< Back Neal Powless Neal Powless Onondaga Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Neal Powless played for the Iroquois Nationals in 6 World Lacrosse Championships and made the tournament’s ALL-World Team as an Attackman in 2002 and won a Silver Medal in 2003. Mr. Powless is a Professional (1), NCAA (1) and Canadian (3) National Champion. He was a 3x All-American at Nazareth College and held the Single Season goals (57 in 15 games) record for 18 years, which is still second all-time even though the seasons are now 18 games. Neal played professionally for 7 seasons amassing 53 goals and 39 assists in 41 games. Neal is the current Head Coach of the Men’s Dutch National Box Lacrosse Team that is ranked #8 in the World. He began coaching the Netherlands in 2014-16, where they finished #17 in the World and #7 in Europe in Field lacrosse. In 2017 he transitioned to box lacrosse where they progressed from #17 in Europe to their current World rank. Neal was inducted into the Nazareth College Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the US Lacrosse, CNY Chapter Hall of Fame in 2017, one of the most prestigious chapters in the USA. He also produced the Major Motion Picture Crooked Arrows, which featured lacrosse. <Back

< Back George Robert “GR” Carter Jr. George Robert “GR” Carter Jr. Osage Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 George Robert “GR” Carter Jr. is a retired professional race horse jockey. Carter was named the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) World Champion Jockey ten times in his career including six years consecutively from 2003-2007. No other jockey has won more than five titles. He finished his career as the all time leader in AQHA racing with $75,799,513 in mount earnings and also is the leader by wins with 4,013. Carter is proud of his native Osage heritage and he was born and raised in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. He attended Indian Camp elementary school and graduated from Pawhuska High School in 1986. As a teenager, he was a competitive gymnast and won the state championship when he was 12 years old. During his senior year at Pawhuska High School, Carter won the Class A State Wrestling Championship at 108 pounds. Growing up, Carter was involved in ranching and rodeo, which helped develop his love of horses. At age 14, he began galloping race horses for a local trainer to help fund his rodeo participation. Throughout his senior year in high school, he would occasionally ride races on the weekends at Blue Ribbon Downs and Eureka Downs. After graduating from high school in 1986, Carter moved to Sallisaw, OK to become a full-time jockey at Blue Ribbon Downs. Carter won the All American Futurity twice, in 1998 aboard Falling in Love Again in 2008 aboard Stolis Winner. In 2008, Carter set a new AQHA single-season earnings record by reaching the $5,027,173 mark in mount earnings. May 31, 2009 was declared by Governor Brad Henry as GR Carter Day in Oklahoma. Carter was known throughout the racing world for his “back-flip” dismounts. After winning a stakes race, he often used his gymnastics background to celebrate by performing a back-flip off of the horse form the saddle. GR rode and won his first officially recognized race at 16 years of age in 1984 on a mare named Beas Jester owned and trained by his father George. He finished his career winning the Los Alamitos 2 Million on Flash and Roll in December 2018. Carter and his wife Shaena reside in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In his spare time, Carter is an avid team roper. He will occasionally enter professional rodeos, and own the Pro-Am at the 2007 World Series of Team Roping. <Back

< Back Angelo Baca Angelo Baca Diné/Hopi Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Angelo Baca is a cultural activist, scholar, filmmaker and currently a doctoral student in anthropology at New York University. He is the cultural resources coordinator at Utah Diné Bikéyah, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the defense and protection of culturally significant ancestral lands. The National Parks Conservation Association recently designated him as one of “10 Under 40” dynamic cultural activists who make up the association’s Next Generation Advisory Council. He has published a widely read op-ed in the New York Times. Shash Jaa’: Bears Ears is Angelo Baca’s latest award-winning film about the five tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition that worked together to protect 1.9 million acres of Utah wilderness through a national monument designation. His work reflects a long-standing dedication to both Western and Indigenous knowledge. Baca is also the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Champion in Cross Country and on the outdoor track in the 3000 meters steeplechase and 5000 meters in 2002-03. He also is a seven-time NJCAA All American in Cross Country, Track and the Half Marathon. Currently, he is training for trail races and long distances runs across Indigenous landscapes in Navajo country. <Back

7G Foundation Pauma Band of Luiseño Indian Induction Category: Year Inducted Builder 2022 <Back The 7G Foundation was founded by Bennae Calac, an enrolled member of Pauma Band of Luseno Indian of Pauma Valley, California. Bennae started 7G to inspire leadership in youth through education, athletics, culture and real-world support for the next seven generations. The Indigenous Bowl is 7G’s signature event that is held annually. In 2020 the Indigenous Bowl was paused due to the global pandemic. However, in December 2021 the 4th Indigenous Bowl was played at the US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. In 2021, the Indigenous Bowl had 54 Native American high school football players representing 30 tribes from California to British Columbia. For many of the players it was the first time they had travelled outside their state. Stepping into a professional sports stadium not as a spectator but as a skilled player was life changing for these young athletes and as some expressed “a dream come true.” The 7G Foundation is committed to giving young Native American athletes visibility and providing pathways to reach their highest potential in high school, college and beyond. The unique aspect of the 7G foundation is celebrating and honoring the Native American heritage and culture of each of the athletes. Creating safe places that inspire the athletes to thrive has been the bedrock of 7G Foundation.

< Back Jordin Tootoo Jordin Tootoo Inuit Induction Category: Year Inducted Atlete 2024 Jordin Tootoo made history as the first Inuk player to be drafted by the NHL. Over his 13-year career, he played for the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, and Chicago Blackhawks, banking 161 points, including 65 goals, in 723 career games. A trailblazer both on and off the ice, Tootoo has since become a vocal mental health advocate dedicated to giving back to his communities. He speaks to the power of creating a culture of inspired inclusivity and explores what real teamwork looks like, both at home and work. Of Inuit and Ukrainian descent, Tootoo is not only the first Inuk NHL player, but also the first one raised in Nunavut. He played for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 1999 to 2003 and was drafted by the Nashville predators in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. Tootoo was nominated for the NHL Foundation Player Award in 2015, which recognizes players who enrich the lives of people in their community. He announced his retirement from the sport in 2018. As an Indigenous athletic leader, Tootoo has long understood his responsibility as a role model and speaks openly about the need to fight the stigma around mental illness and to provide more mental health support. He founded the Team Tootoo Foundation in honour of his late brother Terence, to provide grants to various charities for suicide prevention and at-risk youth. In 2016, Tootoo was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal through the Order of Canada in recognition of his work. Action Photo Credit: Jordin Tootoo #22 of the Detroit Red Wings skates against the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena on February 19, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee. Frederick Breedon/Getty Images <Back

< Back Alwyn Morris Alwyn Morris Kahnawake Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Alwyn Morris was born on the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawake. At the age of fourteen, he became interested in the Onake Paddling Club that operated on the Mohawk territory despite questions about why he didn’t want to pursue hockey or lacrosse. Morris excelled in the sport quickly, and at the age of 18 moved to Vancouver to train, where he met Hugh Fisher, his future kayak partner. In 1977, he won the K-1 1,000-metre and the K-1 500-metre junior national championships. That same year he was named the recipient of the Tom Longboat Award for the first time and one of the most prestigious awards for Aboriginal athletes in the country. In 1980, Alwyn Morris earned a spot on the Canadian Olympic team. He did not compete that year, but Alwyn and Hugh Fisher teamed up and continued to train in preparation for the Los Angeles Olympics. They raced in the 1984 Summer Olympic paddling competition in the K-2 event (kayak pairs) winning gold in the 1,000-metre competition and bronze in the 500 meter event. Alwyn was once again named as the recipient of the Tom Longboat Award, was later inducted into the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and appointed to the Order of Canada for outstanding service and achievement. Alwyn proudly raised an eagle feather on the Olympic podium. This gesture was an important symbolic moment about honouring lessons he had learned from his grandfather including perseverance and dedication. Following his career as a high-level and influential athlete for Team Canada, Morris has focused much of his time and energy in addressing barriers for Indigenous athletes. He established the Alwyn Morris Education and Athletic Foundation and continues to coach the youth of Kahnawake in kayaking, canoeing, and hockey. He was influential in the development of and continues to serve with the Aboriginal Sports Circle and has served with the Canada Games Council, the Canadian Sport Secretariat, and as a Special Policy Advisor for Aboriginal People and the Constitution to the Rt. Hon. Joe Clark during the Meech Lake and Charlottetown processes. In 1988, 2004 and 2010, Alwyn had the honour of bearing the Olympic torch through the Kahnawake Territory for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. On June 21, 2022, Western University bestowed an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Indigenous sports in Canada. <Back

< Back Gerald L. Kurowski Gerald L. Kurowski Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Gerald L. Kurowski was born on November 13, 1941, and grew up on the family farm in Oneida, Wisconsin located on Seminary Road with his parents Peter and Grace Kurowski and his siblings, Loretta Metoxen, Shirley Hill, Kenneth Kurowski, Patricia Cornelius, and Linda Mercier. Gerald married Gloria Hill on November 12, 1964, and has two children, Jennifer (Rod) Hill and Jason (Nikki) Kurowski and has 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Gerald loved playing all sports and would listen to the baseball games on the radio every chance he had. Gerald played baseball in Oneida since the start of the Pony League in the 1950s under Coach Noran John. Since the age of 13, Gerald has played baseball in the Men’s League for such baseball teams as Van’s Valley, Garsow’s, Oneida Mission Team and the Seymour Kiwanis Club Team. In 1959, on the Seymour Kiwanis Club Team, Gerald played alongside his good friends Ronnie John and Bernie Cornelius, and that year the team went undefeated. Gerald retired from the League after the 1972 season, and that year he played Bonduel for the Championship and lost 4-3 in 14 innings. Gerald also played and lettered in football and baseball all four years at Seymour High School. After high school he joined the United States Marine Corps. Gerald played football for the First Marine Division, on the team Marine Strikers from 1962-1963, and they won the Far-East Inter Service Championship in 1962. The team was made up of professional, semi-professional, college graduates and high school athletes. The Marine Strikers was a very competitive team, and the team only lost one game all season. Also, in 1962 Gerald played in the first Military Bowl game; Marine Strikers vs. 7th Division Bayonets, Korea Co-Champions. The Marine Strikers took the win and beat the 7th Division Bayonets. On July 21, 2001 Gerald was inducted into the Oneida Nation Hall of Fame. <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

7G Foundation Category Tribe Builder Year Inducted 2022 Established 2019 The 7G Foundation was founded by Bennae Calac, an enrolled member of Pauma Band of Luseno Indian of Pauma Valley, California. Bennae started 7G to inspire leadership in youth through education, athletics, culture and real-world support for the next seven generations. The Indigenous Bowl is 7G’s signature event that is held annually. In 2020 the Indigenous Bowl was paused due to the global pandemic. However, in December 2021 the 4th Indigenous Bowl was played at the US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. In 2021, the Indigenous Bowl had 54 Native American high school football players representing 30 tribes from California to British Columbia. For many of the players it was the first time they had travelled outside their state. Stepping into a professional sports stadium not as a spectator but as a skilled player was life changing for these young athletes and as some expressed “a dream come true.” The 7G Foundation is committed to giving young Native American athletes visibility and providing pathways to reach their highest potential in high school, college and beyond. The unique aspect of the 7G foundation is celebrating and honoring the Native American heritage and culture of each of the athletes. Creating safe places that inspire the athletes to thrive has been the bedrock of 7G Foundation. Photo: Mom (left) and daughter at the US Bank Stadium. Home 2027 Banquet 2027 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More

Oren Lyons Category Athlete Tribe Onondaga Nation Year Inducted 2022 D.O.B. 3/5/1930 Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan, Onondaga Nation. He serves on the Grand Council of Chiefs of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy –Haudenosaunee. Oren holds the title of Professor Emeritus at SUNY Buffalo, has a Doctor of Laws Degree from his Alma Mater, Syracuse University and Lyons Hall at SU is named in his honor. Chief Lyons is an All-American Lacrosse Hall of Famer, and Honorary Chairman of the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team. He is an accomplished artist, environmentalist, author, and global presenter and holds the title of Wisdom Keeper. He is a leading voice at the UN Permanent Forum on Human Rights for Indigenous Peoples, serves on the Executive Committee of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders for Human Survival, acts as Chairman of the Board for both the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and Seventh Generation Fund. Recipient of several prestigious awards including Green Cross International Environmental Icon Award, founded by Mikhail Gorbachev. The United Nations NGO World Peace Prize, the Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, The Rosa Parks and George Arents Award for Environmental and social activism and receiving Sweden’s prestigious Friends of the Children Award with his colleague the late Nelson Mandela, also included in his list of acknowledgments are the UN World Peace Prize, Ellis Island Congressional Medal of Honor, Native American Hall of Fame Chief Lyons is a constantly sought-after speaker, a subject of several documentaries, films and a tireless advocate for American Indian causes and Indigenous rights. Oren is a founding member of One Bowl Productions and serves as a constant reminder of humanity’s responsibilities to the earth and our future generations. Home 2027 Banquet 2027 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More

< Back Ayanna O’Kimosh Ayanna O’Kimosh Oneida/Menominee/Arikara Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Ayanna “Naenwehtawukiw-Warrior Woman” O’Kimosh is from Keshena, Wisconsin and she is an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation and descendent of the Menominee and Arikara Nations. She is a freshman at the Shawano Community High School in Wisconsin. She began a journey in boxing in 2018 with the Menominee Indian Boxing Club. As an amateur boxer, she won two Junior Olympic State Championships, two Silver Gloves State Championships, is a Silver Gloves National Champion and is a 2x USA Boxing National Champion. In addition to her love of boxing, she spends a lot of her time training and playing softball for Impact Sports Academy’s in De Pere, Wisconsin. Living up to her Menominee name, she is a warrior spirit who represents resiliency in her tribal nations Oneida-Menominee-Arikara. Her platform inside and outside of the ring is to fight to bring attention and awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and girls/people epidemic that plagues Native American communities throughout the United States and Canada. Her motivation in fighting is to demonstrate that resiliency by breaking down barriers and challenging the statistics, injustices, to change the narrative for future generations by being a positive role model for other native youth. She chose to focus her platform on awareness and supports prevention efforts fundraising to support much needed community resources aimed to reduce the risk for women and girls. Some notable awareness work includes local and national collaborative events with professional women boxers including local and international interviews, presentations, keynoting for 2021 Girls Summit and using her social media to spread the word. When she is not at the boxing gym training or at the softball complex training, she enjoys some of her other favorites such as reading, singing, playing the guitar, painting, baking, creating art and crocheting. <Back

< Back Tahnee Robinson Tahnee Robinson Northern Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone, Skidi Pawnee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Tahnee Robinson is from Fort Washakie, Wyoming, and the Wind River Reservation. She belongs to the Eastern Shoshone, Northern Cheyenne and Skidi Pawnee people. Her parents are Timmy and Sara Robinson. She has two siblings, Tim Robinson Jr and Buell Robinson. She also has a son, Julius Jeffrey Robinson. Robinson played basketball and volleyball for four years and graduated from Lander Valley High School in 2006. Tahnee earned WHSAA All-Conference and All-State in volleyball for three years, and WHSAA All-Conference and All-State in basketball for four years. She also earned Gatorade Wyoming Player of the Year in basketball, Ms. Basketball Wyoming, Milward Simpson Award for the outstanding female athlete in Wyoming, Converse All-American in basketball and was selected for the Wyoming All-Star team. She played college basketball at Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyoming (2007-2009). While at Sheridan, she was ranked first in scoring nationally by the NJCAA averaging 27 ppg, and was named NJCAA 1st Team All-American, and NJCAA Region IX Player of the Year. The Lady Generals played in their first ever appearance in school history in the NJCAA National Tournament as Region IX tournament champions in Salina, KS. Tahnee graduated from Sheridan College with an Associate of Science degree in General Studies. She received a full basketball scholarship to the University of Nevada (UNR) in 2009 where she played two full years and graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in General Studies with an emphasis in Health Education, Communications and Native American Studies. While playing at the University of Nevada-Reno, Robinson won many accolades in her two years. Robinson was the 31st pick in the 2011 WNBA draft and played preseason games for the Connecticut Sun. She then played in Israel, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine and China. In her career overseas, Robinson won awards including the Eurobasket.com player of the week, the Chengdu China Tournament MVP and helped her team in Kirovograd, Ukraine win a championship. After her overseas career ended, Robinson went back to her alma mater UNR and joined the women’s basketball team as a graduate assistant. She graduated with her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Off the court Robinson also made an impact being a Nike N7 Basketball Ambassador, National Spokesperson for Let’s Move in Indian Country, National Spokesperson for Big Brother & Big Sisters program, and was chosen as the Violence Against Women Act national spokeswoman for the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. Robinson was inducted into the 2022 UNR Athletics Hall of Fame. Photos: The University of Nevada Photography and NDNSPORTS <Back