Despite the conditions of colonialism under which they were produced, ethnographic collections may contain sources that offer insights into indigenous negotiations with anthropological collecting projects and relationships between people, ideas and things. Through describing photos, notes and stories related to Onkwehonwe lacrosse sticks found in a collection made by early-20th-century ethnologist Frederick Wilkerson Waugh, this paper explores how ethnographic material can suggest connections between Onkwehonwe objects, traditions and knowledge. By contextualizing Waugh’s material in relation to existing narratives about lacrosse in Canada, a nuanced perspective on the sport emerges, rich with possibilities for future study.
