By Dan Ninham

James Harvin is Afro-Indigenous (Black & Nahua) and by day works as a research/evaluation coordinator at the Native American Community Clinic. On Monday and Thursday nights, Harvin helps co-direct youth lacrosse programming at the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC).

“I was first brought onto this project because during last fall, there were two implementation sites but we only have one youth coordinator,” said James Harvin. “So they needed assistance covering the Minneapolis site that was being held at Andersen United Middle School.”

“I truly enjoyed my time at Andersen working with the kids and seeing them learn and grow in the sport,” added Harvin.

“Project BRAID is all about braiding together community knowledge keepers, organizations, and youth to help them grow in their cultural knowledge and physical wellbeing,” said Harvin.

“I have seen young people be initially skeptical of the sport and then fall in love with it. I see former students in community and they still talk about how great it was to play and how they can get involved helping the younger students,” added Harvin.

“We have truly built a community of urban native youth that want to learn more traditional games and pathways,” said Harvin.

Two of the coaches of Project BRAID are Twin Cities Native Lacrosse (TCNL) coaches Shaydi Falcon (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe) and Bronson Grant (Ojibwe/Cherokee/Dine/Lakota.)

“I played for TCNL when I was younger and I learned a lot from my coaches then,” said Shaydi Falcon. “As I got older I started getting opportunities to help teach the younger kids whenever TCNL needed help. John Hunter then told me about the after school program for MAIC, and I thought it was a great idea to do. I help coach the kids on what lacrosse is, how to play, and the history behind it.”

“Zhaawano-winini nindigo. The spirits know me as Southern Man,” said Bronson Grant.

“I started playing traditional and modern lacrosse in 2015 with TCNL. I continue playing through high school playing community games. Now I help John Hunter coach whenever he needs a coach. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and playing the creator’s game,” added Grant.

John Hunter (Winnebago/Ojibwe/ Muscogee) is one of the leaders of the Twin Cities Native Lacrosse Program. He talked about his two young coaches, saying, “As a coaching mentor, it is so powerful to see our Native coaches in the community. These coaches were the first in almost four generations to grow-up with the traditional ball game – and now coaching in the afterschool program, they ensure that our lacrosse games will never be set aside again. Bronson and Shaydi are an inspiration to me.”

A special guest recently attended and worked with the youth at the Project BRAID sessions. Mekwan Tulpin, (Mushkegowuk Cree/Belgian) is from the Fort Albany First Nation (Peetabeck). She lives in Ohsweken, Ontario. Tulpin very recently made history with the Haudenosaunee Nationals Box Lacrosse Team. They were bronze medalists at the 2024 World Box Lacrosse Championships at the end of September. On the day before she arrived in Minneapolis, Tulpin led her team to the gold medal at the North American Invitational in Utica, NY; she was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

Tulpin was a guest instructor during the school week at Minnesota Transitions Charter Schools. After school she was involved with the Project BRAID and was at North St. Paul Schools.

“Enjoyed the development of skills of youth being taught by youth,” said Mekwan Tulpin. “I had gifted some large patchwork for Bronson and Shaydi for all they do to give back to the game and ensure others behind them are lifted by community and this game just as they’ve been.”

“It was awe-inspiring to be joined by local parents and their own reflections and sharing in Baggadowewin from their perspectives alongside Shaydi and her teammates. They were very receptive and eager to ask more questions after sharing about how my story and journey may have related to their own,” added Tulpin.

“I’m super grateful for being gifted a wooden baggataway stick by Gino Charging Bear ’s dad, as his gratitude matched my own while sharing words in how he appreciated what I had come to share,” said Tulpin. “It was made by David “Bezh” Butler, accompanied by his maker’s mark with three upward facing chevron-like symbols.”

“Knowing that TCNL has programming to support this type of participation warms my heart knowing that they’re picking up their sticks sooner than I ever got to and knowing the pathways that now exist which once didn’t seem possible truly reaches my heart in a special way,” said Tulpin.

“Yet all is in balance of space and time … We find ourselves where we are meant to be and will return to,” added Tulpin.