The Rochester Knighthawks announced today the team will host the first-ever Native American Heritage Night, presented by Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, on Saturday, April 30 when they host the Halifax Thunderbirds in their 2021-22 regular-season finale at Segar & Sciortino Field at The Blue Cross Arena.
The night, which coincides with Fan Appreciation Knight, will celebrate and support Native American groups in Western New York in addition to honoring their history in the region. The game itself will feature various content, activations, ticket promotions and merchandise themed around Native American Heritage and the vital role indigenous peoples have played in the history of the “Creator’s game.”
As part of the organization’s support of Western New York’s Native American community, and through their partnership with Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, the Knighthawks are offering discounted tickets to various groups in the Native Community, including Native American Community Services.
Highlighting the night is a commemorative logo designed by award-winning contemporary Native American artist Cara Dry. Raised on the Seneca Alleghany Reservation in Salamanca, NY, Dry is a member of the Haudenosaunee people whose art is inspired by the famous works of the Iroquois. She currently has two buffalo paintings on display at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, located less than a mile away from KeyBank Center.
“As a Native artist, it’s a great honor to represent the Haudenosaunee and the Seneca people,” said Dry. “Lacrosse has been and always will be an extremely important tradition to the Iroquois. Games were played to bring communities together and I feel very privileged to be part of the Knighthawks first-ever Native American Heritage Night that celebrates all the Haudenosaunee – Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora. It is my hope that events like this will help to bring all communities together and create a more understanding and respectful world. Nya:weh (thank you), Knighthawks, for your honor of the game of lacrosse and its origins.”
The special-edition logo, which embodies her Native American roots, depicts a traditional wooden lacrosse stick made of bent hickory consisting with a pocket of woven rawhide. A deerskin ball, portraying the Iroquois’ longstanding influence on the origins of lacrosse, sits inside the pocket. The feathers adorning the headdress are that of a hawk, representing the Knighthawks organization and how all Native Americans revere birds and birds of prey.
The customary headdress, worn by all member nations in the Iroquois Confederacy, is one inspired by the Seneca Nation with a singular feather pointed upward. The center band features two lacrosse players, paying eternal tribute to the past, present and future players of lacrosse. The overall design of the logo pays homage to the George Washington Belt, which represents the ratification of the of the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty, honoring the treaty between the Haudenosaunee and the United States of America.
Limited edition T-shirts featuring Day’s Knighthawks design will be available for purchase in the Knighthawks Team store. Men’s shirts can be purchased for $22 while women’s are available for $25. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each shirt will benefit the Faithkeepers School, an institution dedicated to the continuation of the teachings and traditions of the Seneca people through the methodologies and practices of Montessori.
Fan Appreciation Knight festivities include a pregame Happy Hour presented by Bud Light for fans 21 and older, a 2021-22 team photo giveaway and a post-game autograph session presented by Zweigles on the turf. Prior to the game, the team will unveil its year-end team awards honoring the top individual performances and achievements from this season.
