For Sx̱wálhkin Pete Natrall, lacrosse is a natural extension of who he is as a Squamish Person.

He enjoyed playing for more than 25 years, and about eight years ago, decided to turn his passion into a business.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to share that we’re a lacrosse community but also tell the story of who we are as Coastal people playing K’éxwa7 – lacrosse – to share our stories visually in some of the sticks and graphics that I do,” Pete said.

RePete Productions offers a variety of services connected to the game, including Indigenous inclusion support for clubs and associations, corporate gifting, and customized graphics for lacrosse apparel.

He also customizes, designs, and strings both plastic and wood sticks, and while he happily works with both materials, it’s the wood stick that holds a special place in his heart:

“It reconnects us to Mother Earth when you hold the wood stick,” Pete explained. “Whether it’s buffalo, bear, or deer – all these different types of hide that are put into the leather are reborn into the stick.”

It’s a labour of love for Pete, who has designed over 200 wood sticks in the past two years alone. His work is in high demand, with requests pouring in through social media from places like New York, Hawaii, and Washington, DC.

“Being able to gain international attention for what I do is very humbling,” said Pete.

Asked if he has any advice for other Indigenous entrepreneurs looking to turn their athletic passions into a career, he offered:

“Follow your own instinct. There will be a lot of naysayers and somebody telling you, you can’t do it because they don’t think it’s a big enough demographic, but if you put your passion and dedication into your work, it will shine through. You’ll create opportunities and open doors for yourself that you didn’t think were possible.”

To request a customized lacrosse stick, garment, or service from Pete, email pete.natrall@gmail.com or call 778-898-9732.