< Back Billy Mills Billy Mills Oglala Lakota Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Billy Mills was born in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He is Oglala Lakota and grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Billy did not have an easy childhood. Surrounded by poverty and orphaned at the age of 12, he started running to channel his energy into something positive. In high school, his gift for running become more apparent as he set records in numerous track events. He went on to earn a track scholarship from the University of Kansas and then served as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps. At the 1964 Olympics, he shocked the world and came from behind to win the gold medal in the 10,000 meters race. At the time, he set a world record of 28 minutes, 24.4 seconds and is still the only American to ever win a gold medal in the 10K event. His win was an upset that has been called the second greatest moment in Olympic history. In Lakota culture, someone who achieves great success has a ‘giveaway’ to thank the support system of family and friends who helped him achieve his goal. As part of his effort to give back to his community, Billy helped found Running Strong for American Indian Youth and became the organization’s National Spokesperson. Today Billy travels over 300 days every year. He visits Native American communities throughout the U.S. and speaks to youth about healthy lifestyles and taking pride in their heritage. Photo Credit: Billy Mills <Back

< Back Gewas Schindler Gewas Schindler Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Gewas Schindler is a Haudenosaunee Oneida Nation citizen and a member of the Turtle Clan. He grew up playing multiple sports under the tutelage of his grandfather, Chief Paul Waterman, on the Onondaga Nation. Gewas played the Creator’s game, this game has world-renowned origins within the Haudenosaunee culture known as Dehontsigwiseh - "bumping hips" is called lacrosse, currently played collegiately, internationally, and at pre-Olympic levels today. Gewas worked for the National Hockey League Phoenix Coyotes and the National Lacrosse League Arizona Sting in marketing, the professional Rochester Nighthawks Lacrosse organization as Governor and he served five years on the National Lacrosse League Board of Governors along with serving on their Marketing Committee, Player Relations Committee, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement Unit. In 2012 Gewas Schindler received the NCAIED (The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development) 40 Under 40 National Business Award, and the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce Award in 2010. Gewas Schindler attended Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland, concentrating in Communications and Marketing. As a student-athlete at Loyola, he earned lacrosse accolades earning 3X Division 1 All American Attackman awards. He was a 3X Iroquois Nationals World Team Captain who worked as a professional athlete in the National Lacrosse League and the Major Lacrosse League for eight years. Gewas Schindler competed in seven more World Lacrosse Championships and made eight Iroquois National World Team Rosters. In 2021, as General Manager, the Haudenosaunee U-15 Team won a Gold Medal in the IIJL World Championship, and the Haudenosaunee U-17 Team followed with a Gold Medal. Gewas’ role as an organization builder for youth lacrosse led him to serve as a Lacrosse Ambassador traveling to numerous countries such as Australia, Japan, Thailand, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, England, Mexico, Switzerland, Haudenosaunee, Indigenous Territories, Canada, and the United States to support, advise, and to leave a sport the indigenous people gave to the world community of lacrosse. Gewas’ family includes his wife Tia, and four children, Lawson, Madex, Kohen, and Kimaura. <Back

Alex “Askie” Askenette <Back Menominee Induction Category: Year Inducted Coach 2026 Alex Askenette was born on March 19, 1922. The Askenette name was a very old Menominee name meaning “Survivor, the only one left.” While attending Haskell, Askie started boxing. He was the Golden Gloves champion at Haskell in 1939 and at Emporia, KS in 1941. In 1947, he was the Golden Gloves champion in Marshfield, WI. Soon after he became the coach of the Menominee boxers. A number of his boxers have been inducted into the NAIAHF including his son Louie, and Lew Boyd and Jim Caldwell. For ten years he worked with the Menominee Police and coached highly successful Menominee boxers, ending in 1967. Askie was also a national leader in boxing circles. A bid was accomplished for a berth in the 1974 National AAU for an all-Indian National Championship. He was appointed the regional director of the National Indian Activities Association that coordinated the program. He was also a commissioner with the AAU. The legacy of Alex “Askie” Askenette as one of the true leaders of Menominee boxing started a wave of new leadership that continues to bring acclaim to the Menominee youth.

< Back Michael Linklater Michael Linklater Cree from Thunderchild First Nation Treaty 6 Territory Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Michael Linklater has established himself as one of the world’s top 3X3 basketball players. As team captain he represented Saskatoon in FIBA’s 3X3 World Tour as well as the Canadian National team at the World Cup. Linklater picked up a basketball at an early age on an inner city court and in 2010, he made history as team captain when he lead the University of Saskatchewan Huskie men’s basketball team to its first and only Canada-West Conference Championship and CIS National Championship. Michael played for the Saskatchewan Rattlers in 2019 in the Canadian Elite Basketball League and won the league championship during the inaugural season. Michael was inducted into the Saskatoon sports hall of fame in 2022. Michael has utilized his wealth of athletic accomplishments to help create awareness about issues, off the court. He is a proud Nehiyāw (Cree) descending from the Thunderchild First Nation, located in Treaty 6 Territory. Linklater is the founder of the International Campaigm, “Boys with Braids.“ He has won numerous awards as an advocate for Indigenous youth and for his community involvement. Over the past two and half decades, Michael has delivered hundreds of keynote addresses to tens of thousands of youth and adults across the world. He is also a certified Yoga instructor and incorporates his traditional spirituality into each practice. Most importantly, Michael is a proud father who understands the significance of his cultural traditions and role modelling a healthy lifestyle to his children. <Back

< Back Apollo Hess Apollo Hess Blood Reserve, Kainai Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Apollo Hess is a member of the Blood Reserve, Kainai Nation. He grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta and was raised by his mother, Ingrid Hess. Apollo participated in many different activities in his youth. He played soccer, hockey, football, and competed in swimming, cross country and triathlons. He took speech and drama lessons, and also played the cello in a youth orchestra in Lethbridge. It wasn’t until he was 12 years old that Apollo fully committed himself to the sport of swimming. He suffered a series of concussions in football and hockey, which led him to this decision. Apollo began his journey as a dedicated swimmer by reaching the podium at provincials as a 14 year old, to then winning bronze at Canadian Nationals as a 16 year old in the 16-18 age category. He then signed to swim for his hometown University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, where he would go on to break 11 program records, one Canadian record, two USports records and three Canada West Conference records. He was also awarded in his rookie season the Canada West Rookie and overall Swimmer of the Year. In September of 2023, Apollo moved across the country to swim at the High Performance Centre - Ontario, located in Toronto. He then qualified for his first Olympic team where he would place 5th as part of Canada’s 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay, becoming the first indigenous person to represent Canada in swimming at an Olympic Games. He also became the first member of the Kainai Nation to go to the Olympics. <Back

< Back James Lavallée James Lavallée Métis Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Born and raised in Winnipeg, James is a proud Métis who grew up paddling on the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. James has represented Canada internationally at various kayak competitions including the 2014 and 2015 Canoe Sprint Junior World Championships. In 2016, James was named to Canada’s national canoe-kayak team. In 2017, James proudly wore his Métis sash on the podium after winning three medals for Team Manitoba at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg. In October 2017, he received the national Tom Longboat Award presented to the top Indigenous male and female athletes of the year. In 2019 James was presented with an Indspire award in the category of Métis youth. In the summer of 2020 James co-founded Waterways Recreation with the mission of supporting community wellness by using canoeing and outdoor recreation to connect Indigenous youth to cultural skills and identities. To date, Waterways has provided thousands of Indigenous youths with the opportunity to connect with their cultures through community led canoeing summer camps and paddling programs. When he is not out on the water sharing his passion for paddling James studies at Concordia University where he plans to major in management and minor in political science <Back

< Back Pamela White-Hanson Pamela White-Hanson Navajo/Diné Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2025 Born and raised on the Navajo Nation, where the sport of running has ancestral connections, Pamela White-Hanson began running, and developed the strength and endurance throughout the years to help her high school team win four consecutive State Cross Country Team titles. With this passion and success, Pamela was provided the opportunity to run with a team called Wings of America, a non-profit youth development program, during her sophomore year and traveled to New York City to compete in the USA Track and Field National Cross-Country Championships where her team placed runner-up. There, she was in awe of a collegiate team who won the national title which inspired her to attend Adams State College without any knowledge of where or what this school was about. Ready to spread her wings, Pamela White-Hanson left home from the comforts of family, community, and culture two years later to join an elite class of collegiate athletes, who became her second family at Adams State College, an NCAA Division II school in Alamosa, Colorado. As a member of the Adams State cross country team, she helped her team to three NCAA Division II National Championships becoming a six-time All- American and managed to complete two undergraduate degrees in Elementary Education and Exercise Physiology and a Masters in Bilingual Education. In 2000, Pamela received a prestigious Giants Steps award with the National Consortium for Academics and Sports as a Courageous Female Student-Athlete alongside other inductees such as Muhammad Ali and Pat Summit as well as being featured in two magazines, Native Peoples Magazine and the Santa Fean. Pamela worked with the Native youth, one of the most at-risk populations in the United States through Wings of America with the Earth Circle Foundation and gained proficiency to facilitate summer running and fitness camps to Native communities throughout the country. Wings of America used running as a catalyst to empower the youth which also empowered Pamela White-Hanson to become an educator. After running professionally for a couple years with Sports Warriors co-sponsored by ASICS, Pamela begin her education career in Flagstaff, AZ where she joined a unique trilingual school, Puente De Hozhó. Pamela returned to her home language and taught the Diné (Navajo) Language to indigenous students for 16 years. She received Arizona’s Rodell Exemplary Teachers Award for 2010 in Flagstaff and was also nominated for Arizona Teacher of the Year. Today, Pamela White-Hanson continues her passion for working with the Native youth at Sinagua Middle School as well as coaching high school Cross Country and Track at Northland Preparatory Academy (NPA). Last fall, her girl’s NPA cross country team won a State Title and the NPA Boys received runner-up with her youngest son on the team. Pamela White-Hanson’s legacy continues and is married to college sweetheart, Brent Hanson and is currently raising three beautiful sons and have been foster parents to many children. Her eldest is in the workforces, one who is currently running collegiately for Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO and her youngest is running in high school at Northland Prep where she currently coaches. <Back

< Back Amber Hill Amber Hill Upper Cayuga Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Amber Hill is a member of the Cayuga Nation, Turtle Clan, raised on the Tuscarora Reservation. Amber has played at all levels of lacrosse for women’s field including NCAA D1, professionally, and internationally, while also playing competitive women’s box lacrosse and winning gold medals in that discipline as well. Amber was selected to play on the First Nations Lacrosse that played in the 2005 International Federation of Women’s Lacrosse Associations Cup of Nations Festival that was held in conjunction with the World Championship in Annapolis, Maryland. This experience fed into the first U-19 Haudenosaunee Nationals women’s team that would be allowed to compete on the international stage in 2007 in Peterborough, Ontario. In 2005, Amber walked on to the Syracuse University women’s team. In the Syracuse record books, Amber currently holds the second place for Most Season Saves at 193 and third place in Career Save Percentage at .511. She also led her team to the 2007 NCAA Quarterfinals, becoming the first indigenous woman to play in the NCAA tournament. In 2007, she led the Big East in saves with 10.16/game. She was named the 2007 Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Championship. She held the Big East Defensive Player of the Week, Athletic Directors Honor Roll, Big East Academic All-Star, and the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll accolades. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in Political Science minoring in Legal Studies and Native Studies. Amber was honored to serve as Captain for the Haudenosaunee Nationals in the 2007, 2009, 2013, and 2017 World Lacrosse World Championships, and most recently in 2019 for the Pan-American Lacrosse Association World Championship qualifier where the team went 4-0 and won a gold medal. In 2018, Amber became one of the first Haudenosaunee women, alongside her cousin Awehiyo Thomas, to compete professionally in the United Women’s Lacrosse League (UWLX) with the Long Island Sound. In 2021, Amber became the first indigenous woman to compete in the inaugural professional season of Athletes Unlimited. She placed fourth out of eight goalkeepers, and 26th out of 59 players with 1,145 points. She holds fifth place in the Athletes Unlimited record book for Most Saves in a game at 10. Amber has continued her career with Athletes Unlimited into 2022 as a Facilitator/Coach and accrued a 12-0 record in her first season. In box lacrosse, Amber won 3 gold medals as a Captain with the Six Nations Snipers in the Arena Lacrosse League in 2017, 2018, and 2022. She also won two gold medals in the Women’s Major Series Lacrosse League in 2015 with the Niagara Turtle Islanders, and again in 2016 with the Grand River Attack. Amber is currently a women’s collegiate field lacrosse official. She was appointed by World Lacrosse President Sue Redfern to sit on the World Lacrosse Women’s Box Lacrosse Working Group, charged with growing women’s box lacrosse on the international stage. Amber was recently appointed to the Africa Sticks Advisory Board through the Ouallo Kouya Foundation serving and empowering Africas youth through lacrosse. Amber is the Founder of Vicious Lacrosse, training goalkeepers while addressing the mental-health challenges surrounding the position. <Back

< Back Lara Mussell Savage Lara Mussell Savage Sqwá (Skwah) First Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Introduced to Ultimate in high school in Vancouver, BC, Mussell Savage's speed, agility, and disc-handling abilities quickly set her apart from her peers. She grew to become a prominent player in both the College and Club Ultimate scenes and is a two-time World Champion. Mussell Savage was a captain and player-coach for University of British Columbia's female Varsity Club team helping lead them to three consecutive Canadian University Ultimate Championship victories in 1998, 1999, and 2000. The team also won several U.S. tournaments and was the only Canadian team to hold a number one ranking in the U.S. college circuit. Mussell Savage was also a long-standing member of Prime, Vancouver's competitive club team, with whom she won three Canadian National Championships. Among her international achievements is as a member of Team Canada for four World Championships earning two gold and two bronze medals. She served as co-captain for the Turku 2004 World Ultimate Championships where Canada went undefeated. Mussell Savage was recognized as the 2004 National Tom Longboat Award winner for female Indigenous athlete of the year for Canada and BC's Indigenous athlete of the year in 2003 and 2004. In recognition of Prime's legacy and impact, the team was inducted into Canada's Ultimate Hall of Fame in the team category and is featured within the BC Sports Hall of Fame & Museum's exhibit "In Her Footsteps: Celebrating BC Women in Sport". Mussell Savage was inducted into the Chilliwack Sports Hall of Fame in 2016 and she is also a featured athlete in the BC Sports Hall of Fame's Indigenous Sport Gallery. Mussell Savage's leadership and dedication to sport made her not just a top athlete but also an inspirational figure. Her performance and influence go beyond her team; she works to advance Indigenous sport and she promotes inclusivity and gender equity. She also gives back to her community having served on her Nation's elected Council for nearly ten years and is the former Chief of her community - Sqwá First Nation. She resides on Sqwá Reserve with her husband Kirk Savage, Ultimate World Champion and Canada Hall of Fame inductee, and their two children. <Back

< Back Evan James Evan James Métis and Dene Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Evan James was born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in Edmonton and area. Evan is of Métis and Dene heritage. He began life with some health challenges including failure to thrive and stayed with a few different families before becoming a part of his family at 2 and a half years old. Growing up Evan was always physically active but until finding Special Olympics in 2004, unable to find the support and opportunities to participate and compete with others at his level. Evan has participated in a multitude of sports with Special Olympics Alberta Spruce Grove & District. He has competed at eight Special Olympics Provincial Games in four different sports, two Western Canada Summer Games, one Canada Summer Games and five Special Olympics National Games in three different sports earning 60 medals. Evan’s dream of representing Canada at the Special Olympics World Games came true in Austria in 2017 as a speedskater. Evan won gold in the 777m at worlds. Evan has embraced the opportunities he has been given to travel across the province, country, and around the world. Now at 36, Evan is still active in many sports including floor hockey, cross country skiing, softball and soccer. Evan is currently an Athlete Ambassador spreading the message and power of Special Olympics. The opportunities that sport has given Evan have helped him become the determined, multi talented athlete and individual he is today. <Back

< Back Clay Mayes III Clay Mayes III Chickasaw & Cherokee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2023 Clay Mayes was the head cross country and track coach at Bacone College (BC), University of Antelope Valley (UAV), and coached a group of cross country and track student-athletes in Oklahoma. Between 2011 and 2019, Mayes guided his student-athletes to five NAIA National Titles including 2017 5000m and 10,000m titles at the NAIA Outdoor Track Nationals, 2016 and 2017 Mile titles at the NAIA Indoor Track Nationals, and the 2016 Cross Country title at the NAIA Cross Country Nationals. While at BC and the UAV, Mayes recruited nearly 30 cross country and track student-athletes the first year for each program while representing 20+ tribes. His athletes at BC and UAV went on to obtain three Top 20 Team National Finishes and one Top 10 Team National finish at the NAIA Cross Country Nationals, while obtaining BC’s first and only Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) title with a win at the 2016 SAC Cross Country Team Championship and a win over two-time defending national team champion Oklahoma City University. Mayes’s athletes acquired 21 All-American honors for both cross country and track. Mayes was named SAC Coach of the year, and Midwest Coach of the year while coaching at Bacone College. As a high school coach, Mayes had 27 State Champions for cross country and track. Most notable honors include Arya Bahrein’s 5k Cross Country State Meet Course Record, Ben Barrett setting Oklahoma’s Mile State Record, being a two time-Footlocker National finalist, having a 14.51 5k and setting Oklahoma’s 3200m state record in 8.57. Following Ben’s records one year later, Zach Black (Cherokee) eclipsed Ben’s Mile State record with a 4.09. A Claremore, Oklahoma native, Mayes graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2011 with a degree in Psychology. Mayes was a high school All-American honored runner with a sixth place finish at the Nike Outdoor Track Nationals 5000m in 15.11. As a college cross country and track athlete, Mayes competed for Oklahoma State University and University of Oklahoma, and was a scorer on the 2009’s 12th-place finishing team at the NCAA Cross Country National Championships, had a 14.16 5000m personal best, and was named Big 12 All-Conference for the 10,000m. <Back

< Back JJ Corn JJ Corn Menominee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 Jonathan JJ Corn is a retired boxer from the Menominee Nation. JJ began his boxing career fighting on Joe Swedes’ Neopit-Keshena boxing team from 1987-1991 until joining the Army. JJ’s early titles included being the 1988 Michigan Silver Gloves 95 lbs. Champion, 1990 Wisconsin Golden Gloves 132 lb. champ, 132lb National Indian Champ and Upper Midwest Jr. Gloves 132 lb. Champion. After basic training in 1992 at Ft Knox, Kentucky JJ was sent to Ft Carson Colorado and in 1993 was given the opportunity to compete for the post Championship and won it at 156 lbs. and won a spot to compete for the All Army Title. He dropped down in weight and fought at welterweight 147 lbs. and went to Ft Huachuca in January of 1994 where he won three fights to take home the All Army award. The Army team went to Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base in Norfolk, Virginia to compete for the Armed Forces title. The Army team swept the Armed Forces tournament and went 12-0 and a feat that hadn’t been accomplished before or since. The Army team went to the US championships, made it to the semi-finals and received a #5 ranking with USA boxing. That ranking earned them a spot to fight internationally and also competed in the US Olympic Festival. He also boxed that April in Dublin, Ireland in a USA vs. Ireland dual meet. In 1994 he competed in the US Olympic Festival in St Louis, Missouri, and in the Military Olympics in November 1994 in Tunis, Tunisia. JJ finished his amateur career with 12 amateur titles including the 1988 Michigan Silver Gloves 95 lbs., 1990 Wisconsin Golden Gloves 132 lbs., 1990 National Indian Champion 132 lbs., 1990 Upper Midwest Jr. Gloves, 1993 Ft Carson Post 165 lbs., 1994 All Army Champ 147 lbs., 1994 Armed Forces 147 lbs., 1994 Olympic Festival bronze medalist, 1995 Colorado Golden Gloves 147 lbs., and 1995 North American Indigenous Games gold medal 147 lbs. He finished his amateur career with a record of 106 wins 12 losses. As a professional JJ won the WAA World Title, the USA Mid-American Light Heavyweight title, the Midwest Light Heavyweight title and fought for the WBO World Middleweight title, IBF International Middleweight title and the IBA International Jr. Middleweight title. <Back