Spend 10 minutes talking to Larson Sundown and you’ll understand why the Ottawa Black Bears forward is beloved in the lacrosse community from coast to coast. The 28-year-old is wise beyond his years and humble to a fault. He’s personable and charitable and that has made him a fan favourite wherever he’s played.
Growing up in Basom, NY, on the Tonawanda Reservation near Buffalo, there were three major reasons that Sundown grew up to become the man he is today: his family, his heritage as a member of the Seneca Nation, and lacrosse.
Sundown just completed his fourth season in the NLL. He spent the first three years with the New York Riptide and then accompanied the team when they moved to Ottawa for the 2024-25 season. He’s scored 173 points in 71 games, many of them highlight-reel dunk goals that always bring the crowd to their feet.
A 4-goal, highlight-reel effort from Larson Sundown led @ottblackbears over Vancouver 9-8 on Friday night.
Check it out 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ns72pN1Vr8
— NLL (@NLL) January 18, 2025
And in that crowd, every game without fail, are his parents Gary and Tara dressed in their Sundown jerseys and beaded medallions. It’s a five-hour drive from Tonawanda to Ottawa, but this is a family that supports one another, and it means a lot to Sundown.
“Whether they’re taking trips from home or going to Ohio first for my brother’s games and then coming to mine, I certainly appreciate all the hours they put in on the road for us,” Sundown said.
Sundown has two older brothers, Hisdee and Sturgis, and one younger brother, Sly, who is currently playing Jr. B lacrosse for the Owen Sound North Stars. During the school year he’s at the University of Mount Union in Division III.
“He and a few other individuals did a lot of groundwork for the minor program to be established and for that box to be built. And when it was built, initially it was just like plywood with multicolored boards and it didn’t really match; it had chicken wire on the side and there were some really dangerous areas in the dirt,” Sundown described. “But I loved it because my dad put a lot of time and heart into it. I spent a lot of time there, whether it was being there with him cleaning up at the end of the day or setting up in the [morning] or whatever the case may be. I loved it because it was ours and our community’s and we were all proud to play there.”
“He doesn’t realize. There are a lot of things that he did in our community where he gave, not only me, but a lot of kids, some hope and the ability to dream.”
Sundown said that it was his mom who started getting crafty, before his dad picked up on the beaded medallions that are popular in Indigenous culture.
“He’s been doing them pretty frequently, I would say. The ones that you might’ve seen might have been a Black Bears one and then a Riptide one. They’re so beautiful. He makes them all individualized and whether it’s the different patterns or different colors, I love hearing about [people] walking around the arena asking about them. He did a set for the team before. It’s so special to see my teammates wear the medallions with such pride. I love when my teammates get to celebrate my culture.”
Growing up, Sundown worked in his mom’s shop along with the rest of his extended family. He called it a one-stop shop for gas, propane and necessities, and said he was lucky to spend that extra time with the people he loved, knowing not everyone gets that kind of time together or support.
Sundown, who still lives near his family, said his parents never overtly counselled him on how to be a good person – it was implicit in the time they spent together and the lessons he learned from them.
“I was always one of those kids that had a heart for individuals that are going through things that are tougher,” he said. “I think it was my parents reminding me to be mindful of those scenarios. They made sure I treated everybody the way that I wanted to be treated. And I think that golden rule right there played a big role in my growth as an individual and I also think it’s my family, especially my dad, wanting to instill a high level of respect within me and my brothers.”
His aunts and uncles were part of his development too, and along with championing Sundown’s lacrosse achievements, they would always remind him that someone else out there was working just as hard as he was.
“That’s something that they instilled in all of us, whether it was my brothers or myself or any of my cousins. Just do the right things and everything else will fall into place.”
“I’m very proud and obviously, when anyone asks me, I say it. I say it with a ton of pride,” he stated. “[Everyone] has their own problems. But I’m so proud to say where I came from because my family’s done so much work to just be proud of who they are. I try to live every day just remembering where I’m from.”
Sundown fondly remembers spending time in the car with his mom on their way to the Longhouse, where she would impart her wisdom.
“She would make me realize I couldn’t be so immature at times and that you have to think of the purpose behind what we do. We’re taught to be so mindful of the earth, the water, the sun, the rain – it all ties into our growth as a people and obviously just carrying that to the land.”
He lists community cleanup days as an example.
“She would explain, ‘this is why we’re doing it and it may not feel fun in the moment, but you have to do it because it’s not about you.’ It’s about keeping the community clean or it’s about keeping a tradition going or even within yourself, just passing on those characteristics that you feel other individuals can blossom from.”
Lacrosse is a community tradition for the Seneca: both a want and a need, Sundown said. Sundown was given a stick at birth and has been playing organized lacrosse since he was a young child, starting with minor teams in Tonawanda under the tutelage of his parents.
Lacrosse has taken him across Canada and back, experiences for which he is grateful. His junior lacrosse career saw Sundown suit up for both the New Westminster Salmonbellies and Coquitlam Adanacs in the BCJALL. He won a Minto Cup with Coquitlam in 2018 and was then drafted into the WLA by the Victoria Shamrocks, where he competed for the Mann Cup in 2019 (though the Shamrocks lost to Peterborough). His dad and brother Hisdee were able to see him compete for both trophies.
During the summer these days, Sundown is a mainstay for the Six Nations Chiefs of the MSL and a two-time defending Mann Cup champion. In fact, just four hours after we spoke for this article, Sundown scored two goals and two assists in a 16-7 win over Cobourg. It takes him around two hours to drive from one reserve to another.
Sundown plays lacrosse for the Creator, no matter which community he is in, whether it be Six Nations, Tonawanda or Ottawa.
“We play lacrosse for various reasons, but… for me and my family, it was a way of life. We were playing, I would say 365 days a year, or close to year-round. I always try to give thanks before I play a game just to let the Creator know that we’re thankful for the ability to play this game, the talent that he gives us and the game itself; I can’t reiterate that enough. It’s certainly to play for him and play for the joy of him and for the joy of the community. Whatever community we’re in, try to play for them and uplift them in any way that we can.”
He sees similarities in how the Indigenous communities in Six Nations and Tonawanda approach the game.
“It’s the passionate fans and the love for the game, whether it’s from the guy who’s running the team, the guys who are running the (bench) doors or keeping stats, or the players. I think that’s something for me that I really gravitate towards, is the individuals who truly love the game.”
He sees a lot of that as well, suiting up for the Haudenosaunee Nationals in international play and representing his culture to different nations around the world.
Sundown is looking forward to the chance to connect with more Indigenous communities in the Ottawa area, which is close to three large Mohawk reserves in Tyendinaga, Kahnawake and Akwesasne, all of which boast their own local lacrosse programs.
“I know that is in the plans, especially with how rich the communities are out there,” he previewed. “We certainly want to let them know that they’re just as much a part of our community as anybody else in the surrounding area and bring them in as much as we can and [grow] that relationship with Indigenous youth. I think it’s special for the kids to be able to experience that.”
The world would be better off having more people like Larson Sundown acting as role models for the next generation. He may be an athlete who gets to play his favourite game for a living, but he doesn’t take it for granted. It hasn’t made him stray from who he was raised to be and who he still strives to be every day.
“No matter how old I get, no matter how wise I may feel at times, you can always ask more questions,” he imparted. “You can always be eager to learn more because your glass is never full.”
