On Friday, Nov. 7, Bucknellians young and old gathered to honor the legendary Bucknell Lacrosse Coach Sid Jamieson on the 20th anniversary of his retirement from coaching.
Also on the program was a celebration of his vision for a campus Native American Reflection Space as part of the development of the Bucknell Greenway.
For Sid’s titles include not only Coach, but also Elder, in the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy.
As President Bravman put it at the event, if anyone deserves the moniker “Mr. Bucknell,” it is Sid Jamieson. He was the founder of the Bucknell Lacrosse program, and also led the Iroquois National Lacrosse Team. In the two decades since he retired as coach, he has remained active in support of Bucknell in various ways, while also taking a lead in Native American and environmental causes. He still lives near campus and remains a familiar figure at men’s and women’s lacrosse team practices and dog-walking on the Greenway west of Route 15.
During “retirement,” he was instrumental in connecting the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force and Confederacy leadership with the National Park Service. That work by him was key to expanding a national historic trail along the Susquehanna River alongside Bucknell. Bucknell students and faculty assisted with research.
Below are a few photos from the Nov. 7 event, which featured remarks by President John Bravman, President Emeritus Gary Sojka, Vice President of Athletics Tim Pavlechko, and current Men’s Lacrosse Coach Frank Fedorjaka.
Prof. Gabriela Diego of the MIDE Program of the Freeman College of Management also presented the concept plan for the Native American Reflection Space, which was developed with help from her students. It will involve moving the Seven Generation Sculpture to adjoin the Tree of Peace in front of the Athletic Center, incorporating some outdoor seating and native plantings, with information on Native American culture and the region developed by Bucknell students. The sculpture and the tree were both dedicated on campus by Haudenosaunee leaders.
The idea for the space originated from Coach Jamieson’s vision, and developed from the Ecological Restoration Working Group of the President’s Sustainability Council, in tandem with the Bucknell Native American Working Group including Coach Jamieson, and the Bucknell Stories of the Susquehanna Valley Project. Design and journalism students from classes taught by Prof. Diego and Prof. Paul Siewers (English) helped with aspects of the work, together with an intern funded by alumni at the Open Discourse Coalition who helped with the framework for the Greenway, of which the site will be a part. Facilities staff helped with the planning and cost estimates. The Athletics Department and President Bravman have expressed support for the project.
Two other potential pilot Greenway projects for the future include a remembrance site for Bucknell’s role in the Civil War and the Underground Railroad, and also a space commemorating the founding of Bucknell including its historic Female Institute.
Photos of the event follow below:
