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< Back Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson Stockbridge-Munsee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Jimmie Johnson was born June 6, 1879, the son of Adis Tousey, a Stockbridge - Munsee Indian, in Edgerton, Wisconsin. In 1899, Johnson attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School of Carlisle, Pennsylvania and joined the school's renowned football team as a quarterback. Under the direction of Carlisle’s legendary coach, Glenn “Pop” Warner, Johnson and his teammates regularly excelled in competition against the powerful football programs of the era such as Penn, Harvard and Yale. During the 1903 season, in a game at Harvard, the Indians found themselves evenly matched against the heavily-favored Harvard. Carlisle had Harvard challenged before a crowd of 15,000 spectators. To start the game’s second half, Johnson executed one of the most memorable scoring plays in the history of early football. After receiving the kickoff, he quickly tucked the football inside the back of teammate Charles Dillon’s jersey. Johnson began a run while holding an imaginary ball. When the Harvard defenders pulled him to the ground, they found that Johnson did not hold the football. In the meantime, Dillon had reached the goal line. Dillon had to touch the ball to the field in order for the score to count and had trouble reaching the ball still positioned up the back of his jersey. With Harvard players confused over what had occurred, Johnson ran to Dillon, removed the hidden ball, and touched it to the field for a score. Harvard complained of foul play, contemporary rules were mute on the subject of a hidden ball, and Carlisle took the lead. Harvard later rallied to win the game 12 to 11, but Carlisle’s trick play made the headlines and became a football legend.. Johnson would be named to Walter Camp’s All-American Football Team. After graduation from Carlisle, Johnson was eligible to continue his playing career as a graduate student at another school and entered the Dental School at Northwestern University. Johnson played for Northwestern in 1904 and 1905, ending his football career with an injury in the game against Minnesota. Johnson earned a D.D.S. degree from Northwestern in 1907 and returned to the Carlisle squad as an assistant to Coach Warner. There, he helped recognize and develop the talents of Jim Thorpe, who subsequently became known as one of the world’s greatest athletes. After practicing dentistry briefly back in Chicago, Johnson and his wife, Florence Welch, an Oneida Indian from Wisconsin and also a Carlisle graduate, moved to Puerto Rico. Johnson set up a successful dentistry practice in San Juan. Johnson died January 19, 1942, at Rochester, Minnesota, and was buried at Lincoln Cemetery in Chicago. In 1969, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Source: Northwestern University Library Archives <Back

< Back Scott Murray Scott Murray Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2025 Scott Murray was born on November 25, 1955, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, living there until the age of 10 before his family moved to Grafton. During his time at Grafton High School, he was a two-time All Conference stand out athlete who lettered in five sports: basketball, baseball, golf, cross country, and track. Scott attended Milton College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management. He was a three-year starter in basketball, scored 1,000 points in his college career and was selected as an All-WICA and All-District collegiate athlete. During his college basketball career, he was invited to play in Costa Rica and later played professional basketball in San Jose, Costa Rica. During his off time in Costa Rica, he was an English teacher. Scott was later inducted into the Milton College Hall of Fame. Scott’s college coach, Dale Race, who coached hundreds of student athletes in his long career, made it clear that number 11 was one of his finest student athletes ever, both on and off the court. He said in his 40 years of coaching, Scott was one of the best, Scott Murray was a champion. For many years, and up to the time of his death on December 18, 2015, Scott was the Area Manager of Fitness and Recreation for the Oneida Nation where he is an enrolled member. In addition to his important role in fitness and recreation, Scott was the well-loved and longtime Head Boys Basketball Coach at the Oneida Nation High School. He also coached the Wisconsin Boys Basketball team at the Native American Indigenous Games where they won the Gold Medal twice. While Scott was an exceptional athlete in high school, college, and at the recreational level, it was not without having to overcome an amazing challenge in life. Early in his high school years, Scott lost three fingers in a shop class. In spite of that traumatic experience his athlete resume’ was amazing. In his post high school and professional basketball years, he continued to be an outstanding recreational athlete regularly competing in basketball, softball, and golf. While competing locally and nationally, Scott was a part of many local and national championships which included three National Championship titles at the National Indian Athletic Association (NIAA) 40 and over tournament. He was selected as the Co-MVP at the 40 and over national NIAA Championship in 1999. Scott Murray passed away on the worksite doing what he loved to do. As the Area Manager of Recreation, Scott took the Nation to another level while constantly working towards making our Nation a better place. Whether it was empowering our youth to become great student athletes or building our future in recreation and sports, Scott cared about the Oneida Nation community. The Oneida Nation Fitness Center gym is now named the Scott Murray Gym in honor of his commitment. <Back

< Back Carolyn Darbyshire-McRorie Carolyn Darbyshire-McRorie Metis Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Carolyn was a contributing member of four provincial championships in 1985, 2007, 2009, and 2020. Playing with her mother in 1985, the team represented Manitoba at the Canadians. She moved to Calgary and played in many competitive play downs and an Olympic Trials spot in 2001, where she played all positions on mixed and ladies teams in that time period. Curling with Team Bernard in 2006, they played in various spiels and went on to win two provincial championships, the Olympic Trials in Edmonton and the Silver Medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, BC. In 2020, she went on to win the Senior Provincial Championship and went to play at the Canadians in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. In 2017, Carolyn went on to get her coaching certificate to give back to her curling community which has given her so much. She has coached a women’s team to their first Alberta Championship and an Olympic Trials spot. In 2018-19, she went on to work in China as the National Women’s curling coach, working with five teams at their Centre located in Beijing. Working closely with two teams, taking them throughout the World Curling Tour events, moved one team from a rank of 50th and 104th to a 24th and 26th ranking in the World Curling standings and a 5th place standing at the World Curling Championships. Carolyn is now back in Canada coaching junior teams for the past two years. Her hopes are to continue curling competitively and working with teams to help give them the knowledge of the game that has given her so much joy and happiness in her life. <Back

Marty Ward <Back Cherokee Induction Category: Year Inducted Coach 2024 Marty Ward has been a part of the Florida Southern men's lacrosse program for nearly its entire existence. The Moccasins have posted an overall record of 105-85, and have been ranked in the USILA Top 20 numerous times. During his time at Florida Southern, the program has produced 71 all-conference selections, 10 USILA All Americans, and 4 USILA Scholar All Americans. Ward was named as the DSC Co-Coach of the Year in 2011 after leading the Mocs to the conference title game. Ward's teams have also excelled in the classroom, with 35 players earning the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award for a total of 61 total selections, with 4 USILA Scholar All Americans Moccasins have also had more than 100 players named to the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll. Ward was a standout goalkeeper and two time All American at Division II powerhouse Limestone College, where he helped lead the Saints to a record of 55-9 in his four years. A member of the Cherokee Nation, Ward has also had success as a goalkeeper for the Iroquois Nationals team, earning a bronze medal at the 2014 World Lacrosse Championships. He was also the starting goalkeeper for the Iroquois Nationals team that finished fourth in 2006. He made the roster in 2010 as the team qualified for the global event but did not participate. He has also served as a coach for the Iroquois Nationals U-19 squad at the international level, leading the team to a bronze medal at the 2012 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships. Ward is currently the only Native American head coach in NCAA men's lacrosse, at any level. In 2018, Ward became the first lacrosse player inducted into the Corcoran (N.Y.) High School Athletics Hall of Fame. Outside of the sport, Ward worked with the NativeVision program from 2013-16, a part of the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Heath. Sponsored by the National Football League (NFL), the program, one of the nation’s largest nutrition, obesity and diabetes prevention programs for American Indian children. Ward lives in Lakeland, Florida with his wife Aricka, daughter Sawyer, and son Ryker.

< Back Jim "Jake" Maloney Jim "Jake" Maloney Sipe’kneketik First Nation, Nova Scotia, Canada Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Jim “Jake” Maloney is a Karate Master Rank and 10th Degree Black Belt training uninterrupted for 55 years beginning in 1963. Jim is the first person in Canada to reach the rank of Black belt in Uechi Ryu Karate, in 1967, and in 1970 brought Uechi Ryu Karate to Canada. Jim grew up in Sipe’kneketik First Nation, Nova Scotia, Canada. At the young age of 16, Jim moved to Boston, Massachusetts and he soon found the Mattson Academy of Karate. The Academy was the founder of Uechi Ryu in the United States and when George Mattson took Jim in under his care, Jim found exactly what he was looking for. Jim studied alongside some of the most decorated competitors in the sport. Jim’s first instructor was Van Canna, one of the top tournament competitors in the Northeastern United States. Jim trained under George Mattson, when Mattson singled him out and provided special attention to his training. Jim began and quickly became, “one of the top kumite competitors”. Jim was an undefeated New England champion in free fighting and cement breaking competitions (1967 -1973). As an official representative to Okinawa, Japan for Canada in the Uechi Ryu Karate Association, Jim has trained more than 16,000 students internationally spanning over four decades, while developing and training hundreds of fighting champions on full contact basis. Jim Maloney has organized and operate the first independent, all Aboriginal training institute in Canada named the First Nation Tribal Justice Institute. The Institute is responsible for training hundreds of First Nation peoples across Canada. Jim Maloney is a living legend, having already been recognized, honored and inducted into the Mi’kmaq Sports Hall of Fame in 2016, the Canadian Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2018 and the East Hants Sport Hall of Fame in 2020. <Back

< Back Jordan Brewer Jordan Brewer Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Jordan Brewer was born in Saint Joseph, MI, and grew up excelling as a three-sport athlete, competing in baseball, football, and basketball. He was recruited by the University of Michigan for football, but a shoulder injury during his senior season derailed those plans. Undeterred, Jordan took the opportunity to play baseball at Lincoln Trail Junior College, where he had a standout two-year career, earning All-Region honors. His performance caught the attention of the University of Michigan’s baseball program, where he quickly made his mark. In his first year, Jordan had an outstanding season, earning Big Ten Player of the Year and helping his team reach the finals of the College World Series. Following this success, Jordan was drafted by the Houston Astros in the third round. He advanced through the Astros minor league system to their Double-A team, overcoming several surgeries along the way. Despite these challenges, Jordan has enjoyed a successful professional baseball career and is excited about what future opportunities lie ahead. Photos: Houston Astros Media Team and Meza Photos <Back

< Back Mekwan Tulpin Mekwan Tulpin Cree Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Builder 2024 Mekwan Tulpin continues to make HERstory today in both women’s field and box styles alongside an evolving sisterhood at provincial, national and international levels of play. She became the first Mushkegowuk Cree from Treaty 9 Territory to compete on the World Cup stage in lacrosse, while exploring her Belgian roots. As the daughter to Mary Jane Metatawabin and Leo Tulpin, she was born and raised mainly in Simcoe, Ontario. Living on Six Nations of the Grand River territory since 2010 has influenced her continued involvement within this high-impact sport for years to come. Tulpin’s current pursuit looks promising as the designated captain to the Haudenosaunee Nationals team with a roster compiled for evaluations at Utica’s 2023 LAXNAI tournament. Athletes making final selections will compete at an inaugural women’s division within World Lacrosse’s 2024 World Box Lacrosse Championships. With the Grand River Attack, she co-captained seven provincial championship titles over a 12+ year span. This includes being named to an All-Star team the past four consecutive years within Canada’s newly titled premier league, Women’s Major Series Lacrosse. As positive momentum across Turtle Island continues in favour of women’s lacrosse participation, campaigns like #Team88 and #WellnessWarrior, and the Women’s Global Box Lacrosse Network have recognized Mekwan as a lead ambassador for major games events. Throughout the years, the power of sport has instilled a desire to help motivate, raise competencies, and promote confidence-building skills amongst youth, as such were foundational to her own personal achievements, growth, and leadership qualities. Mekwan has been sought for coaching and facilitation opportunities through groups such as Turtle Concepts; Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Lacrosse Program; Anishnaabe Baggadowewin; Great Lakes Cultural Camps; Right to Play; Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario; Canadian Women in Sport; and more are on the horizon. <Back

< Back Carey-Leigh Vyse Carey-Leigh Vyse Cayuga Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Carey-Leigh Vyse is a member of the Cayuga Nation and the Deer Clan. She was born and raised on the Six Nations Reservation. She is a mother of three children, including Lyla-Shae, Lahnee-Leigh and Macqoy Vyse. She is married to Danny Vyse, who is an achieved lacrosse player. She is an elementary school teacher on her reservation. Vyse played softball on the infield for Team Canada from 2011-2017 including one year on the Jr. National team and six years on the Sr. National team. She studied, played and started as the third baseman at NCAA D1 Syracuse University. Vyse was on teams that were the Canadian National Champions in 2006, 2008, and 2011. She won the All-Star Short Stop Award at Canadian Nationals three times in the same years. Her Brantford Bobcats Team was inducted into the Ontario Softball Hall of Fame. Vyse competed in the 2012 World Championships held in Whitehorse, Yukon where they placed fourth. She took a year off in 2013 to have her daughter. She made a comeback the very next year, and became the first mother to be named to the Sr. Team. Her team placed fourth in the 2014 World Championships held in Netherlands, Amsterdam. In 2016 her team placed third at the World Championships held in Surrey, BC. She played six years total for the Canadian Women’s National Team and competed in three World Championships and one Pan American Qualifier. From 2016 to the present, she has competed in the Native Canadian Championships where she has played for Red Nation and in most recent years, has played for Six Nations E.C.M (Every Child Matters) and has won Native Canadian Championships with both teams. She won the All- Star Infield Award each year from 2016-2024. She has played in the All-Ontario’s Native Fast-pitch Championships as well since she was 16 where she and her Six Nations teams has earned championship titles. Vyse made the final roster for Team Haudenosaunee and earned a bronze medal at the first 2024 Women’s World Box Lacrosse Championships in Utica, NY. <Back

< Back Jeff Shattler Jeff Shattler Ojibwa Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Jeff Shattler, a Toronto raised Native from the Ojibwa tribe, has played in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) for 15 years. Shattler spent his rookie year with the Buffalo Bandits, but spent the majority of his career with the Calgary Roughnecks. Jeff is currently in his 16th season, with the Saskatchewan Rush where he was most recently named playoff MVP during the 2018 season, and where he helped win the team the championship that year. In addition to two NLL championships during his career, Jeff has also won two Mann Cup championships and participated in nine all star games. Prior to his latest achievements with the Saskatchewan Rush, Shattler had several other career highlights with the Calgary Roughnecks. In 2011 he was awarded with both the ‘Transition Player of the Year’ and the ‘League MVP. Shattler also represents Team Iroquois on an international level where he helped secure three world championships: one bronze medal in field lacrosse, and two silver medals in box lacrosse. At present, Shattler is the all time leading scorer amongst aboriginals in box lacrosse, and number 16 in the NLL. Currently, Shattler and his family are residing in Regina, Saskatchewan where he has founded, The Shattler Lacrosse Academy, an outlet he uses to spread his knowledge and passion for the sport to individuals all across North America. <Back

< Back Ray Fougnier Ray Fougnier Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 On his 81st birthday on April 5, 2024, Oneida tribal member and grandfather Ray Fougnier set 13 new world records and earned four gold medals at the 2024 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) North American Powerlifting Championships. Fougnier also earned the AAU Powerlifting Best Overall Male Lifter Award and the Best Squat Award, named as the best athlete of all competitors, regardless of age. In 2023, Fougnier was named the AAU National Powerlifter of the Year. The year prior, he earned the 2022 AAU Strength Sports Best Overall Male Athlete of the Year Award, which includes powerlifting, weightlifting, body building and feats of strength. These awards include all competitors, regardless of age. Fougnier has competed at the AAU North American, World and International Powerlifting Championships for ten years, setting new records every time in the raw master’s division, where participants within his age range (80-84) do not use equipment to assist their lift. In addition to his success in powerlifting, Fougnier is also an accomplished educator, administrator and academic. After growing up in the homelands of the Oneida Indian Nation in Upstate New York, the weightlifting champion was selected to serve as the first Director for the American Indian Program at Cornell University. He also served as a teacher or administrator in the East Syracuse-Minoa, Solvay, Westhill and Syracuse City school districts. Fougnier started powerlifting at the age of 70. He was a natural athlete and lifted throughout high school when he was playing sports more consistently. The primary reason for powerlifting later in life was seeing both of his parents struggle with their health. His father was diagnosed with cancer and passed at the age of 66 shortly after retiring. His mother developed diabetes in her 40s and struggled with managing that disease up until she passed at the age of 72. Fougnier has spent the last ten years as a World Champion, and now having entered his third age group in competition, he knows his success supports the correlation between strength training and disease prevention. Source/Photos: Oneida Indian Nation <Back

< Back James Nells James Nells Navajo Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 James Nells, born in Winslow, Arizona is full blood Navajo Nation tribal member. His mother was Dorothea (Jackson) Shirley, father was Edward Nells. He is Salt clan, born for under his cover clan, grandparents are Black streak in the wood (mother) and Red bottom (father). James has three sisters living on the Navajo reservation including Brenda, Sandra and Dixie. They grew up around the Cedar Springs, Seba Dalkai, White Cone area of Arizona. They finally moved to Church Rock, New Mexico and James attended Church Rock Elementary, Bountiful Junior High and South Bountiful Jr. High in Bountiful, Utah. He attended and graduated from Wingate High School, Fort Wingate, New Mexico in 1977. James attended Haskell Indian Junior College (1978-80), Lawrence, Kansas, and graduated from Central State University (1980-83), Edmond, Oklahoma with a Bachelor degree in Teaching Physical Education and Health with a coaching option. He participated in Cross Country, Wrestling and Track. In college he ran both cross country and track. He is a state high school champion in the two-mile run (1976) and state runner-up in cross country, track mile and two mile run several times. He is also a High School All-American in Track. In college he was a two time All-American in Indoor Track and held the cross country course record while attending Haskell in 24:47 for 8K. James served in the US Army from 1984-92, was second in command in his unit while in Desert Storm with the 2-16 Infantry Rangers, Fort Riley, KS and received a Bronze Star. James and his wife Daisy Elana (Pratt) Nells have been married 38 years and they have two daughters and five sons and 13 grandkids. Photo: James and Elana Nells in 2022 <Back

< Back Bernard Clark Bernard Clark Koyukon Athabaskan Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Bernard Clark, an Alaskan born and raised Koyukon Athabaskan, started his sports journey in 2010 with his Native Youth Olympics debut. In 2011 with the support of his high school team Bernard tied the men’s world record for One Hand Reach at 69”, previously held by 2023 NAIAHF inductee Jesse Frankson. This marked the beginning of Bernard’s journey. He then continued to compete in the World Eskimo Indian Olympics (WEIO) held annually in Fairbanks, Alaska. In the several years to follow, Bernard supported and paralleled his wife in becoming the NYO coaches of Wasilla High School. With coaching from past and current generation Alaskan athletes like Nicole Johnson, Carol Hull, Casey Ferguson, Kyle Worl, Alexavier Covey and Nick Hanson, Bernard was sure to succeed. In 2013, 2020, and again in 2024 Bernard set new records in the One Hand Reach (71”) and Swing Kick (65”). He also earned medals in several other events including the Blanket Toss, High Kicks, and distance jumping contests. In between competitions Bernard loves to share, volunteer and commit his time and experience to keeping the Alaskan traditional games alive, from radio talk show interviews, filming a segment for BBC, to interviews with a Smithsonian reporter to his yearly stage performances at the Alaska State Fair. Bernard shares his passion for the events in the hopes of the games continuing to grow and thrive. Photos: Teyah Clark and Greg Lincoln <Back