Oliver Hill Onondaga Nation (Legend) July 17, 2024
Oliver Hill is an 82 year old legend within the Indigenous NALA league. Oliver received his first lacrosse stick at age 3 from his Father.This humble start lead to a wonderful career that saw Hill playing the game until he was at least 45 years of age. In his prime he weighed in around 175 lbs.
He played in Rochester, Syracuse, Tuscarora, Fort Erie, Tonawanda, Tuscarora and Six Nations along the way. His travels took him to Expo ’67 to play in that celebration. Smith remembers playing against some of the greats - Bruce Roundpoint, Gaylord Powless, the Sunday Bothers, Dave White, Mike Benedict, Cap Bomberry and Pidgie Norton.
On the floor he played the point where he controlled the offense. He loved to run the fastbreak and his teams were really successful using it. He would also display unique leadership skills as a Coach, NALA President and Builder for the Onondaga community during his career.
He is representative of a by-gone era of indigenous players that earned their living as iron workers on the eastern seaboard of the USA. The job took him to New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia and Cleveland where he would climb the columns on the skyscrapers that were being built. The workers who played lacrosse would hustle back northward to play their league games over the weekend, returning just before starting time on Monday - often driving all night.
Perhaps one of the unique times in his life was when he was recruited by Syracuse University in 1973-4 for the Lacrosse Team....he was a Freshman at age 32! He remembers that Syracuse was not blessed with great players at the time and many of his perfectly placed passes that would have worked in the NALA, merely bounced off the chests of his inexperienced Syracuse teammates. He remembers having a great game against Penn State. He would graduate from the ‘Cuse as a Phys. Ed Major .
Oliver Hill’s story is one you want to listen to - a tale from a time where love of the game was the main reward for playing and the Indigenous League was thriving.
Watch the full interview down below.
About the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation
The Canadian Lacrosse Foundation (CLF) is a charitable organization established in 1996 to administer and grow an endowment fund that is used to develop and execute charitable activities within the lacrosse community. The primary purpose of the Foundation can be summarized as follows- (a) To advance the public understanding of the role of lacrosse in the history and cultural development of Canada;(b) To educate and instruct lacrosse coaches and officials on the rules of the game and player development;(c) To provide lacrosse programs in order to support the physical, mental and emotional well-being of aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities and troubled youth; and(d) To receive or maintain a fund or funds and to apply all or part of the principal and income therefrom, from time to time, to qualified donees under the Income Tax Act (Canada).
For more information, please contact:
Jim Calder
Director
Canadian Lacrosse Foundation
Email: james.calder2@sympatico.ca