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- Ted Nolan, Ojibwa
< Back Ted Nolan Ted Nolan Ojibwa Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Ted Nolan was born into a large family on the Garden River First Nation in northern Ontario in 1958. Nolan grew up playing minor hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, ON and left home at the age of 16 to play junior hockey in Kenora, ON. A year after leaving home to play in Kenora, he returned to play for his hometown Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League from 1976 to 1978. Nolan was drafted into the NHL in 1978 by the Detroit Red Wings. After a brief stint in the Red Wings organization, which saw him raise the Calder Cup Championship with their minor league affiliate, he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins appearing in 78 NHL games before having his career cut short by a serious back injury at the age of 26. After being forced to retire in 1986, Nolan knew he wanted to stay involved in hockey, and it was his first coaching job in 1989 with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. After a couple tough seasons of not making the playoffs, Nolan found his groove and took his Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds to three straight Memorial Cup appearances, eventually winning the prized possession in 1993. A year after winning the Memorial Cup, Nolan was hired as an assistant coach for the Hartford Whalers in the National Hockey League (NHL). After one season with the Whalers, he would then coach the Buffalo Sabres (1995-1997 and 2013-2015) and the NY Islanders (2006-2008). During the Buffalo Sabres season in 1996-1997, which saw them capture first in the Northeast Division, Nolan was awarded the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year. Nolan also has international coaching experience, leading the Latvian Men’s National Ice Hockey Team to the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The Latvian’s would go on to finish 8th in the Men’s Ice Hockey Olympic Games. Nolan is so grateful for the opportunities hockey has created in his life, and most importantly, the opportunity it has created to become a positive role model for First Nations people all across Canada. <Back
- Jesse Frankson, Inupiaq Eskimo
< Back Jesse Frankson Jesse Frankson Inupiaq Eskimo Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Jesse Frankson started training for the Inuit Games in 1997. He competed in the Native Youth Olympics (NYO) State competition for the one foot high kick and tied the state record as a senior in high school. He then started coaching NYO high school athletes for three years. He was selected for Team Alaska in 2002 and 2004 for the Arctic Winter Games, which is held Bi-annually in various parts of the world, where he set records for the Alaskan High Kick and the One Foot high Kick. Jesse went on to compete at the World Eskimo Indian Olympics in 2005 and 2006 with several games, four of which he set records in. The One Foot High Kick, Alaskan High Kick, Kneel Jump and the One Arm Reach, all of which he held at one time, something that to his knowledge, has never been done before or since. He also competed and won in the Two Foot High Kick, Scissor Broad Jump and Stick Pull. Jesse was one of a few athletes featured in Jonathan Stanton’s documentary Games of the North, also Guinness World Records which was featured on Fox in 2001, where he set the world record for the Highest Martial Arts Kick at 9’8”, in a televised competition against Martial Artist Michael Blanks. Jesse was born in Kotzebue, Alaska and raised in Point Hope, Alaska. His wife Krystle Frankson and he have six children. His parents are Theodore Frankson Jr. and Kristi Frankson. <Back
- Shiloh LeBeau, Diné/Lakota
< Back Shiloh LeBeau Shiloh LeBeau Diné/Lakota Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Shiloh “Shy” LeBeau was born in Lawrence, Kansas on April 13th, 1989. She is half Navajo, Diné of the Honágháahnii clan and half Sans Arch Lakota of the Cheyenne River tribe. She lived on the Lakota Cheyenne River Indian reservation in Eagle Butte, South Dakota for a couple years then her mother relocated Shy and her sisters to Lawrence, KS where she currently resides raising her son. LeBeau boxed competitively since 2013 earning several prestigious awards, accolades and titles as well as making history for her family, Native Americans, the state of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University. While attending Haskell Indian Nations University from 2015 - 2018, she traveled to Ann Arbor, MI and competed in the 2015 United States National Intercollegiate Boxing Association tournament, bringing home a National Intercollegiate Boxing Title for the first time in history to the State of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University. She was the first full-time male or female college student to ever come out of the state of Kansas and achieve this success and in 2018 she went back and did it again at the University of Champaign-Urbana-Champaign, IL. LeBeau also serves as a Nike N7 Ambassador, an inspirational beacon in her community and that of the Native American and indigenous communities, She uses her platform as a positive resource to spread awareness on Native American and indigenous issues that plague native America as well as breaking through barriers, making history and fighting to knock out the stereotypes of what, who and how Native Americans, especially Native American women, are portrayed and represented in today's society. LeBeau travels to many states for motivational speaking and hosts boxing workshops at various Native American reservations, Schools, juvenile detention facilities, foster homes, military bases and other venues are the locations for LeBeau to motivate, inspire and provide mentoring services for youth to elderly, while encouraging them to live a healthier, happier life styles promoted through sport and exercise. LeBeau’s mission is to educate others about the real history of Native Americans, to bring recognition and awareness Native American and indigenous communities and to change the narrative of our people and our beautiful way of life. <Back
- Dano Thorne | NAIAHF
Dano Thorne Category Coach Tribe Coast Salish Cowichan and Nez Perce Year Inducted 2022 D.O.B. 12/18/1961 A First Nations life-long advocate for sport, recreation, youth, and sport from grassroots to international level. A national level coach and coach instructor and founding member national aboriginal coaching modules the first master coach in this program, instructor in national coaching certification program, life skills coach mentor, suicide prevention mentor, physical literacy and multi-sport mentor, technical advisor to national and provincial sports groups and technical advisor and interim board member of world games movement. A lifetime professional commitment to create and develop sports and recreation for youth across North America. As an athlete, Indigenous Team Canada Indoor Soccer 1989-1998, Pro Soccer 1986-1988, Premier League Men’s Soccer 1979-1999, Duncan United Indigenous Men Provincial Champions and numerous MVP honors, and British Columbia (BC) Champions in 1990 and 1991. As a head coach, men’s teams won BC Champions 3 times in 1990, 1991, and 2001 and women in 1992. Men national runner-up 2001, women world champions 2015, 2017, Cuba U20 2019 and women North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) champions in 1993 and 1995. As an advocate and leader including being a board member, NAIG Council, Aboriginal Sport Circle, Team BC chef de mission, Special Olympics North America, National Indigenous Physical Activity Cultural Circle, founder NIFA Soccer Society, member of national sports committee appointed by sport minister and numerous other committees. Awards and honors include five-time BC Coaching Awards, three-time National Coach Awards, first ever Indigenous National Coach of the Year 1999. Graduate National Coaching Institute 1995 and presently completing the Canada Sport Institute Master Coaching Diploma. A two time athlete of the year as Cowichan Tribes Athlete in 1976 and 1979. With his 2015 team world champions he was inducted into the BC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2021. Dano has holistic approaches and remembers his cultural teachings of his family and elders. He is recognized for humility and integrity, respect of diversity and working for all people of indigenous ancestry and beyond. Believe who you are and live your dreams to all youth. Dano has been walking the red road for 33 years and enjoys his life daily. Has a strong spiritual belief with the Creator. Home 2026 Banquet 2026 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More
- Cameron "Cam" Bomberry, Mohawk
< Back Cameron "Cam" Bomberry Cameron "Cam" Bomberry Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Cameron “Cam” Bomberry grew up in the Six Nations community of Ohsweken, Ontario. Bomberry played six seasons of OLA Junior “A” lacrosse and he scored 199 goals, added 286 assists for a total of 485 points. He played his first three season with the St. Catharines Athletics. In 1991, Bomberry played for his hometown Six Nations Arrows to complete his junior career. In 1992, he won the Most Valuable Player award as he captained the Arrows to the Minto Cup championship. Bomberry played twelve seasons of Senior Lacrosse in the MSL of Ontario. He also played one season with the Mohawk Stars in 2008 in the OLA Senior “B” league. Bomberry was a member of two Mann Cup championship teams, including the Six Nations Chiefs in 1994 and 1996. Over 242 games, Bomberry scored 281 goals, and had 335 assists for a total of 516 points. He was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2016. Cam Bomberry also played field lacrosse. He was a member of the U19 Champion team when Team Canada earned a Silver Medal. During an accomplished college career, Bomberry was a three-time All-American midfielder for Nazareth College, and a member of the NCAA Division III National Championship Team in 1992. In addition, Cam played for the Iroquois Nationals four times. He was a key player on the 2014 Bronze Medal winning team in the Federation of International Lacrosse Association. Bomberry also played in the National Lacrosse League. He was the first overall selection in the 1994 draft. He also played for the Buffalo Bandits, New Jersey Storm and Rochester Knighthawks. Bomberry was a member of the Rochester Knighthawks winning the NLL Championship in 1997. In fourteen NLL seasons, Bomberry scored 256 goals, and had 464 assists for 720 total points in 206 games. Cam Bomberry gives back to the game and has experience leading lacrosse clinics. He has coached and played for several First Nations teams at both the National and International levels, including the Iroquois Nationals in field and box lacrosse. <Back
- Cherlyn Dawn Billy , Shuswap Nation
Cherlyn Dawn Billy <Back Shuswap Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Coach 2023 Cherlyn Billy was part of the U-19 Indigenous Female Team BC for the 2017 North American Indigenous Games. This was the first time that the NAIG games had female box lacrosse, and because of this Cherlyn wanted the players to get the full recognition for it. She set up interviews for players with the media, fundraised so they could get new and proper gear and most importantly instilled in them that they were proud Indigenous woman. The team brought home bronze in the games, and fond memories. From this Cherlyn created the BC Storm Lacrosse, a team and group dedicated to using lacrosse as a way to connect culture, history and traditions. Cherlyn coached the first Storm team in an All Nations tournament in 2018 in Six Nations and the team brought home a bronze medal. She used this platform to support players who went to play for Haudenosaunee at the 2019 U-19 Female Field Lacrosse World Games; and later those trying out for the 2022 Haudenosaunee Women’s and Sixes teams in which Cherlyn had multiple athletes of hers on the teams. She took the second Storm Team to the first ever US Box lacrosse women’s tournament in San Jose, in Aug of 2022 and were bronze medalists. Team photo after winning the Bronze medal at the 2017 NAIG for Team BC U-19 Female Lacrosse; Photo Credit: Tanya Foreman and Danya Shima Professional Photo Credit: Carolyn Billy
- Tim Moccasin
Tim Moccasin Cree Induction Category: Year Inducted Trainer 2025 <Back Tim Moccasin is a professional jockey from the Saulteaux First Nation in Saskatchewan. Tim’s passion for horses started at a young age; spending much of his time with friends and family riding and working with horses. At the age of 12, Tim was already competing as a jockey in bush meets throughout Saskatchewan. Tim started his professional racing career in 1994, at the age of 16, at Marquis Downs in Saskatoon. He obtained his first professional win that year on a horse named Moneytree Muncher. Tim went on to win multiple leading jockey awards at Marquis Downs. The majority of his career was spent in Saskatoon but has also raced at tracks inManitoba and Alberta. During his career as a professional jockey Tim competed in both thoroughbred and quarter horse racing. Tim has 3,349 thoroughbred starts with 624 wins, 518 seconds, and 463 thirds. Tim has 283 Quarter horse starts with 58 wins, 48 seconds, and 53 thirds. In his 2001 season at Marquis Downs Tim set, and continues to hold, the North American record for the most consecutive wins with 14 wins. Tim rides a little less professionally but continues to dedicate a large part of his life to horses. In recent years Tim has competed in Indian Relay racing with its growing popularity in Saskatchewan. He enjoys interacting with the younger generation of riders giving them advice so they can become more confident and safer riders. The next step in his thoroughbred racing career is to become more involved in the training aspect of racing. Tim continues to reside in Saskatchewan with his wife and during the off-season he enjoys being with his children and watching them participate in sports such as hockey and volleyball.
- Dr. Gregory Redhouse, Diné
< Back Dr. Gregory Redhouse Dr. Gregory Redhouse Diné Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2023 Dr. Gregory Redhouse began competing in collegiate archery tournaments in 1992 while attending Navajo Community College (renamed Diné College). He believes that archery cultivates focus and concentration; improves hand-eye coordination; increases upper body strength; enhances team-building skills; promotes self-confidence; and helps relieve stress. He also acknowledges that his collegiate archery training made him a better marksman while serving in the U.S. Marines. During his first year as Head Archery Coach at Diné College (DC), Redhouse advocated for and recruited more women archers in order to fulfill the Title IX federal compliance in collegiate sports. He also incorporated DC’s first Compound Bow Team to compliment DC’s long-running Olympic-Recurve Bow Team. Between 2001 and 2007, Redhouse produced several State champions, Western Regional Champions, Rookie of the Year honors, and All-American Collegiate Archers. In time, he departed collegiate archery in order to pursue a Ph.D. as well as garnering other teaching opportunities with Navajo Technical University (NTU), Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC), Pima Community College (PCC), and the University of Arizona (UA). Since August of 2019, Redhouse returned to the Navajo Nation and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Economics within DC’s School of Business and Social Science. Moreover, he will instruct archery courses under DC’s Native American Studies (NAS) minor program. This NAS approach to archery, taught at a tribal college, will allow for students to engage with traditional ways of knowing – where the bow and the arrow will serve as their teachers and their lessons will be built from stories of our Indigenous ancestors. Redhouse currently focuses upon Navajo youth and the next generation of Native American archers by sponsoring the Twin Warriors Archery Club; a Junior Olympic Archery Development (JOAD) program sanctioned by USA Archery, the national governing body for the Olympic Sport of Archery. <Back
- Sam McCracken, Sioux and Assiniboine
Sam McCracken Sioux and Assiniboine Induction Category: Year Inducted Builder 2022 <Back Sam McCracken, is a member of the Sioux and Assiniboine tribes in northeastern Montana on the Ft. Peck Indian Reservation and the General Manager of Nike N7. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the board for the Center for Native American Youth. McCracken started with Nike in 1997. He became the Manager of Nike’s Native American Business in 2000 and led the development of the Nike Air Native N7 shoe, the retail collection and the fund which provides access to sport for Native American and Indigenous youth in North America. Since 2009, the fund has awarded more than $8 million in grants to Tribal communities, reaching more than 500,000 youth. McCracken received Nike’s Bowerman Award in 2004, named after Nike co-founder and track and field coach Bill Bowerman. He was honored by the Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge with the George Washington Honor Medal in 2004. In 2007, he was coined a "corporate change maker" and named among the 20 most innovative global “Intrapreneurs” by sustainability.com. He worked with Nike to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Health Service in 2003 and 2009, and with the Bureau of Indian Education in 2010 bringing access to sport for Native American communities. He was appointed by President Barack Obama to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Advisory Council on Indian Education in 2010 and received the President’s "Leadership Award" from the National Indian Gaming Association in 2010. More recently, McCracken and N7 received the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s 2019 Corporate Business of the Year award and in 2020, McCracken was inducted into the Montana Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2022, McCracken was honored by the World Economic Forum as the Schwab Foundation’s Social Intrapraneur of the Year.
- Tahnee Robinson, Northern Cheyenne, Eastern Shoshone, Skidi Pawnee
< 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
- Bobby Ross, Songhees
< Back Bobby Ross Bobby Ross Songhees Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 Bobby Ross was the first Indigenous athlete to gain world recognition as a leading player on the Canadian men’s national rugby team. A proud member of the Songhees Nation on Vancouver Island, Ross has been honored with induction into the BC Rugby Hall of Fame (2019), Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (2020), and Rugby Canada Hall of Fame (2021). He represented Canada at three Rugby World Cups in 1995, 1999, and 2003. Growing up in Victoria, Ross was an exceptional multi-sport athlete. At St. Michaels University School, he was part of a dominant rugby team that went undefeated (14–0) in his final year. After graduation, Ross was selected to the Canadian Junior Baseball Team and competed at the 1987 World Junior Championships, where he batted .376 and helped Canada win a bronze medal. A baseball scholarship took him to Washington State, but his passion for rugby brought him back to Canada. He played for the University of Victoria (UVic) and captained the Canadian Junior Rugby Team on a tour of Wales in 1988. In his first UVic match against rival UBC, Ross sealed the win with a dramatic 55-metre drop goal at the final whistle. Ross earned his first international cap in 1989 against Ireland at just 20 years old. Over a 14-year international career, he was capped 57 times and became one of Canada’s finest players. Known for his exceptional kicking ability, he scored 421 test points, ranking third all-time for Canada and 14th internationally at the time of his retirement. Although he played multiple positions, Ross was most influential at fly half, where his vision and leadership stood out. At the club and professional levels, Ross won multiple Island and Provincial titles with the James Bay Athletic Association and later played professionally in Wales with Cardiff. He captained Canada at the Under-19, Under-21, and senior levels and returned from retirement for the 2003 World Cup, earning Man of the Match in his final game. Off the field, Ross continues to contribute to rugby through his involvement with Thunder Rugby, supporting Indigenous athletes and recognition in the sport. <Back
- Charley Norris , Red Lake Band of Ojibwe
< Back Charley Norris Charley Norris Red Lake Band of Ojibwe Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 Charley Norris was a five-time Pro Wrestling America (PWA) Heavyweight Champion. He was also a two-time PWA Tag Team Champion once with Sam Houston and the other with Derrick Dukes. He and Dukes were known as “Thunderblood” and they were the final champions since the title was later retired. He was a one-time Northern Premier Wrestling (NPW) Heavyweight Champion. Norris also was a Wrestle America 2000 Tag Team Champion. Pro Wrestling Illustrated ranked Norris #90 out of 500 wrestlers in 1993. He made his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) televised debut in 1993 and was a fan favorite while defeating Fury. He had a pay-per-view debut at the Fall Brawl event and defeated Big Sky. In 1996 Norris joined the American Wrestling Federation (AWF) and teamed with Tito Santana. He appeared in several independent cards for the next decade up to his retirement in 2006. He moved home to Red Lake, MN at that time. Additional details on Norris’ wrestling career is available on Wikipedia and matches are on YouTube. <Back










