Clay Scanlan and Tehoka Nanticoke, both members of the Buffalo Bandits, will participate in Native American Heritage Night this Saturday when the team faces the Philadelphia Wings. The event is held in partnership with Seneca Resorts & Casinos.
The Bandits will wear special jerseys designed by Scanlan, who worked with his brother-in-law Connor Lyons to ensure historical accuracy. The jersey features two wampum belts: The Dust Fan Belt at the base, which represents the coming together of five nations—Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Cayuga—to form the Haudenosaunee confederacy. Tuscarora joined as a sixth nation in 1722.
“It’s where the five nations came together and put their weapons aside for the peace to end war,” Scanlan explained.
The Hiawatha Belt appears on the sleeve and also symbolizes unity among the Haudenosaunee. Another design on the sleeve shows individuals holding hands to represent strength and unity. Feathers are depicted throughout the jersey to indicate tribal affiliation based on their number and direction.
“The feathers represent what tribe you’re from depending on how many feathers there are, which way they’re angled,” Scanlan said.
The back of each jersey displays the Haudenosaunee flag beneath the collar. Scanlan played under this flag during the 2022 U21 World Lacrosse Championship.
Scanlan grew up in Cattaraugus Territory in Irving, New York as a member of the Seneca Nation. He regularly visits longhouses there to honor his heritage. He comes from a large family deeply involved in lacrosse; all his siblings have played competitively.
“Everyone in my family has played,” Scanlan said. “All the boys in our family, including myself, once we were born, we had a stick in our hands.”
He credits these experiences for developing his skills through competitive backyard games that fostered character and motivation.
“They were brutal, we’re very competitive, so it builds character,” he said. “We tell each other, don’t sugar coating anything. If you sucked, we’ll tell you, and what you could improve on. The elders, the grandpas and uncles were trying to show us what we could improve on and our household had a lot of horseplay as well. It was ‘I’m better than you,’ and that just gave me motivation to get better.”
Scanlan later attended IMG Academy in Florida where he played alongside Nanticoke—who became Inside Lacrosse’s top recruit in 2017.
Nanticoke is part of Mohawk Nation and attributes his love for lacrosse to his grandparents who passed away when he was around ten years old. His older brother Chancey Hill taught him how to play; they practiced nearly every day until Nanticoke turned thirteen.
“He’s done drills with me since I was barely walking,” Nanticoke said.
Lacrosse holds significant meaning within Native American culture as it is often called “the Medicine Game,” believed to offer healing properties for players and spectators alike—a perspective that influences how Nanticoke approaches each game.
