BUZZ
Syracuse University men’s lacrosse team will stop wearing shirts before games with the phrase “burn the boats” on them after the term was accused of glorifying “Indigenous genocide.”
The tradition was only a few months old, implemented by defensive coordinator John Odierna, who sought to inspire the athletes to push as hard as they could through games as part of the team’s national title aspirations, Syracuse.com reported.
“The origins of ‘Burn the Boats’ trace far back to the 1500s and Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés, who famously ordered his men to burn their boats as a sign of no retreat in battle,” the outlet reported.
The term is also the title of the 2023 book “Burn the Boats: Toss Plan B Overboard and Unleash Your Full Potential,” focused on how to eliminate any thoughts of retreat as a successful life strategy.
“Burn the Boats is the definitive tome on the oldest life hack in history. From Sun Tzu to Tariq ibn Ziyad, the ancient Israelites to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—when leaders want to motivate their troops for success, they self-sabotage their own retreat so all energy is directed on a singular objective. They burn their metaphorical boats that sow doubt; it’s win or perish, and their unshakable resolve propels them to victory,” its online description reads.
“Burn the Boats” was also the title of comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan’s 2024 stand-up comedy special after he had fallen out of grace with Hollywood and progressives.
But John Stark, Syracuse’s assistant director of athletic communications, told the Daily Orange student newspaper this week: “We thank those in our community who brought the concerns associated with this phrase to our attention. The team will not be wearing these warm up jerseys going forward.”
The decision came after an op-ed in the student newspaper headlined: “SU men’s lacrosse’s ‘burn the boats’ glorifies Indigenous genocide.”
“When Cortés arrived in Mexico, he ordered his men to burn or sink their own ships so that there would be no option but to continue their conquest of Indigenous Peoples of the ‘New World.’ What resulted was the largest trade of enslaved Indigenous people in North America. Cortés led the way, becoming the largest owner of enslaved Indigenous people in Mexico,” according to the op-ed.
“Given the colonial history of the phrase “burn the boats,” using it as a boastful slogan in any sport would be deplorable. But to use it in lacrosse, a sport still widely known as an Indigenous game, is especially cruel,” it stated.
It was written by two Syracuse alumni, one of whom is now a senior staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, Beth Margaret Wright, and the other a member of the Mohawk Nation who is an assistant professor of oncology at Roswell Park cancer treatment center, Hugh Burnam.
“Burnam is the son of former Syracuse lacrosse standout Mark Burnam, a renowned player and coach with the Haudenosaunee Nationals team,” Syracuse.com reported.
MORE: Loyola newspaper apologizes for calling suspected murderer an ‘illegal immigrant’
