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Fern Spencer <Back Hopi/Navajo Induction Category: Year Inducted Coach 2024 Fern L. Spencer is Hopi from the Water clan and Navajo from the Honeycomb and Towering House clans and lives in Tohatchi, NM. She recently retired after 49 years in education and coaching at Tohatchi High School. Spencer was born in Phoenix, AZ. She was a 1968 graduate of Gallup High School. She attended Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM. She walked on to the team at a time when there was six person basketball for women. By the end of her time at the university women’s basketball transitioned to five person basketball. When she received her first teaching job in 1974, she was asked if she was interested in coaching the girls’ basketball team. She accepted and taught for 49 years including 37 years coaching basketball and ten years in cross country. During that time she accumulated 517 wins and the team were 1982 New Mexico State Runner Up and earned six district titles, six trips to state, eight All Star teams, and coached the NM All Stars in Australia 2006. Spencer was named the 2004 New Mexico Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. She received a plaque for coaching 400 wins in 2003 when she received the New Mexico Girls Basketball Coach of the Year award. She also received honors as 2006 Athletic Director of the Year, 2014 New Mexico High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, 2019 National Federation of Coaches Hall of Fame and 2023 New Mexico High School Distinguished Service Award. She was named to the Navajo Times Hall of Fame and coached games between New Mexico and Arizona after the season ended from 1990 to 1994. Spencer was also President of the New Mexico High School Coaches Association and the New Mexico Athletic Directors Association. She is also the current vice-president for the All-Indian Rodeo Cowboys Association and the Native American Rodeo Historical Society. She had a great experience coaching student athletes and her philosophy has been academics first then athletics.

< Back Jim Neilson ​ ​ ​ Jim Neilson Big River First Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Jim Neilson was one of the first Indigenous superstars in the sport of hockey, playing in the National Hockey League for 16 seasons. Born in Big River, Saskatchewan and raised at an orphanage in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Neilson honed his hockey skills through his youth. At 17 he played Junior A with the Prince Albert Mintos in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He made his professional debut at 19 for the Kitchener-Waterloo Beavers of the Eastern Professional Hockey League, named the league’s top rookie in 1962. That fall he joined the New York Rangers of the NHL for the next 12 seasons. He was named the Rangers top defenseman in 1966 and was runner-up to Bobby Orr for the Norris Trophy (top defenseman) in 1967-68. Neilson and the Rangers lost in the 1972 Stanley Cup Final to Boston in 6 games. In 1974 he was traded to the California Golden Seals, where he was named team captain and Team MVP in 1975-76. Neilson finished his NHL career with the Cleveland Barons for 2 seasons, where he again was the team captain. He was the team nominee for the Bill Masterton Award presented to the player who depicts perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication. His professional career concluded in 1978-79 when he played with the Edmonton Oilers in the World Hockey Association where he was a teammate of 17 year-old Wayne Gretzky. In 1,023 regular season NHL games, Neilson had 69 goals and 299 assists and was named to 4 NHL All Star Teams. Jim Neilson was inducted into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. <Back

< Back Joey Christjohn ​ ​ ​ Joey Christjohn Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Joey Christjohn is an Oneida tribal member in Wisconsin. He started his boxing career as an amateur with his first bout in 1974 in Fond du Lac, WI at the local YMCA. His last bout as a professional was against Carlos DeLeon in Milwaukee, WI in 1993. Christjohn had 92 amateur fights with a record of 68 wins and 24 losses. He was a three-time Wisconsin Golden Gloves Champion. Christjohn was also the 1980 National Indian Athletic Association light heavyweight champion and recorded a knockout in 27 seconds. His pro debut was on Halloween in 1985 and he had 41 bouts in his career winning 19, losing 19, and had 3 draws. His pro career took him throughout the country including Carson City, NV, Milwaukee, WI, and Chicago, IL as well as overseas in Poland and France. One of his notable fights was defeating Oliver McCall in 1985. McCall would eventually win the 1994 WBC heavyweight championship of the world. Christjohn’s sparring partners included Greg Powless, Leander Danforth Jr., Ron Melchert, Kelly Stevens, Ernie Stevens Jr., Tim Tomashek, and Dennis Danforth Sr. <Back

Alfred Jacques Onondaga Induction Category: Year Inducted Builder 2024 <Back Alfred “Alfie” Jacques, the legendary Onondaga Nation and Turtle clan stickmaker handcrafted more than 80,000 wooden lacrosse sticks during his lifetime. His Onondaga name was Ganoñhsahgaeoñh. There are stories of Alfie and his dad Lou beginning the stickmaking making process and including the traditions in their work. A 1999 Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Famer, Jacques played junior, senior and professional lacrosse in the 1960s and 1970s. He played nearly every position in box and field lacrosse and was a goalie for the 1974 Syracuse Stingers during their one season in the National Lacrosse League. Jacques also coached and served as general manager for the Onondaga Red Hawks, leading them to a Presidents Cup championship in 2010. He was honored with the 15th Spirit of the Tewaaraton Award. His sticks are on exhibit at the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum at USA Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Maryland. Jacques also was enshrined by the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Upstate New York Chapter of USA Lacrosse, now the Upstate Lacrosse Foundation, into its hall of fame in 2014. Jacques was the coach and general manager for the Onondaga Redhawks and he led the team to three Presidents Cup championship appearances in addition to winning a championship in his final season in 2010 with a 13-1 record. Jacques has had several YouTube videos featuring him and his work. These are a few: Alf Jacques / The Stickmaker / US Lacrosse - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKb1rArGurA&t=16s and, How Native American Lacrosse Sticks are Carved From Hickory Wood / Still Standing / Insider Business - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_USWpG9xKUg Jacques died at the age of 74 on June 14, 2023. Note: 2023 NAIAHF inductee Barry Powless provided the artwork of Alfie Jacques. He said Alfie gave him a picture of his dad Lou when they visited and he included Lou in the artwork.

< Back George Armstrong ​ ​ ​ George Armstrong Algonquin (Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg) Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2023 George Armstrong is known as one of the first Indigenous trailblazers in the NHL. He played 21 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs between 1949 and 1971 and captained the team to 4 Stanley Cup championships in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967. George played more seasons, more regular season games, and captained the Maple Leafs longer than any other player in the club’s history. He was called by Conn Smythe "the best captain, as a captain, the Leafs have ever had." Born in Bowlands Bay, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Wanapitei, George grew up in a small northern mining community. In the winters, he practiced his skating and hockey skills when lakes froze over, in the summers he enjoyed swimming and hunting in the bush. His mother, a strong Algonquin woman, raised George to be proud of his heritage. After his time with the Copper Cliff Jr. Redman, George played for the Stratford Kroehlers in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA), where he won the Red Tilson Trophy as OHA’s Most Valuable Player and the Eddie Powers Trophy as the league’s Top Scorer in 1947-1948. In 1950, Armstrong won the Allan Cup with the Toronto Sr. Malboros. While visiting the Stoney Indian Reserve in Alberta during the Allan Cup finals, the band presented him with a headdress and gave him the name “Big Chief Shoot-the-Puck” in honour of his Indigenous heritage. The nickname “the Chief” stuck with him throughout the rest of his career. After his retirement in 1971, George coached the Toronto Marlboros to two Memorial Cup championships in 1972-1973 and 1974-1975. In 1975, George was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. His jersey was retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016. George ranks among the top all-time scorers in Maple Leafs history with 713 points in 1,188 regular season games. <Back

< Back Shiloh Butts ​ ​ ​ Shiloh Butts Chickasaw Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Shiloh Butts was born and raised in southern Oklahoma. Butts was involved in archery since he was four years old. He began competing in both traditional and compound classes at the age of 13 on the state level, slowly expanding out regionally and then nationally. After graduating high school, he stopped competing in the compound class and focused on competing in 3D tournaments in traditional archery, primarily in the longbow division. Butts won multiple state titles in recurve, longbow, and self-bow in Oklahoma, Texas, and Arkansas as well as being crowned IBO World Champion in 2014 and 2017 in the Longbow Division and in 2015 and 2021 in the Self-bow division. In the summer of 2022, Butts qualified in the top position of the longbow division to represent the United States Archery Team at the World Archery 3D Championships in Terni, Italy in September 2022. Fortunately, during the weeklong tournament, he was able shoot well and earn the Bronze Medal competing against the best longbow archers in the world. He hopes to make the USA Archery team again to represent our country at the next championships in 2024. <Back

< Back Ernie Stevens Jr. ​ ​ ​ Ernie Stevens Jr. Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Builder 2022 Ernie Stevens, Jr. is Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) out of Washington, DC. Serving in his 11th consecutive two-year terms. Stevens serves as Chairman and National spokesman for the Indian Gaming industry working with Tribal Leadership in shaping policy initiatives that have the potential to impact the industry. Stevens served as elected Councilman for the Oneida Nation from 1993 to 1996. His career in Washington, DC began in 1995 as the First Vice-President of the National Congress of American Indians. He serves as a board member of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, Nike N7 Foundation, Center for American Indian Youth, and American Indian Graduate Center. In 2008, Stevens was inducted into the National Indian Athletic Association Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was inducted as Lifetime Member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s Alumni Association. In 2015, Stevens was inducted into the American Gaming Association Gaming Hall of Fame, and has received several national accolades. Ernie’s boxing career started in his teens. At 16, along with boxing icon Louie Askinette, he co-founded the Soaring Eagle Boxing Club in Oneida in 1975. His accolades include 4-time State Heavyweight Champion in 1976, 1977, 1978 & 1979. He is also a two-time National Heavyweight Champion out of Carson City, NV in 1977 & 1978. In 1977, he was 17 years old fighting seasoned men to win the Championship. Stevens received an Associate Degree from Haskell Indian Junior College, 1983, a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Mount Senario College,1996 and a Masters in Management from the University of Phoenix, 2021. Stevens is married to his wife and best friend of 43 years, Cheryl. Together they have 5 kids and 17 grandchildren. <Back

Jacqueline Lavallee <Back Metis Induction Category: Year Inducted Coach/Athlete 2024 Jacqueline Lavallee has been an assistant coach with the Huskie women’s basketball program for the past 20 seasons. In that time, the Huskies have won two CIS National Championships (2016 and 2020), and eight Canada West titles, (2022, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2011, 2006), and have qualified for the CIS Championship eleven of the last thirteen seasons. Lavallee is a former member of the Huskie women’s basketball and soccer teams, playing from 1996-2002. She won the Sylvia Sweeney Award and was a Canada West All-Star in basketball and soccer and a CIS All-Canadian in basketball and soccer. She has been inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame, the University of Saskatchewan Athletic Wall of Fame, the Holy Cross High School Wall of Honor, and the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Lavallee represented Canada at two World University Games including one in 1999 in China and in 2001 in Spain and was a part of national team programming from 1999-2004. After playing a season of professional basketball in Marburg, Germany, Lavallee decided to come back to Canada to start her career in teaching and coaching. Besides coaching at the university level, she was also the head coach of the Cadet women’s National team that qualified for the first ever under-17 World Championships in France in the summer of 2010. Lavallee was not just an athlete as she was recognized for her academics as the CIS Top 8 All-Academic in 2002 which made her the first athlete from Huskie athletics to receive this honour. Jacqueline was also recognized as the Regional Recipient of the Tom Longboat Award as an athlete in 2000 and then became the National Recipient of the Tom Longboat Award for coaching in 2008. Lavallee’s accomplishments along with her community involvement afforded her another honour of being named the 2010 Olympic Torchbearer and Cauldron Lighter for the city of Saskatoon.

< 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

Harold Ladouceur Cree Induction Category: Year Inducted Trainer 2024 <Back Harold Ladouceur was raised in between northern Alberta and the Kikino Metis settlement and Saulteux and Moosomin Reserves in Saskatchewan. Horses had been his family's life since he could remember. Whether it be work horses logging or weekend rodeos. Understanding the needs of horses was ingrained in Ladouceur as a boy. Racing thoroughbreds would ultimately be the path that Ladouceur would find himself. His late Grandfather Alec Poitras trained countless thoroughbreds that would race on the B circuit. As a teenager Ladouceur would be exercising and grooming in the morning and race riding in the afternoon. Ladouceur honed his skills as an exercise rider before traveling to Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg where he would meet his future wife. The couple traveled to Florida where he would find his niche in breaking yearlings for prominent pin hookers that would take them across America working the training sales. They found themselves under the tutelage of renowned horseman Luke McKathan who would be instrumental in his career eventually holding two track records with horses McKathan would later send him. 25 years later Ladouceur still does business with the McKathan family. A fateful afternoon at the CTHS auction, where a slight framed bay filly caught his eye at the Hill N Dale consignment. He had to have her. Hip 98 would be named Paladin Bay by Ladouceur’s mother-in-law, meaning defender and champion. That she was. Winning numerous stakes one being the graded Selene. She was nominated for two and three year old champion filly. Paladin Bay would earn almost 700k before being sold to the prestigious Calumet farm. Some of Ladouceur's achievements are winning the Inaugural Turf Endurance Championship for longtime owner Kirk Sutherland with Tesseron, placing in the Grade 1 International with turf star Primo Touch, and winning the Kingarvie with homebred Jurojin. Barn favorites Wake up Maggie, Splendid Glory, and McCulley earned in the 150k range. Ladouceur has a loyal roster of top woodbine trainers that entrust him with their yearling purchases to be started and paved the way for a successful racing career. The ability to communicate with these young horses and allow them to learn how to safely and happily become racehorses undoubtedly comes from his heritage. To the plains Cree a horse is embraced as a brother. This reputation played a role in being hired to train for the iconic Stronach Stables. Ladouceur believes that horses are sacred animals that will speak to you, one only has to listen.

Kayla Gardner Category Athlete Tribe Eagle Lake First Nation Year Inducted 2022 D.O.B. 11/16/1994 Kayla Gardner was a two-time girls’ hockey state champion with the Warroad Warriors, earning back to back titles in 2010 and 2011. Gardner was a contributing member of five section 8A championships. Off the ice, Gardner was a member of the National Honor Society. After graduating from Warroad High School, Gardner attended the University of North Dakota from 2013-2017, where she received a full hockey scholarship. During her time at UND, Gardner was a three-time WCHA Scholar Athlete. After earning her Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 2017, Gardner went on to play professional hockey with the Calgary Inferno of the CWHL. After a successful year with the Calgary Inferno, Gardner continued her professional hockey career in Sweden, playing with the Brynäs IF in the SDHL. Home About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More

< Back Richard Peter ​ ​ ​ Richard Peter Cowichan Tribes Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 He was known as “Bear” to many people, not only a nod to his strength and the size of his hands, but also the size of his heart. Poll the world’s top wheelchair basketball coaches and players regarding about who they’d choose to build their ultimate dream team around and in the top five would be Duncan, British Columbia’s Richard Peter. A proud member of the Cowichan Tribes, community was a huge part of Peter’s upbringing. Strength of family and his own determination helped him overcome a terrible injury at age four when a school bus backed up over his chest breaking his hip and spinal cord just below the ribcage. Adjusting to life in a small community with few wheelchair-accessible buildings wasn’t easy, but Peter’s strength of character more than met the challenges. He graduated from public school and tried virtually every sport available. In 1994, Peter debuted on the Canadian national team and was a pillar of strength for Canada from 1996 through to 2012. Beginning in 1996, Peter represented Canada at five Paralympic Games helping capture three golds (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, London 2012) and a silver (Beijing 2008). In world championship play, Peter has been part of one gold medal-winning squad (2006) and three that earned bronze. Six times he led Team BC to the national championship. Individually, Peter is regarded as one of the fiercest defenders in the world, an effortless scorer, and one of the game’s most sportsmanlike players. In the latter years of his career, Peter was still a regular member of the national team and played professionally in Germany with club RSV Lahn-Dill where he lived part of the year with wife Marni Abbott-Peter, herself a BC Sports Hall of Famer. At the same time, Peter was already racking up an impressive array of accolades. Twice named winner of the Tom Longboat Award as Canada’s Male Aboriginal Athlete of the Year, he was also a two-time Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association Male Athlete of the Year, and the 2008 Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Athlete of the Year. Bio credit: Jason Beck, Curator of the BC Sports Hall of Fame. <Back