President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that he supports Haudenosaunee inclusion in the Olympics for the sport of lacrosse. Biden made the remarks during the White House Tribal Nations Summit at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.
The move follows the announcement from the International Olympic Committee in October that lacrosse would be included in the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles.
Biden said, “this fall, it was announced that lacrosse will once again be an official Olympic sport. And the Six Nations team asked to compete under its own Tribal flag. And today, I’m announcing my support for that request.”
“Their ancestors invented the game” said Biden. “They perfected it for a millennia. Their circumstances are unique, and they should be granted an exception to field their own team at the Olympics.”
In a joint statement from World Lacrosse and the Haudenosaunee Nationals, the two groups expressed gratitude to Biden for explicitly supporting inclusion.
“Recognition of the cultural significance of lacrosse to the Haudenosaunee people – and the Haudenosaunee people to lacrosse – is an important step in our Olympic journey,” said the statement.
The speech marks a major public display of support for Haudenosaunee inclusion in the olympics. While the Haudenosaunee confederacy competes under their own sovereign flag in world lacrosse events, there is concern about whether the IOC would allow such competition.
As currently constructed, the Olympic charter only allows nations with established Olympic Committees to compete in the games. Wednesday’s announcement will look to increase the pressure on the IOC to change that established practice.