In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we are excited to share with you our partnership with CBS Sports to celebrate Indigenous athletes of the past, present, and future. We thank Daisee Francour (Oneida), Cultural Survival Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications, and artist Roger Sosakete Perkins (Akwesasne Mohawk) for their leadership and guidance on co-creating a 60-second animation film, "A Gift from the Haudenosaunee," about Indigenous Peoples in sports, and in particular, the Creator’s game (lacrosse), a gift from the Haudenosaunee. 

Francour shares, “Indigenous Peoples have long been misrepresented in mainstream media. We are often portrayed as figments of the past, overly romanticized, or erased completely. As Indigenous Peoples, we fight every day to reclaim our narratives and rectify the misconceptions of how society views or understands our Peoples. It is not our responsibility to right the wrongs of history, and I commend CBS Sports for their commitment to centering Indigenous voices and leadership in this video. I hope other media institutions will follow in their footsteps to build genuine partnerships with Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous organizations to shift the narrative and bring visibility to our communities.” Perkins says, “[It is] such a fantastic and artistic depiction that honors Indigenous People! It sure does promote peace, unity, and sports! Excellent job to everyone! I’m very proud to have been a part of this! Thank you all!”