Question Period Note: Inclusion of the Haudenosaunee Lacrosse Team in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games

Lacrosse is a new addition to the sports program for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse Team (Haudenosaunee Nationals) has been advocating to be included as a competitor at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

On Wednesday, December 6, 2023, during the Tribal Nations Summit, President Biden announced the United States Government’s support for the Haudenosaunee bid.

That same day, the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity also issued a statement supporting the Haudenosaunee’s bid for inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

On February 15, 2024, the Prime Minister also expressed his support of the Haudenosaunee’s efforts via social media channels.

The Government of Canada is supportive of all parties working together to find a pathway for the Haudenosaunee Nationals to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

We recognize the important contributions of the Haudenosaunee to the sport landscape in Canada through their invention of the sport of lacrosse, Canada’s national summer sport.

The Government of Canada is committed to upholding Indigenous sovereignty and advancing reconciliation.

In October 2023, lacrosse was confirmed as a new addition to the sports program for the Los Angeles Olympic Games (LA28 Games). Lacrosse is represented nationally in Canada by Lacrosse Canada and internationally by World Lacrosse.

As per the Olympic Charter, governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), all sports included in the Olympic program must be governed by International Federations. Additionally, each country must have a recognized and sanctioned National Olympic Committee (NOC) that is responsible for team selection to compete at the Games.

Despite not meeting this criterion, the Haudenosaunee Nationals have requested to be included in the lacrosse tournament in the LA28 Games. The Haudenosaunee Nationals are recognized by World Lacrosse.

The IOC may be reluctant to admit a team below “country level” on the basis it could be precedent-setting (IOC only allows country-level teams) and may respond to the Haudenosaunee that they should join a country-level team rather than request fielding their own team.

The only precedent that the IOC has made in the past is the creation of the IOC Refugee Team which competed in the Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and recently, Paris 2024.

The United States Government announced its support for the Haudenosaunee’s bid as a sui generis situation, encouraging the IOC to make an exception to the “country-level” basis for teams as a “one-off.” and suggesting that the exception would be justified by the Haudenosaunee’s invention of the sport and its importance in their culture.  

United States and Canadian government officials are currently engaged in collaborative discussions on how best to support the Haudenosaunee’s efforts.

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