Search Results

Media Sunnie R. Clahchischiligi Diné (Navajo)

< Back Kalley Armstrong Kalley Armstrong Algonquin (Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg) Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Kalley Armstrong is the granddaughter of Toronto Maple Leafs legend George Armstrong. Kalley played four years of NCAA Division 1 hockey with the Harvard University Women’s Hockey Team between 2010 and 2015. Kalley grew up idolizing the hockey careers of both her grandfather and her father. She played her junior hockey with the Toronto Aeros hockey club. In her final year as captain, the team won the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association (OWHA) championships. She also competed that year at the National Women’s U18 Championships for Team Ontario. With the Harvard Crimson, Kalley was selected to the All-Ivy League Second Team and named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Best Defensive Forward. In her senior year, she captained of one of the best teams in Harvard Women’s Hockey history. The Crimson captured the 2015 Ivy League Championship, the 2015 ECAC Season Championship, the 2015 ECAC Tournament Championship, and the 2015 Beanpot Championship. That year the team finished as the 2015 Frozen Four National Championship Runner-Up. In 2019, Kalley started her own hockey school, Armstrong Hockey, in honour of her grandfather’s legacy and accomplishments as a proud Indigenous athlete. Armstrong Hockey is dedicated to the development of Indigenous youth hockey and the mentorship of First Nations girls. Kalley is currently working on her PhD at Western University focussing on the experience of girls playing hockey in residential school. <Back

< Back Phillip Raweriio Barreiro Phillip Raweriio Barreiro Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Thomas and Phillip Barreiro are multi-time Canadian Greco-Roman Wrestling National champions. They strive to be good role models for young people on the Akwesasne Reservation. As experienced coaches, they have logged many years and countless hours working with the younger generation in their community. They are both passionate about the sport and have a lot of love for the culture that raised them to be who they are today. They emphasize the importance for young people to develop mindful values and personal discipline. This is critical in order to help Akwesasne youth achieve a healthy lifestyle, not just for themselves but for the community as well. Phillip Barreiro has a passion for the sport of wrestling and mentoring young people, He began wrestling in eighth grade at the age of 14. While in high school, Barreiro was a New York State place winner and two-time 2006 and 2008 North American Indigenous Games Champion. Barreiro attended NCAA Division 1 American University from 2009-2013. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from American University in 2013 and went to work as a Court Administrator for Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe for eight years. During that time, he became a three-time Canadian National Champion in Greco-Roman Wrestling. Barreiro also spent a year as an assistant coach for NCAA D1 Binghamton University and he is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu purple belt. He recently started, alongside his brother Thomas, a non-profit youth development program titled GOOD MIND GRAPPLING. The program uses the sport of wrestling, and related grappling disciplines, to promote physical literacy and combat intergeneration trauma in indigenous youth. <Back

Malcolm Blacksmith <Back Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Malcolm Blacksmith has been a lacrosse coach for the past 25 years. He started his lacrosse coaching career in 2000 in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He started working with families in the north central area that were in low income status. He also worked with the Regina Sports Council getting equipment for the kids. Blacksmith started a novice team and called them Warriors Lacrosse. He worked on getting his coaching certificate for Level 2 box lacrosse, so he could coach at the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG). He was the coach of Team Saskatchewan for a number of years. In 2004 he and others started getting a lacrosse team to take to NAIG 2005 in Colorado, but didn't have enough time to get ready. They turned their box lacrosse team into a field lacrosse team instead and represented Saskatchewan at nationals that year in August. In 2008 he coached Team Saskatchewan at NAIG when it was held in Cowichan, British Columbia. In 2011 he started coaching midget and junior lacrosse for Sagkeeng First Nation about two hours north of Winnipeg. In 2012 he started coaching for Team Manitoba U16, and U19 lacrosse teams. In 2014 he took U16 and U19 lacrosse teams to Regina, Saskatchewan where NAIG 2014 was held. The team came home with the bronze medal for U16 team. In 2015 the Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council held its annual awards day and during the Night of Champions Awards Ceremony he received the Male Aboriginal Coach of the Year award. In 2017 he took Team Manitoba to Toronto NAIG 2017. In 2020 they were to go to Halifax, Nova Scotia for NAIG 2020 but Covid hit the world. The team attended NAIG 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

< Back Abby Roque Abby Roque Ojibwe Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Abby Roque grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and is Ojibwe from Wahnapitae First Nation. She grew up playing boys hockey in Michigan, and competed in two U18 Women’s Worlds winning a gold and silver medal. She then went on to play NCAA Division 1 hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Roque and the Wisconsin Badgers won a National Championship in 2019, and multiple WCHA league championships. Individually she won WCHA Rookie of the Year, WCHA First Team, WCHA Player of the Year, and was Top-3 for the Patty Kazmaier Award. She graduated from the Business School at the University of Wisconsin with a degree in marketing. She made the USA national team in 2019 and has been a mainstay ever since. In her USA Hockey career she was named the 2020 USA Hockey’s Women’s Player of the Year. She has also competed in three IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning Gold once and Silver twice. She was the first indigenous player to play for Team USA in the Olympics, winning a silver medal in the Beijing 2022 Olympics. <Back

Kelvin Sampson <Back Lumbee Induction Category: Year Inducted Coach 2022 Kelvin Sampson (Lumbee, North Carolina) is a 33-year head coaching veteran at Houston, Indiana, Oklahoma, Washington State and Montana Tech. Sampson has compiled a 681-336 record during his career. He has led his teams to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 11 in 12 years with the Sooners from 1994 to 2006. During his Oklahoma tenure, he guided the Sooners to 10 consecutive 20-win seasons, the 1999 Sweet 16, the 2002 Final Four and an Elite Eight appearance in 2003. Sampson is one of only 15 coaches in NCAA history to lead 4+ schools to the NCAA Tournament. With the Cougars’ run to the 2021 NCAA Final Four, Sampson became one of only 16 coaches to lead multiple schools to the Final Four. In only seven seasons at Houston, Sampson is the only coach in school history to lead the Cougars to six consecutive 20-win seasons and became the second-winningest coach in program history during the 2020-21 season. He already ranks as the school’s career leader with a .723 winning percentage. In his career, he has been named a National Coach of the Year four times. Sampson has received six conference Coach of the Year awards from four different leagues and guided every program he has led to multiple 20-win seasons during his stints. As a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, Sampson is the first and only Native American basketball coach to lead a program to the Final Four with the Oklahoma Sooners 2002 and Houston Cougars 2021.

< Back Delby Powless Delby Powless Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Delby Powless is member of the Mohawk Nation. He is a Child and Youth Counselor in his home community, Six Nations of the Grand River, in Ontario, Canada. Powless played five seasons with the Six Nations Junior A Arrows lacrosse club and is currently the team’s All-time leading scorer with 686 total points. While attending Herkimer County Community College, Powless was twice named All-American. He transferred to D1 Rutgers University where he led the Scarlet Knights in scoring both years and was a 2x All-American, while leading Rutgers to 2 NCAA tournament appearances. Powless also won a Canadian University lacrosse championship with Brock University and was named All-Canadian. Powless represented the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team as a player at six World Championships, and at the first-ever World Indoor Lacrosse Championships, he was selected to the All-World Team. In 2003 Powless was named the recipient of the Tom Longboat Award as Canada’s Top Aboriginal Athlete. Powless was drafted 1st overall in the 2004 National Lacrosse League entry draft by the Buffalo Bandits and helped them win the Champions Cup in 2008. Powless also played in Major League Lacrosse with Toronto Nationals winning the Steinfeld Cup in 2009. <Back

Team 2025 Haudenosaunee Nationals Women’s Box Lacrosse Induction Category: Year Inducted <Back The Haudenosaunee Nationals Women’s Box Lacrosse Team made history in 2024, earning their place as trailblazers in international lacrosse. Competing at the 2024 World Lacrosse Championship in Utica, New York, the team clinched a historic bronze medal—the first-ever international championship medal awarded to the Haudenosaunee women in lacrosse. The Haudenosaunee women showcased extraordinary skill, resilience, and unity throughout the tournament, culminating in a commanding 21-4 victory over Team Australia in the bronze medal game. This landmark achievement not only brought pride to Indigenous communities across Turtle Island but also underscored the Haudenosaunee’s cultural and spiritual connection to lacrosse, known as the Creator’s Game. Comprised of athletes from Haudenosaunee and other Indigenous Nations, the team reflected the strength of community, tradition, and perseverance. Team members included: Akwesasne Mohawk Territory Jillian Benedict, Jadie Burns, Trysten Burns, Kharlene "Bineh" Garrow, Tallis Tarbell and Kyra Thompson Fort Albany First Nation Mekwan Tulpin Kanesatake First Nation Ava Gabriel Oneida Nation of the Thames Jada Doxtator Seneca Nation Lindsay John Six Nations of the Grand River Timmia Bomberry, Chelsea Doolittle, Chelsea Gibson, Amalee Jacobs, Kenley Jacobs, Chelsie John, Trisha John, Fawn Porter, Stacy Smith, Alisha Smith-Longboat, Joni Squire-Hill and Carey-Leigh Vyse Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory Kendall Tabobandung Walpole Island First Nation Ferrah Blackbird Wikwemikong Unceded Territory Mackenzie Shigwadja and Reese Shigwadja Team Staff Head Coach, Jason Johnson, Onondaga Assistant Coach, Randy Chrysler, Tuscarora Assistant Coach, Cheyenne Lazore, Akwesasne Mohawk Assistant Coach, Mary James, Métis Assistant Coach / Video Analyst, Matt Attwood, Six Nations of the Grand River Trainer / Dietician, Paul Staats, Six Nations of the Grand River Player Liaison, Karissa John, Six Nations of the Grand River General Manager, Jeff Powless, Akwesasne Mohawk Their triumph exemplifies the power of Indigenous women in sports and serves as an enduring testament to the Haudenosaunee’s deep-rooted lacrosse legacy. By earning a place on the international podium, these women broke barriers, inspired future generations, and strengthened the path toward greater recognition of Indigenous athletes on the world stage. The 2024 bronze medal not only marked a pivotal moment in lacrosse history but also symbolized the enduring sovereignty and resilience of the Haudenosaunee people.

Inupiaq Gary Hull Inupiaq Induction Category: Year Inducted Official 2024 <Back Garry Hull is a longtime traditional Alaska Native Games athlete, coach and official. Born in Anchorage and raised in Illinois and came back to Alaska in 1987. Hull was first introduced to Native Games at Clark Junior High School competing alongside senior athletes. He discovered his natural talent for high kicks and one hand reach but soon discovered he could excel in most games played in the various competitions in Alaska i.e.: Native Youth Olympics, World Eskimo Indian Olympics and Arctic Winter games – Dene Games and Inuit Games. In 1998 Hull set the record for One Hand Reach at 65”. He held that record for 10 years before seeing it broken by Jesse Frankson from Point Hope, AK. This did not deter Hull from continuing his efforts in other games played in competition. Since 1988 Hull has also exceled in strength games that include Arm Pull, Inuit Stick Pull, and Dene Stick Pull. He has earned well over 100 medals within the traditional Native Games events. Hull’s children, Garry Hull, Jr. and Sara Hull have also competed in Native Games. In 2007 Hull married his friend and fellow athlete Carol Pickett who was inducted to the 2022 NAIAHF. Together Garry and Carol Hull continue sharing their years of experience with traditional games by coaching students in Seward, AK alongside Head Coach Krisnan Weston. Currently Hull still participates with Native Games through coaching, officiating and mentoring. His fair and equal judging of Native Games events and his gentle mentoring has made him a respected and valued member within the games community. With humorous stories and knowledge of “tricks to the trade”, Hull is always ready to share his knowledge and skills with the next generation of games athletes.

Joy SpearChief-Morris Category Athlete Tribe Blackfoot (Blood Kainai) Year Inducted 2022 D.O.B. 3/17/1994 Joy is an Indigenous Black Canadian writer, advocate, and athlete. She is a proud member of the Kainai Blood Tribe and grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. Joy is a retired 100m hurdler in athletics, three-time Canadian National Championship finalist and two-time Team Canada member. As a member of Team Canada, she is a 2014 North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) U23 silver medalist and a fifth place finisher at the 2019 FISU World Universidad. She has sat on the AthletesCAN Board of Directors and Athletics Canada’s Athletes Council, and now sits on the AthletesCAN Diversity and Equity Advisory Committee. Joy has achieved several notable accolades. Most notably, she was the 2016 and 2017 OUA Female Track MVP, 2017 USports Student-Athlete Community Service Award winner, 2017 Tom Longboat Award winner and the featured cover athlete for the 2019 May/June issue of Canadian Running Magazine. Joy has a Bachelor’s degree in History and First Nations Studies and a Master’s degree in Political Science specializing in Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction from Western University. Joy is now pursuing a career as a journalist, having bylines in The Globe and Mail and CBC Sports. She is currently in the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University. Home 2025 Banquet 2025 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More

< Back Aspen Wesley Aspen Wesley Choctaw Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Aspen Wesley was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 2000. She is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and grew up in the Pearl River Community on the Choctaw Indian reservation. She sees playing softball as her way to inspire the next generation of native kids in her tribe and others. Aspen graduated from Mississippi State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in the spring of 2024 and played on a softball scholarship for five years. She was named 2024 second team all-SEC, two-time NCAA Pitcher of the Week, two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week, and 2023 NFCA All-America scholar-athlete. Aspen helped Mississippi State to their first-ever super regional in 2022. She then played professionally for the Texas Monarchs and was selected as an all-star. She also played overseas in New Zealand. She went to Neshoba Central High School and is a six-time state champion and four-time Mississippi softball Gatorade Player of the Year. When Aspen is done playing softball, she wants to be a pitching coach for college schools. She would love to give back to her community and educate/motivate Native kids to see the world, whether sports-related or academics. Her family and her native people are what have given her the drive to strive for more. Aspen remains committed to pushing the boundaries, learning, and helping others. She hopes to make a meaningful impact in her professional work and community. <Back

< Back Nicole Johnson Nicole Johnson Inupiaq Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Nicole Johnson’s passion for Inuit games started in fifth grade when she learned how to do the Two-Foot High Kick after church in a youth program. Inuit games are games that were played to build the survival skills Indigenous people of the North played to develop the skills need for everyday survival and just for fun. In seventh grade, Nicole entered her first competition at the 1982 Native Youth Olympics (NYO), taking first place in the Two-Foot High Kick. She continued to compete through high school, at NYO, the World Eskimo Indian Olympics (WEIO), and the Arctic Winter Games (AWG). After high school she continued to compete until 2004, over the years winning over 100 medals, earning the outstanding athlete award, and sportsmanship award, at various competitions. She has set records in several events over the years, setting her first record in the Two-Foot High Kick at the 1985 NYO and continued to break her record until the 1989 WEIO, kicking 6’6”. This record held for 25 years. Her record in the Two-Foot High Kick at AWG, still holds at 6’5”. In 2017, Nicole was inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, as an athlete and ambassador to Native Games. Nicole is the former chairwoman of WEIO, and current President of AWG Team Alaska. Nicole currently works with the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, coaching youth, training officials, assists with organizing the statewide Native Youth Olympics competitions, and acting as the head official for many different competitions. Her passion for the Inuit games continues by sharing and preserving the rich history and culture of these sports through coaching, instruction at schools, throughout Alaska, the lower 48, and the Yukon territories. Photo: Cook Inlet Tribal Council <Back