Indigenous Peoples Day
Baaga’adowewin Tournament

Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
Time: 1PM - 3PM
Location: Waawaashkesh Miikans, 4808 Tillman, Detroit, MI, 48208

Join us for Waawiiyaatanong’s first Baaga’adowewin tournament in over 150 years! (Probably.) All skill levels welcome. We plan to have both youth and adult games so get your team together and register early. Don’t have a team, or not enough people for your team? That’s okay, we can assign you one.

Ready to play? Here’s the rules.

Traditionally, there are very few rules to baaga'adowe. There is no out of bounds, no protective gear (we allow mouth guards and athletic cups), no time-outs and no shoes. The ball is not to be handled with hands, but use of feet is perfectly fine. Though we use Gitchigamiin (Great Lakes) style sticks, wooden sticks from other nations are welcome. Colonized baaga’adowe (modern lacrosse) sticks are not.

To minimize the risk of injury, we ask participants refrain from the following:

• Tackling, lifting or slamming

• Cross-checking

• Body-checking from behind

• Grabbing head, neck, or hair

• Striking sticks with upward motion

• Throwing sticks, or intentionally striking with stick

• Grabbing/holding must be around waist/under arms, not pinning arms down or around upper chest

*We will allow exceptions to these rules for adult games if all participants from both teams are in agreement.

We expect all participants and spectators to conduct themselves in a safe and respectful manner at all times. Bullying, drugs or alcohol will not be tolerated.

To protect our children, we ask that you retrain from posting photos or video of youth online.