Women in Sports Exhibit at Akwesasne Museum
low
player
By
Derrick
A
n
n
i e
Lafrance
RourkeBack in the 1930's
Hemlock's
- early 40's when
brother
Angus
"Shine"
lacrosse great
George,
Louie
E n o s
Sunday and Angus
Hemlock.
Thomas and others
"He tried to
were
knocking
take the bat
everyone around in
away
from
the lacrosse box me and I told
the ladies were
him it was my
doing likewise on
turn to bat
the softball diaand he kept
mond.
pulling it and
For a few seasons
I swung that
there was an inforbat and I hit
mal womens softhim,
his
ball league and
they are at the
father came
'Women In Sports'
and told me to
exhibition at the
leave
him
Akwesasne
alone."
Museum.
Viola Rourke
watched the
The teams were
Raquette,
State Red Tops of Akwesasne. Back L-R: Erma Moore, Virgmia Cook and Annabeiie Oakes. s o f t b a l l
Road, Kanatakon Middle: Caroline Herne, Pearl Conners, Mabel Thomas, Viola Cook-Rourke, Margaret scrappiness
and Kawehnoke. Thomas-Swamp, Louise Jock-Jacobs and Irene Heme-Roundpoint. Front: "Tootle" Aldrich from the sidelines.
She
Raquette at the
merry-go-rounds and a Ferris
time was considered the stretch of or no championships.
was too young to play for this
land between the four corners in It was game to game said Raquette Wheel."
"league" and she started later. But
One of Cook's team mates for this as a young softball fan she attended
Hogansburg to Rooseveltown and player Erma Moore.
their field was behind the present "Just put together, we said let's team was Shirley Aldrich and she the games.
American Legion; Kanatakon's have a game, let's play St. Regis, said just getting the team in togeth- "It was kind of rough, they used to
team was in the Village (Over The we didn't have a schedule or any- er was a chore.
get into pulling hair, I remember
thing."
"It's
hard,
it
was
like
Indian
Time,
Hill) at the present recreation field
that, I never got into it but the
or behind the St. Regis Village The umpires were whoever hap- we have a meeting and make all women did, it happened several
these decisions like what time we times," said Rourke.
school which was a two room pened to show up to watch.
"Stanley
Conners
usually,
whoever
were going to practice and when it Gloria Cook said it was personal
school house.
was at the game, George Bero came time, half of them wouldn't before the games started.
State Roads home field was in the
might have been one, my Uncle show."
"St. Regis didn't like the girls from
field behind Robert Swamp's resiDominic Jacobs used to ump, he When they did have their practices, Raquette," she said.
dence (Swamp Road.)
used to cheat" said Moore laugh- even then it was no holds barred.
The players played for the team
The players today could not recall
ing.
"We
practiced
with
the
boys,
we
closest to them and Annabeiie
if there was a ballfield on
practiced
against
them,
they
beat
us
RESERVATION RIVALRY
Oakes played for both Kanatakon
Kawehnoke for their teams or if
up,
they
didn't
play
soft,
they
Gloria
Cook
played
for
Raquette
Continued on next page
they just had road games.
played
hard,"
said
and
she
remembers
the
fierce
rivalThis was not a sanctioned official
league but pretty much organized ry between her club and Aldrich.
In addition to the
sandlot with no statistics gathered Kawehnoke.
"They picked up Legion field the
us on the Island, Raquette girls pracsome of them had ticed at the present
Kahnienkehaka Fuel
a fight."
Convenience
Cook
added and
Kanatakon also store and Moore said
got in on the that itself was a community
gathering
shenanigans.
"St. Regis, I think point.
that is when they "We used to play
threw things at softball there and
us."
touch-football there,
there was a farm
A l t h o u g h
Raquette's home belonging to Frank
was behind the Terrance, we used to
Legion there were play there and there
other events held was an old house
there. The old there and the boys
Hogansburg Fair used to box there."
Raquette team of the "Rezz League" in
was held there Likewise with the
the early 1930's. Back L-R: Beulah
girls.
and there was a Kanatakon
White, Ella Moore, Joe Solomon (Coach)
They played against
horse race track.
Rose Bova and Margaret Terrance.
boys
and
"Long time ago, the
Members of the All-Stars. L-R: Erma Moore,
Front: Erma Moore, Gloria Cook, Bessie
they used to have Annabeiie Oakes had
Ella Moore, Bessie Ransom and Bessie
a race track there, a bad run in with fel- Ransom, Cecilia Bero and Bessie
Terrance.
Terrance.
Indian Time Vol.