Cousins Thomas, Steeprock share Native American bond on SU women’s lacrosse team
Awehiyo Thomas and Lindsey Steeprock share an unbreakable bond. At first, the duo on the Syracuse women’s lacrosse team believed the link was merely connected to their Native American heritage and passion for lacrosse.
But the affinity between Thomas, a senior attack, and Steeprock, a sophomore defender, extends far beyond their similar ethnicities and interests.
‘We’re actually related,’ Thomas said. ‘We just found out last year that we’re cousins. My dad and (Steeprock’s) dad were talking about our families, and finally her dad did all this research and found out we’re related somehow. Before learning that we were already close friends, but now we’re pretty tight.’
In addition to the family tie, the cousins’ relationship has been strengthened for another reason. Besides representing Syracuse lacrosse, Thomas and Steeprock have also developed into diplomats for their respective Native American communities. Thomas and No. 8 Syracuse will play their last game at the Carrier Dome this season tonight when the Orange hosts Cornell at 7 p.m.
Thomas, a member of the Cayuga Nation, and Steeprock, a member of the Mohawk tribe, are one of a handful of Native Americans participating in Division I athletics around the country. As a result of the unique opportunity, the cousins have attempted to use their athletic platform to bring awareness to their underrepresented culture.
‘It’s an honor to be playing on a Division I team that’s so good,’ Steeprock said. ‘Not many people from my reservation even go to college. People are always telling me the little girls are always looking up to you and want to be just like you. They tell me I’m a good role model, and it makes me feel good.’
The cultural ties don’t end with Thomas and Steeprock. Being raised in Canada, Syracuse head coach Gary Gait was also heavily exposed to the Native American customs and rituals.
Gait’s appreciation for their distinguished history was so immense that he ultimately chose to purchase his lacrosse sticks straight from the Canadian reservations. The young Gait was one of Thomas’ great-grandfather’s best customers.
‘As a kid, I had to get my sticks from ‘Hiyo’s great-grandfather,’ Gait said. ‘So (the culture) has a little more tie to me too, and I truly appreciate the history they bring. Our First Nations people of North America created the game, so we should always thank them for giving us this game.’
Both Thomas and Steeprock picked up the sport at a young age because its part of their culture. Thomas followed in her older brothers’ footsteps, playing lacrosse religiously in her province’s league in Ontario throughout her childhood.
Steeprock inherited her love of lacrosse from her mother, Shelley Steeprock, a former lacrosse player. Under her mother’s guidance, Steeprock honed her hand-eye coordination and stick skills, ultimately giving her the confidence to participate in lacrosse tournaments with the natives.
For the Native American cousins, however, lacrosse is more than simply a sport, or a form of entertainment. Throughout their reservations, it functions as an outlet from life’s stressful problems.
‘It’s like a medicine for us – a medicine that can uplift our spirits,’ Thomas said. ‘If a person is down, playing lacrosse has the power to uplift them. It’s not just a sport to us, but more like a tradition. Lacrosse is part of our way of life. You just do it because everyone else does it.’
It’s certainly one of the main attractions in Steeprock’s reservation, located south of Buffalo. The district features an arena and a field because competition among the natives is relatively prevalent.
The community divides itself into teams and organizes year-long lacrosse seasons. Men are almost always found playing box lacrosse in the arena, while the women compete on the fields. It was on those fields where the sophomore defender played before her first crowd.
‘Pretty much the whole reservation comes to watch the games,’ Steeprock said. ‘So when I first made the team here, I got about 20 texts from people congratulating me.’
Now, Steeprock and Thomas are trying to give back to the communities that continuously supported them. All the pair’s on-the-field accomplishments have been a testament to the rigorous practice sessions on their reservations.
And despite the high expectations from their friends and families back home, both cousins have cheerfully embraced their distinctive leadership roles.
‘Lacrosse has always been a part of us growing up,’ Thomas said. ‘It was part of daily life. Being able to have lacrosse take us this far in our careers even is pretty good, and it really means a lot to represent.’
