creator to watch over. When we throw the ball up to start the game, we always call out to let the Creator know that we are playing the game. This game has been a part of our people since the beginning of our lives. Lacrosse was the first sport ever invented, but the Europeans made the game an elite competitive way. TCNL’s goal is to let society know the true history of lacrosse and show society how the game was back then and still is today,” added Nina.
“I played in tournaments for my club lacrosse team called MN Elite,” said Nina. “I traveled with them to play many games in different tournaments. After playing those games, NCAA DII and DIII colleges emailed me about playing for them.”
“We are very proud of Nina Polk for committing to Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO,” said Maria Slusser, Club Director, MN Elite Lacrosse. “Nina’s height and personality will really help her as she progresses to college lacrosse. So much of college recruiting is what we call the ‘intangibles’ and Nina is stellar in this category. She is a huge student of the game and her work ethic is off the charts. Nina clearly wants to be the best lacrosse player she can be and that shows in what she brings in practices and off field. As a person, Nina is a wonderful role model for the Minnesota lacrosse community.”
“It has been an honor to watch Nina grow as an athlete and leader in our community,” said Sasha Houston Brown, lacrosse player and public health advocate. “Over the past five years, Nina has been instrumental in revitalizing the Creator’s Game Thakâpsičapi (Dakota) and Baaga’adowewin (Ojibwemowin), the original game of North America, and brought her skills and passion to the modern game of lacrosse.”
“Nina is an exceptional athlete with amazing speed, agility, and power. What impresses me most about Nina is not just her athleticism and strength, but the way she conducts herself on and off the field. Whether she is playing Creator’s game, the modern game or visiting with friends, Nina acts with genuine respect, integrity and humility. She plays with spirit and is always quick to remember our teachings at the heart of the game.
I am really excited about Nina’s future at Fort Lewis College. Already she is creating such positive representation for our young Indigenous women to look up to. It’s important to have visibility and representation as Indigenous women in college sports, and Nina is doing just that. I am already planning on getting some Fort Lewis gear and attending games next year,” added Sasha.
“Speaking of her skill, she is a reliable player,” said Heather Piersen, Head Lacrosse Coach, Pryor Lake HS, MN. “As her coach, you know she is going to be at practice, wall ball, and extra opportunities to improve herself. She leads by example with her teammates, Nina always has a good attitude, ready to work hard, and she changes the momentum of games with her speed and quick cuts to net. Nina’s favorite move is a quick hard cut to the net, receiving a feed and places the ball hard on her shot! Nina is aware of her strengths as a player and uses them to her advantage – her height being one of strengths and her long reach to get knock downs and create turnover opportunities! Nina’s positivity is what we look for in all of our players at Prior Lake. Huge congratulations to her for committing to Division II. We are so proud of her!”
Ashley Travis, Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach, Fort Lewis College, said: “I’m excited to have Nina join us next year! We have a super young team that I am looking to grow and develop and adding Nina will give us depth in our roster. Nina will bring a lot to our program including hustle and knowledge. I’m excited to have someone with Nina’s experience, as well as her height, join our squad. She will really help in our redefend knocking down and intercepting passes. Her speed and endurance will help excel our team to the next level. With all of Nina’s talents on the lacrosse field I am really excited to add her family. Her family is amazing and is going to help grow our game along with the traditional game which I am super excited to learn more about through Nina and her family!”
Mom Dyani White Hawk Polk said: “Nina absolutely loves the game of lacrosse and we’re so excited for her to enter college and have the opportunity to play at the collegiate level. Nina’s dad, Danny Polk, and I met at Haskell Indian Nations University in 2000. Nina is a ‘Haskell Rascal’. Danny was the point guard for the men’s basketball team at Haskell. He is a gifted athlete and today still plays ball in leagues and plays disc golf professionally and has sponsorships. I am an artist, predominantly a painter and mixed media artist.”
“Nina is a complete hybrid of the two of us. She is both a gifted athlete and a gifted artist. She will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in fine art and has her sights set on getting her master’s degree as well. She dreams of becoming a working artist, like her mom. She also is committed to lacrosse. She came into the game through the traditional game, in our language, takapsičapi. Twin Cities Native Lacrosse has done a lot of work reviving the game here in Minnesota and surrounding region. It is through their group that she, and now our whole family, began playing,” added Dyani.
“The great thing about TCNL is that they teach both the indigenous and modern versions of the game to youth, which gives them opportunity to really have a full understanding of the game and a very sincere connection when playing the modern game,” said Dyani.
“Nina fell for the game fast! She is an excellent player and a formidable force on the field. Yet she does this with consistent joy and humility. She is also a true team player, and she is unselfish and has very natural leadership skills. She loves helping with the younger players and hopes to help continue the great work that TCNL has been doing when it is time for the next generation to take on that charge,” added Dyani.
Dad Danny Polk said: “Nina has been a natural athlete. She started out playing basketball but didn’t enjoy it to the fullest. She always wanted to play a sport but she couldn’t figure out what sport she loved or liked. Then, finally her mother signed her up for the Creator’s game. From there, Nina was instantly hooked. She picked up the stick whether it was a traditional or modern stick. Nina was a natural, she could handle, cradle, catch the ball, but more importantly she enjoyed this Medicine game. She love learning and teaching others about playing this game and more. Although she is quiet, she is a leader by displaying sportsmanship, being a team player, and showing her natural skills on and off the field. Nina has the skills and determination to become a better student athlete not only for her last year in high school but moving forward into the collegiate level.”
“Lacrosse has done so much for Nina’s self-esteem and connected her even more deeply with the Native community here in Minnesota,” said Dyani.
