Clay Scanlan and Tehoka Nanticoke have spent their lives honoring The Creator’s Game, the Haudenosaunee name for lacrosse which honors the sport’s spiritual roots.
The two teammates will have another chance to pay tribute to their deeply rooted tradition when the Bandits host Native American Heritage Night, held in partnership with Seneca Resorts & Casinos, this Saturday against the Philadelphia Wings.
The Bandits will wear jerseys designed by Scanlan, who credited his brother-in-law, Connor Lyons, with assisting in developing the design elements and maintaining the historical accuracy of the jersey.
The jersey’s details include two wampum belts. The first, located along the base of the jersey, is The Dust Fan Belt, which was created to signify the moment when five nations – Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga – came together to form the Haudenosaunee. Tuscarora joined the Haudenosaunee confederacy in 1722.
“It’s where the five nations came together and put their weapons aside for the peace to end war,” Scanlan explained.
The other wampum belt, the Hiawatha Belt, is located on the sleeve and also represents the unification of the Haudenosaunee. Also on the sleeve is a design that depicts individuals holding hands, which Scanlan included to represent strength and unity.
Feathers are depicted in various places throughout the jersey.
“The feathers represent what tribe you’re from depending on how many feathers there are, which way they’re angled,” Scanlan said.
On the back of the jersey, just below the collar, is the Haudenosaunee flag, which Scanlan played under during the 2022 U21 World Lacrosse Championship.
Scanlan grew up on Cattaraugus Territory in Irving, New York, as a member of the Seneca Nation. He still makes regular trips to the longhouses on the territory to honor the heritage of where his ancestors lived.
He is one of 11 Scanlan siblings, with seven girls and four boys in total. Clay’s sister, Miya Scanlan, played lacrosse at Jacksonville University, Clemson and Stetson while Shayla Scanlan, another one of Clay’s sisters, played at Louisville.
“Everyone in my family has played,” Scanlan said. “All the boys in our family, including myself, once we were born, we had a stick in our hands.”
Scanlan said growing up in a family firmly cemented in lacrosse acted as a catalyst for his own development as a lacrosse player. Backyard games brought a unique sense of togetherness.
“They were brutal, we’re very competitive, so it builds character,” Scanlan said. “We tell each other, don’t sugar coating anything. If you sucked, we’ll tell you, and what you could improve on. The elders, the grandpas and uncles were trying to show us what we could improve on and our household had a lot of horseplay as well. It was, ‘I’m better than you,’ and that just gave me motivation to get better.”
Clay quicky cultivated his own name in a family of lacrosse stars and took his talents to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where he played alongside Nanticoke – who blossomed into Inside Lacrosse’s No. 1 overall recruit in 2017.
Nanticoke is a member of the Mohawk Nation and credited his grandparents – who passed away when he was around 10 years old – with igniting the love of lacrosse in their family.
The passion for the game trickled down to Nanticoke’s older brother, Chancey Hill, who taught Nanticoke the game. The brothers played nearly every day until he was 13.
“He’s done drills with me since I was barely walking,” Nanticoke said.
Lacrosse is often referred to as the Medicine Game in Native American culture, speaking to the belief that the sport has healing properties for those who play and watch. Nanticoke plays with that in mind.
“I like to say I leave everything on the floor,” Nanticoke. “I play the game for a reason. The game is medicine for our people and it’s to bring joy. When I play, I just hope I bring joy to the people watching and I know the Creator’s happy because I’m playing my hardest and that’s all he asks for within the game.”
Both Nanticoke and Scanlan are excited to showcase their passion for the sport on Saturday, wearing the uniforms Scanlan proudly designed.
“It’s unreal not only that it’s designed and we’re gonna be able to wear it, but to wear it in front of a lot of Native Americans that will be there because there are so many tribes that are close,” Scanlan said.