[3] Lacrosse was originally played as part of a spiritual endeavour meant to praise and give thanks to the Creator, a tradition still followed today by the Haudenosaunee Nationals.

For example, before each game the Haudenosaunee Nationals gather around their spiritual advisor who leads a traditional tobacco-burning rite, in addition to other rituals in an effort to prepare players before they take the field.

[5] The Iroquois Nationals men's lacrosse team was formed and sanctioned by the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee in 1983 in preparation of friendlies at the NCAA championship in Baltimore, Maryland.

[7] Prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics, the Nationals held the Jim Thorpe Memorial Games and Pow-Wow, a 6-team event with local and international teams in Los Angeles.

They warmed up for the world championship by competing in the Lacrosse USA tournament in Syracuse against top men's club teams.

[13] The company is to develop programs to "promote wellness-and-fitness activities in Native American communities throughout the region", and team members may go to speak to local groups.

Team members will also assist in testing of sustainable produced sportswear for Nike's research and development of processes to use non-toxic dyes and biodegradable organic cotton.

[15] This partnership extends beyond simply providing equipment and apparel and includes programs to promote wellness and fitness among Native American communities.

[4] However, with stricter security measures following the 9/11 terrorist attack, the European Union member states no longer recognized these passports as legal travel documents.

[4] These passports became an issue when the Iroquois Nationals attempted to enter England for the 2010 World Lacrosse Championship held in Manchester.

The Nationals were unable to attend and compete in the 2010 World Lacrosse Championship in England as the United Kingdom did not accept their Iroquois passports.

[20][21] In 2018, the Iroquois Nationals’ travel arrangements to Israel for the World Lacrosse Championship were delayed due to passport issues once again.

However, after the intervention of the Federation of International Lacrosse and the local organizing committee, the Israeli and Canadian governments were able to resolve the issue and lift the travel restrictions.