Master lacrosse stick maker Alfie Jacques died at 74 in June 2023. The craft has been passed to Jack Johnson who had been apprenticing with Alfie Jacques for nearly a decade.
When I was in 4th grade in upstate NY Alfie made a visit to my school and I had the absolute pleasure of seeing him create the stick, it was a beautiful process and he was a very nice person, Alfie is now watching the creators game above.🙏🙏
Hopefully he or whoever succeeds him has documented every little detail in the process, that way it will be forever available to anyone who wants to bring back that part of his culture
It will be a shame if this trade is lost. My dad and grandfather taught me how to play lacrosse with a traditional stick like this one. Luckily, I kept it, and it is hanging on my wall. Love ya pops!! ❤️
Its a shame how so many trades and skills are lost, its going to get even worse with the newer generations that dont see value in quality handmade items
Here in the UK we lost so many traditional crafts and trades like this after WWI. A generation of men died and with them died hundreds and thousands of years of traditions basically all at once. Oak woven baskets was one that used to be made in my area and then the womens craft, handmade lace, died too when mechanically made lace flooded the market. A single lace veil could take hundreds of hours of work. I hope this one survives. I think crafting traditions are important.
Godbless this man and the craft he kept alive ... a stick from a branch is the first love of any wanderer ive climbed many trees znd sticks were collected for play and imaginary defence ....this guy shaped it into beautiful and useful equipment.... ❤and regards
Please support these craftsmen. They have families to feed, you're supporting and promoting someone's culture and it's more valuable and precious to you if it's handmade and natural.
I used to cut grass and landscape as well as do mechanic work to perfection like that . I made my life of it. Everyone said I wouldn't be good at anything in life when I was young ... I proved them wrong. .. I got soo good at both talents... and got a gorgeous happy woman... then a jealous guy in his late 40's ruined my spine... I can no longer ride a mower or weedeed.. or lift a vehicle hood or change a tire etc.... God puts people through trials and stuff to make you serve only him .. and to live only for him.... when the lacrosse man couldn't bend the wood of his passion, I felt that
I have looked for one of these for ever i wonted one so bad when I played but never could find one now on my birthday I find out about him and he has past away 🤦♂️. GD rest his soul.
I’m sure if you look hard enough you could find a piece that Alfie has made, might cost you extra but if you want one bad enough I’m sure you wouldn’t mind, seeing it’s value & all. And if that’s not an option for you, you could always purchase one from his predecessor who has been working under him for nearly a decade now. Best of luck, just keep the name Alfie Jacques in mind & maybe one day you’ll be fortunate enough to get one. 😊
As a native person hearing this kind of music to a video of someone making a lacrosse stick today is very funny. Time to catch up people and drop the stereotypes. If this was a video made 100 years ago sure.
Just took mine off the wall after seeing this. Going to hit the wall and find a net. Alf always said "it's not meant to hang on a wall, I made it to be played with."
Ah yes, the native American ban-saws and belt sanders prior to the evil European arrival. The man was a true artist regardless, devoted to his craft, much respect to his dedication
I Truly ❤ LOVE Witnessing "Genuine PRIDE" Being Taken in ANY Person's Work! And it "ALMOST" Doesn't Matter What That Thing Is... Although, 🤔, LoL..There Are a few exceptions I can think of Right Off the top of my head!!! Am 🤔 I Evil IF the Thought of THIS makes me Laugh a Little? 😈 🙊 🤣 (I mean, INSIDE Of Course! 🤫🤐 )
Read that he died at like 74 assuming this was a family thing or he was formally an apprentice himself or something he coulda started making sticks at like 15
@@JonathanAlexanderM fair enough, I was just doing some back of the envelope calculations, based off the speed he was working. Taking in to account he would have been quicker when younger I thought it would be near impossible. Not doubting too much, more impressed than anything.
Oooh quite a bit of evidence from tonight’s video! I seen and heard a lot of paranormal stuff. At some parts in Omar’s video you could hear people having full on & clear conversations! I used to hear something similar in my living room, but haven’t in a long time, not since my dad moved out when my parent’s separated. I hope it stays that way! ❤
Yes, it was played in mass as a kind of war game / way to solve disputes. But most of the history is lost due to oral knowledge being cut off due to residential schools and cultural genocide
