The Tewaaraton Award Foundation, in conjunction with The University Club of Washington, DC, formally established the "Tewaaraton Trophy" on August 29, 2000. Today, the Tewaaraton Trophy is recognized as the pre-eminent lacrosse award honoring the top female and male varsity collegiate lacrosse player in the United States. Simply, it is the lacrosse equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. With the inaugural presentation taking place at the University Club of Washington, DC in June of 2001, the Tewaaraton Trophy is now presented annually following the collegiate season at a banquet honoring the finalists and winners.
Lacrosse is one of the oldest team sports played in North America. Rooted in centuries of Native American tradition, the game took on many variations before reaching its present day form. The Foundation honors this truly original American heritage of the sport in the name of its trophy: "Tewaaraton," the Mohawk name for their game and the progenitor of present day lacrosse. The Tewaaraton Trophy has received the endorsement of the Mohawk Nation Council of Elders.
Scholarships
In 2002, A $5,000 scholarship award was given to the female and male winner and $1,250 to each of the eight finalists university general scholarship fund. In 2001 a $10,000 scholarship was given to Hofstra University in honor of Dough Shanahan and a $10,000 scholarship was given to the University of Maryland in honor of winner Jen Adams.
The Trophy
The bronze trophy featuring a Mohawk native was designed and created by Frederick Kail. Spanning four decades, Mr. Kail has distinguished himself as an accomplished sports sculptor and the pre-eminent lacrosse sculptor. With this timeless work of art, he captures the exciting spirit and powerful dynamics of lacrosse with meticulous attention to accurate detail. His depiction of a single unnamed Mohawk player, dramatically surging to the front, profoundly portrays the competitive human spirit and superior athletic ability required to win this award.
Adorned simply in a loincloth and golden eagle feather, the 12-inch figure is foundry-cast in a richly patinaed bronze. It is mounted upon a hexagon-shaped slab of black granite and handcrafted, highly polished exotic Cocobolo wood. The hexagonal base symbolizes the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy: the Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondoga, Seneca, and Tuscarora tribes. With some minor decorative exceptions, the stick is a replica of a pre-1845 Cayuga stick belonging to the grandfather of Alexander T. General of the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. This stick was actually an original predecessor of the modern day stick. To assist with historical authenticity, Thomas Vennum, Jr., the renowned Native American lacrosse historian, and author of "American Indian Lacrosse: Little Brother of War," served as a consultant to Kail through the development stage of the Trophy.
The original castings are part of the permanent collection of and are currently on display at the University Club of Washington, DC, and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in Baltimore, Maryland. Bronze replications of this magnificent trophy are awarded annually to the "Most Outstanding" female and male varsity collegiate lacrosse player in the United States.
For further information please contact Liz Terry, Director of the Tewaaraton Award Foundation, at liz@tewaaraton.com.
