< Back Steve McDonald Steve McDonald Prairie Band Potawatomi Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Steve McDonald is a Life Member of the Professional Golf Association (PGA). He was a two-year, four-sport letterman at Haskell Indian Junior College in football, basketball, baseball and golf. McDonald played golf at Washburn University, where he won five college tournaments. As a golf professional he has won over 35 sanctioned PGA Midwest and South Florida Section tournaments, including the 1988 Midwest Section Match Play Championship. He was named seven times to the Midwest Section PGA Cup Team. He was also named four times as a member of the Midwest Section PGA District VII Cup Team and a two-time member of the South Florida Section Chapter Cup Team. McDonald won eight times on the First Nations Golf Associations Professional Golf Tour. He was twice named the First Nations Golf Association Player of the Year. He is a founding Board Member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) Boys and Girls Club and The First Tee of Shawnee County. He was a Board of Trustee Member to the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. In 2006 he served as Chef de’Mission for Team Kansas at the North American Indigenous Games held in Denver, CO and was also the Commissioner of Golf. He has visited over 25 Native American Reservations teaching youth golf. He was the Head Golf Professional at Addison Reserve, Delray Beach, FL, the General Manager of The Legacy Club at Alaqua Lakes, Lake Mary, FL, the Director of Golf Instruction at Lake Shawnee Golf Course, Topeka, KS, and the Vice President of Golf at Jacks Bay, a Tiger Woods designed golf course. McDonald is a two-time cancer survivor and the 2022 South Florida Section PGA of America Deacon Palmer Award winner. He is semi-retired but still playing and teaching, and to date he has given over 20,000 lifetime golf lessons. <Back

Nicole Johnson Category Athlete Tribe Inupiaq Year Inducted 2022 D.O.B. 5/20/1969 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 Home 2027 Banquet 2027 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More

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< Back Niki Gashing Goodwin Niki Gashing Goodwin White Earth Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Niki Gashing Goodwin, an enrolled member of White Earth Nation, has been gifted the journey of being a professional athlete. He was born in Bagley, MN and grew up on and near Ojibwe country. His parents, Duane and Theresa Goodwin, are Native artists who still live in that area. Through his family connections and longtime relationship with horses, Nik’s passion was in the horse racing industry. At a very young age he developed the dream to be a professional horse jockey. In 1991 he started riding races in Barnum, MN, recording his first victory in the 100th running of the Carlton County Derby. From this point in his journey, he never looked back. His confidence that he would succeed in this career path allowed him to pass up a full ride academic scholarship at Bemidji State University. He started his professional career in Winnipeg, Manitoba in August of 1993 when he was just 16. By his senior year in high school he had a professional career started and still graduated with honors. Nik won his first professional race in his 13th start on his father's horse Moidore. After that race he quickly won more races and his career was under way leading him to California. Nik’s nationwide racehorse career was just beginning. Nik received the opportunity to ride at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, which is one of the premier horse racing tracks in the country. He spent a short time there riding with hall of fame jockeys and learning a lot about his career. Early in 1995, he moved his riding business to Maryland. In Maryland and surrounding tracks, he excelled and became a top rider for years in an extremely competitive mid-Atlantic racing circuit. Since then his riding career has taken him to many places around the United States. Nik has recorded over 1000 thoroughbred wins and multiple quarter horse leading rider titles in a career that has expanded over three decades. He has become the all-time leading quarter horse rider at Canterbury Park in Shakopee Minnesota. Nik spends the winter months now in Florida where he helps get young racehorses ready for their careers. His work was an important part in the development of champion and Kentucky Derby winner, Nyquist, along with Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Other great horses that he worked with have been Nadal, Dortmund, Palace Malace, and Competitive Edge. Now in his mid-forty’s Nik rides a little less and dedicates the rest of his time to his family. He lives in Ocala, Florida with his wife and three boys. Even though he is at the sunset of his career he still enjoys riding and is looking for the next champion. Photo Credits: Coady Photography and Heather R. Grevelis <Back

< Back Lori McAuley Lori McAuley Nehiyew iskwew Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Lori McAuley has generously given over fifty years to the sport of canoe/kayak in Saskatchewan. She has mentored and inspired hundreds, perhaps thousands to compete, coach and champion the sport, introducing Indigenous youth to kayaking and ensuring canoeing keeps its foothold as a traditional sport. Coming from a family of competitive paddlers, Lori was racing on the professional circuit by age 16. She also began her lifelong commitment of giving back, making an indelible impact on youth throughout Saskatchewan. Lori took on the work as the volunteer NAIG Games Head Coach and Coordinator for Saskatchewan beginning with the 2002 Games. She chaired committees, planned, and implemented athlete development programs, ran trials, managed, and coached teams for four sets of Games, plus the postponed 2020 Games. Lori ran the Canoe event at four Saskatchewan First Nations Games (SNFG). Her involvement was all encompassing, from setting racecourses to being the Chief Official. Lori also spearheaded Games programs for the Saskatoon Tribal Council. Lori’s commitment is highlighted by: • An historically successful team - Saskatchewan led the medal count in canoeing at every Games except 2017, winning 50 medals in 2014 alone. • Raising the bar with Games programs and competition by administering and coaching excellent programs and by keeping the needs of youth at the forefront. • Mentoring youth including a paddler went on to medal at Canada Games and national team selection. • Building a community network of volunteers, coaches, and managers, mentoring coaches to become certified. • Making her commitment a family contribution. Lori’s husband and children were heavily involved as volunteers with the SFNG and NAIG Games. • Her use of sport to positively impact youth. Her approach is holistic, exposing athletes to mental training, nutrition, and land training. She encourages excellence in sport, academics and everyday life, inspiring athletes to become role models in their community. Photo Credit: Lori McAuley with husband Dale McAuley at the 2017 North American Indigenous Games <Back

< Back Brent Reiter Brent Reiter Menominee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Brent Reiter attended Shawano High School in Shawano, Wisconsin from 1996-2000 and excelled in both Cross Country and Track & Field. Reiter was state champion in the 1600m run at the 2000 WIAA State Track & Field Championships and state runner-up at the 1999 WIAA State Cross Country Championships. He was a seven-time state qualifier, six-time sectional champion, ten-time Bay Conference Champion, a seven-time varsity letter winner, school record holder in the 1600m run, and led the Hawks to two straight Bay Conference Cross Country team titles in 1997 and 1998. Reiter was named Shawano High School male athlete of the year in 1999-2000. After graduating from Shawano High School in 2000, Reiter attended Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 2000-2002. He participated in Cross Country, Track & Field, and the Marathon. Reiter was a two-time National Champion, four-time National runner-up, nine-time All-American, an academic All-American, and led SIPI to two straight National Cross Country team titles in 2000 and 2001. Reiter also attended Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky in 2002-2003. He earned First Team All-Conference honors for Cross Country in 2002. Reiter was inducted into the Shawano Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. <Back

< Back Dolly Johnson Dolly Johnson Pawnee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2026 Dolly Johnson is an enrolled member of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and is the daughter of the late Wilbur M. Johnson (Pawnee/Wyandotte) and Augustina K. Johnson (Lake Pyramid Paiute). She was born in Claremore, Oklahoma and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She and her five siblings all played sports while growing up in Tulsa. She is a graduate of Union High School where she played basketball and fastpitch softball. While at Union High School, she won a 6A State Fastpitch title, was a 6A Fastpitch All-State member and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994. After graduating from Union, she played softball on a full athletic scholarship at the NAIA softball powerhouse Oklahoma City University. As a pitcher at OCU, she was a three-time First Team NAIA All-American, three-time NFCA All-American, 1999 NAIA Pitcher of the Year, won a NAIA National Championship in 1996 and 1997, and was part of the NAIA National All-Tournament Team in 1997. She also won several pitcher of the week awards throughout her career at OCU. Dolly holds two pitching records at OCU, season lowest pitching ERA of 0.32 set in 1996 and 5 career saves set in 1996-1999. In 1996, she was part of the OCU National Championship Team that played an exhibition game against the U.S. Olympic Softball Team at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After her collegiate career, she played on several Native American women’s fastpitch teams that played at various tribal festivals in Oklahoma, All-Indian State women’s fastpitch tournament that was held at Wheeler Park in Oklahoma City, OK and at the National Indian Athletic Association Nationals that was held in New Mexico, California, Nevada and Canada. She was named to several All Tournament teams and MVP of several tournaments. After a successful softball career, she coached softball at the high school level and the amateur level. She was an assistant coach at Pawnee High School in Pawnee, Oklahoma for two years. She helped coach an amateur fastpitch softball team that won an USSSA National Championships in 2018. Dolly has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in counseling psychology. She has one son and one grandson. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with her grandson, watch OU softball and other “grandma stuff”. <Back

< Back Ciena Alipio Ciena Alipio Diné Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 UCLA senior Ciena Alipio was born in San Jose, Calif. in March 2004. Her mother Linda is Diné, and her father Dante is Filipino. Ciena grew up in Northern California and began taking dance classes at a young age before moving on to gymnastics. She went on to become a four-time member of the USA Gymnastics Women’s National Team, representing the U.S. internationally in competitions in Europe. She earned her first international assignment at the 2019 Jesolo Trophy in Italy and won silver medals on the balance beam and with the team. In 2021, she earned an assignment to the Arthur Gander Memorial in Switzerland and captured a bronze medal in the all-around. At the national level, she was the runner-up on balance beam at the 2019 and 2022 USA Championships. Ciena moved to Minnesota to train at Midwest Gymnastics for her final two years of elite gymnastics training when the global pandemic restricted indoor activity in California. In the fall of 2022, Ciena returned to California to attend UCLA. During her freshman season in 2023, she was a staple in the balance beam lineup and helped lead the Bruins to a Pac-12 regular season title and a fifth-place NCAA finish. She flourished as a junior in 2025, winning the Big Ten Conference balance beam title with her first career perfect 10. Ciena’s perfect mark led her team to a school-record balance beam score of 49.750 and to a Championship record team score of 198.450. UCLA captured the Big Ten Championship, as well as the conference’s regular season title. The Bruins finished 2025 as the runner-up at the NCAA Championships, where Ciena tied for third place on balance beam with a score of 9.9500 to earn first-team All-America honors. A psychology major, Ciena earned 2024 Scholastic All-American and 2025 Academic All-Big Ten honors. Photo Credits: Ross Turteltaub/UCLA Athletics on the balance beam photo. The one with the 10.0 sign was taken by Kaira Edwards/UCLA Gymnastics <Back

Kahnawake Hunters 2025 Founder’s Cup Champions Team 2026 Induction Category: Year Inducted <Back The Kahnawake Hunters ended the 2025 season in historic fashion. The Hunters were crowned the 2025 Founders Cup as the Canadian Junior B Lacrosse National Champions – becoming the first team in Kahnawake’s history to win a national championship in any sport. The Kahnawake Hunters represent the Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League and have been a member of the league since 2009. In 2024, the Hunters began their historic run by making it past the second round of the OJBLL playoffs for the first time and then made it to the Ontario Finals against the Elora Hawks. Elora would win the best-of-five series 3-0 and would go on to win the 2024 Founders Cup. The Hunters would go on to have a 15-5 record for the 2025 regular season, finishing in second place the OJBLL’s Eastern Conference. The Hunters would then go on to win their first found series against the Halton Hills Bulldogs 3-1. That set up a second-round matchup against the Green Gaels, who the Hunters would sweep 3-0. The Hunters would then take on the Akwesasne Thunder in the Eastern Conference Final. Game 1 of the Eastern Final was one of the most tightly-contested games of the playoffs, with the Hunters edging Akwesasne 9-8 overtime. The Hunters would go on to win the series 3-0 to go on to the Ontario final in a rematch of the 2024 finals against the Elora Hawks. After winning the first two games by scores of 12-6, and 9-8, Elora had a 2-0 lead in the series before the series shifted to Kahnawake. The Hunters would then win both games three and four by scores 10-9 and 9-8 to even the series at 2-2 heading back to Elora for the fifth and final game. The Hunters would go on to decisively win game five by a score of 13-7 to win the Ontario Championship and punch their ticket to the 2025 Founders Cup. Once at the Founders Cup, the Hunters went on to go a perfect 5-0 in the tournament, including a 9-4 win over the Coquitlam Adanacs in the gold medal game to win the Founders Cup. Team Roster: Tehahente Albany, Tehorahkwaneken Albany, Lleyton Bomberry-Sowden, Zane Chiefmoon, Crayton Cree, Cy Deer, Tehaianerahkhwa Deer, Ioteseronties Diabo, Kaymen Diabo, Tylen Diabo, Hawi Francis, Darris Jones, Kasey Lahache, Leland Lahache, Deeland Martin, Tycen Mccomber, Warren Oakes, Owen Rice, Shakononhkwahtsheronniennis Rice, Winter Rivera, Rohahes Stacey, Bryce Stout, Shatekaienthokwen VanDommelen, Shatekaienthon VanDommelen, Jenson White, Wesley Morris, Brett Bucktooth Jr. Managers/Owners: Derek Stacey and Jadie Cross, General Manager: Greg Horn, Head Coach: Brandon Francis, Assistant Coaches: Brett Bucktooth, Thunder Jacobs, Kahnawiio Dione, and Kirby Joe Diabo, Assistant General Manager: Kirby Joe Diabo, Equipment Manager: Katsirakeron McComber, Assistant Equipment Manager: Madden McComber, Social Media Manager: Atewenniiohstha Jacobs; Co-owners: Jason Maracle and Tara Maracle.

Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine <Back Sagkeeng Anishinaabe First Nation Induction Category: Media/Team Year Inducted 2023 Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine, Anishinaabe hockey player, Chief, Elder, author, educator, public speaker. Theodore survived 12 years incarcerated in Indian residential schools, experiencing sexual, physical, emotional and spiritual abuse. The freedom of playing hockey as a child, and later as an adult, was critical to his survival. Theodore played senior and semi-professional hockey, signing a “C” contract with the Detroit Red Wings, but overt racism led him to give up his opportunity. This lifelong regret led to his determination to succeed in spite of his residential schools experiences. He graduated in Civil Engineering in 1973, and served as Chief of Sagkeeng First Nation. He played for 10 years with the Sagkeeng Oldtimers, winning international, national and regional awards, including three World Cups. He initiated donations of personal and hockey artifacts to Canada’s Hockey Hall of Fame and to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Theodore dedicated his career to supporting Indigenous people, including 11 years with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, and serving on boards supporting Indigenous participation in the Pan-American Games, sports, social and economic issues. He taught Indigenous Governance at the Banff Centre for Management and co-founded the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute. His work led to reclamation and commemoration of the Assiniboia Residential School and publishing of survivor stories Did You See Us?. His national bestselling memoir, Broken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools, led to public speaking to 1600 audiences from students to professionals in sports, justice, policing, corrections, social services and health care. He authored the foreword for Colonial Genocide in Indigenous North America; the foreword to Stolen Lives: The Indigenous Peoples of Canada and the Indian Residential Schools; and contributed to multiple Indigenous publications and anthologies. Theodore’s leadership and success through activism and writing are his legacy for Indigenous truth and equity in Canada. Photos: Theodore at left, Fort Alexander Indian Residential School about 1950 Theodore speaking to health professionals University of Manitoba Grand Rounds

< 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

< Back Ashley Nichols Ashley Nichols Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Ashley “AK47” Nichols, was known as an Ogijidaa Kwe, warrior woman. From a young age she had a fierce presence. At the age of 12, she discovered boxing with her first coach Rick Peters. From 2008 to 2017, she went to train at MAS Academy of Martial Arts with Kru Chris. This propelled her journey and rise to glory, through countless competitions, tournaments, world titles, reality T.V., film and documentary. Her biography documentary, “Emptying the Tank,” screened at Toronto International Film Festival (T.I.F.F) in 2018. Through her dedication and passion for Muay Thai and MMA, Ashley reached self-actualization and found who she truly was meant to be in the world. Her second home at the Kaewsamrit Gym in Thailand, supported, guided and pushed her to greatness. From 2021-2024, she found herself training at Niagara Top Team and this was a place that Ashley described as a top tier training facility, where she found a supportive team of professional fighters who would become like a family to her. They described her as someone having a passion for combat sports, and her warm welcoming spirit touched the lives of everyone. She was just a kid from the Rez, who had a dream and went all the way from surviving to thriving, holding world titles in Muay Thai and MMA. Upon her passing, she was the reigning and defending BTC fight Strawweight Champion, and the No. 1 ranked Women’s pound for pound fighter in Canada and New York. She also was the LFA 167 straw weight champion. Ashley competed in Kickboxing and Muay Thai, and was also a professional MMA fighter with a 7-4 record. She was expected to return to action in March 2024 at Pallas Athena Women’s Fighting Championship PAWFC 3 at the Nutrient Western Events Centre at Stampede Park. She was a LFA Champion, Glory Kickboxing Champion, BTC Champion, Invicta FC fighter. Ashley was known as the most technical and ferocious female striker that Canada and the world has ever seen. Her legacy will live on through her passion for combat sports and continue to inspire countless First Nations people across Turtle Island. <Back