The Native American team called the Haudenosaunee

 

New York Times - "Lacrosse Is Coming to the Olympics. Will Its Inventors Be There?"

"At major lacrosse events, a team of Native Americans called the Haudenosaunee plays alongside countries like the United States, Canada and Australia. The team has been competitive, winning three bronze medals in the men’s competition at the world championships, including one this year.

And why not? Native Americans invented lacrosse centuries ago.

Now lacrosse has achieved an international breakthrough by being added to the Olympics for the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028. But despite the long history of Native Americans in the game, the Haudenosaunee may not be there. The Olympics normally allows only teams that represent nations that it recognizes.

The Haudenosaunee team, formerly called the Iroquois, represents the six nations of the Haudenosaunee (pronounced hoe-dee-no-SHOW-nee) Confederacy in upstate New York, Ontario and Quebec: the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca and Tuscarora. But the Haudenosaunee is not a member of the International Olympic Committee or the United Nations. And both the United States and Canada already have lacrosse teams of their own.

Although lacrosse officials seemed eager to find a way to get the team to the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee, which will have the final say, had discouraging words, at least for now. “Only national Olympic committees recognized by the I.O.C. can enter teams for the Olympic Games,” it said in an emailed statement on Thursday. It said the United States and Canada would be able to include athletes from the Haudenosaunee in their respective teams."