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< Back Ron Powless Ron Powless Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Ron Powless was born on March 17, 1931, in Milwaukee Wisconsin and passed away September 9, 2011, in Marietta, GA while enroute to his winter home in Ft. Myers, FL. His father was Merville Powless from the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. His mother, Jesse Snow Powless, was from the Red Lake Chippewa Nation. Ron, the oldest of three brothers, was highly motivated and an athletically talented youth. He played high school football at Morgan Park, Chicago, IL and Washington High School, Milwaukee, WI. His success as a receiver and punter led to his recruitment and scholarship offers. Ron attended Indiana University on an athletic scholarship playing football for the Hoosiers in the Big Ten. Following his time at Indiana, Ron served in the military stationed in Tokyo, Japan, where he was selected to the U.S. Army All-Star football team and played in the first American football game in Tokyo Stadium against the Marine All-Star’s. After his time in the military and playing for the U.S. Army All-Star football team, he continued his education in Mexico City at Mexico City College and later graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Marketing and Economics. Ron’s competitive nature led to successful careers with companies like Xerox and Itek before founding his own corporation, International Data Systems. His success allowed him to contribute to American Indian causes and enjoy homes in Wisconsin and Florida. Ron’s legacy lives on as he had a son and daughter both of whom followed him with successful careers and healthy families. <Back

< Back Ben Strong Ben Strong Red Lake Band of Ojibwe Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach Ben Strong is a member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe. His parents are Edward Strong and Sarah Haskett. Strong is a retired professional basketball player and former coach. He grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. After graduating from Chapel Hill High School in 2004, he enrolled at Guilford College (ODAC Conference), an NCAA Division III school in Greensboro, North Carolina. He left Guilford ranked second all-time in scoring (2231) as well as in blocked shots (236) and seventh all-time in rebounding (927). During his time at Guilford he received individual awards, among those are the following: two-time First-Team Division III All-American, NCAA Division III Player of the Year, three-time First Team All-ODAC, and two-time ODAC Player of the Year. In 2007, he was a NABC First Team All-American (Co-Player of the Year) and a D3hoops.com First Team All-American (Player of the Year). Strong launched his professional career in 2008 with Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Premier League. He also played briefly in the Netherlands, Uruguay, and New Zealand. After playing overseas, he took his game to the NBA Development League, playing for various teams. Then in 2016, Strong played in the NBA Summer League for the New York Knicks. Throughout his career, Strong coached youth during summer camps in the Red lake community, as well as some communities on the east coast, where he lived and eventually started his coaching career. In 2016 when he retired from playing, Strong began working as an assistant men's basketball coach at Huntingdon College, before joining the Philadelphia 76ers’ staff as a player development specialist in 2018, then the Phoenix Suns' staff as a player development coach in 2019. In 2021, Strong was hired by the Long Island Nets of the NBA G League to serve as their head video coordinator and player development coach. In 2022, Strong was inducted into Guilford College's Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2025, Strong was also named to ODAC's Inaugural Hall of Fame class. In 2022, Strong retired from coaching to relocate back to NC. He now lives with his wife Lauren and son Fox. <Back

Harold Ladouceur Cree Induction Category: Year Inducted Trainer 2024 <Back Harold Ladouceur was raised in between northern Alberta and the Kikino Metis settlement and Saulteux and Moosomin Reserves in Saskatchewan. Horses had been his family's life since he could remember. Whether it be work horses logging or weekend rodeos. Understanding the needs of horses was ingrained in Ladouceur as a boy. Racing thoroughbreds would ultimately be the path that Ladouceur would find himself. His late Grandfather Alec Poitras trained countless thoroughbreds that would race on the B circuit. As a teenager Ladouceur would be exercising and grooming in the morning and race riding in the afternoon. Ladouceur honed his skills as an exercise rider before traveling to Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg where he would meet his future wife. The couple traveled to Florida where he would find his niche in breaking yearlings for prominent pin hookers that would take them across America working the training sales. They found themselves under the tutelage of renowned horseman Luke McKathan who would be instrumental in his career eventually holding two track records with horses McKathan would later send him. 25 years later Ladouceur still does business with the McKathan family. A fateful afternoon at the CTHS auction, where a slight framed bay filly caught his eye at the Hill N Dale consignment. He had to have her. Hip 98 would be named Paladin Bay by Ladouceur’s mother-in-law, meaning defender and champion. That she was. Winning numerous stakes one being the graded Selene. She was nominated for two and three year old champion filly. Paladin Bay would earn almost 700k before being sold to the prestigious Calumet farm. Some of Ladouceur's achievements are winning the Inaugural Turf Endurance Championship for longtime owner Kirk Sutherland with Tesseron, placing in the Grade 1 International with turf star Primo Touch, and winning the Kingarvie with homebred Jurojin. Barn favorites Wake up Maggie, Splendid Glory, and McCulley earned in the 150k range. Ladouceur has a loyal roster of top woodbine trainers that entrust him with their yearling purchases to be started and paved the way for a successful racing career. The ability to communicate with these young horses and allow them to learn how to safely and happily become racehorses undoubtedly comes from his heritage. To the plains Cree a horse is embraced as a brother. This reputation played a role in being hired to train for the iconic Stronach Stables. Ladouceur believes that horses are sacred animals that will speak to you, one only has to listen.

< Back Waneek Horn-Miller Waneek Horn-Miller Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Builder/Media 2025 Similar to the arduous process of making wampum beads, the journey of Waneek Horn-Miller doesn’t begin and end with being an Olympic Water Polo athlete. A Mohawk from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory near Montreal, Waneek was behind the lines during the Oka crisis in 1990 when she was stabbed by a Canadian soldier’s bayonet. It was a near-death experience that marked a turning point in her life. Waneek has overcome discrimination and violence to emerge as one of North America’s most inspiring female Indigenous speakers with a compelling perspective and dynamic stories to share. Her presentations and keynotes are aimed at bridging the gap and repairing relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. While she recently stepped down from her role as for the MMIWG Inquiry to focus on her family, she continues to support the goal of the Inquiry and advocates on Indigenous issues in other ways to help build healthy and prosperous communities. Waneek is an advocate for building indigenous sport and has worked with the Assembly of First Nations to develop their sport, fitness and health strategy. Drawing on her experiences as the former co-captain of Canada's Olympic women's water polo team, Waneek shares her story and teaches how to build self-esteem through a balance of education and sport. Waneek travels extensively from border to border, speaking to Indigenous and non- indigenous audiences on issues of reconciliation, sport and why it is important we must all strive for our dreams. Waneek is currently working with the Indigenous forward company Manitobah Mukluks in several capacities. As one of Canada’s few Indigenous Olympians, Waneek has used her unique experiences in life and sport combined with a passion for her culture to influence Indigenous and non-Indigenous leadership in sport and wellness, Indigenous business, women in business and community building. The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Recently named her one of Canada’s most influential women in sport. If we want reconciliation, for ourselves and our children, we need to have hard conversations, build common ground, and really listen to each other. Waneek served as one of the coaches on the first season of CBC's reality competition series, Canada's Ultimate Challenge and most recently a prime time panelists for the CBC coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics. <Back

< Back Bernard Clark Bernard Clark Koyukon Athabaskan Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Bernard Clark, an Alaskan born and raised Koyukon Athabaskan, started his sports journey in 2010 with his Native Youth Olympics debut. In 2011 with the support of his high school team Bernard tied the men’s world record for One Hand Reach at 69”, previously held by 2023 NAIAHF inductee Jesse Frankson. This marked the beginning of Bernard’s journey. He then continued to compete in the World Eskimo Indian Olympics (WEIO) held annually in Fairbanks, Alaska. In the several years to follow, Bernard supported and paralleled his wife in becoming the NYO coaches of Wasilla High School. With coaching from past and current generation Alaskan athletes like Nicole Johnson, Carol Hull, Casey Ferguson, Kyle Worl, Alexavier Covey and Nick Hanson, Bernard was sure to succeed. In 2013, 2020, and again in 2024 Bernard set new records in the One Hand Reach (71”) and Swing Kick (65”). He also earned medals in several other events including the Blanket Toss, High Kicks, and distance jumping contests. In between competitions Bernard loves to share, volunteer and commit his time and experience to keeping the Alaskan traditional games alive, from radio talk show interviews, filming a segment for BBC, to interviews with a Smithsonian reporter to his yearly stage performances at the Alaska State Fair. Bernard shares his passion for the events in the hopes of the games continuing to grow and thrive. Photos: Teyah Clark and Greg Lincoln <Back

Haudenosaunee Dehontsigwaehs IIJL WORLD U16 LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP (WU16LC) 2023 Gold Medal: Haudenosaunee Team 2026 Induction Category: Year Inducted <Back Jordan Christjohn, Kingston Delormier, Parker Booth, Trevy Seymour, Hodawe:Je John, Gahowanens Shenandoah, Tehohonwáthe Bomberry, Dee Francis, Chace Cogan, Gawasasche Hill, Kaidyn (Honrahdagwaisro's) Lickers-Henry, Kalem (Howęnadae:) Powless, Roy Thomas, Rohahes Delormier, Taigehdoh Steeprock, Brycin Jones, Kenyon Shenandoah, Everett (Ha’tsihgahdo:d) Stevens, Rhys Kennedy, Lewis White, Jayce Deliomer Head Coach: Brandon Francis Assistant Coach: Adam Bomberry General Manager: Gewas Schindler

< Back Kenneth Strath Moore Kenneth Strath Moore Cree Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Kenneth Strath Moore is the first First Nation athlete to win an Olympic gold medal. A citizen of the Peepeekisis Cree Nation, he was born in Saskatchewan, Canada in 1910. Moore would excel at every sport he played, including hockey, baseball, lacrosse, rugby, basketball, speed skating and cycling, although he was most passionate about hockey. His athletic and academic abilities enabled him to win scholarships, and he attended Campion College and Regina College in the late 1920s at a time when almost no First Nations students attended universities and colleges. He captained hockey and rugby teams, played baseball and basketball, and was described as “the most versatile athlete in the College.” Moore became a Canadian Junior Hockey Champion in 1930, scoring the winning goal with 40 seconds left in the game to win the Memorial Cup. He won two Allan Cup National Hockey Championships, and in 1932 traveled to Lake Placid, New York, to represent his country and the Cree Nation at the Olympics. There he scored a goal in the game against Poland, won a gold medal, and made history. Today, Moore’s achievements would be exceptional. A century ago, his achievements are extraordinary. He represents excellence and what can happen when talent and heart triumph over poverty and prejudice. After Moore’s retirement from sport a Winnipeg newspaper noted “It is doubtful if any other athlete in Canada has a record that will stand up to that of Moore’s.” He gave back to the community by coaching three teams to championship titles and sitting on the board of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association. In 1967 Moore’s Regina Pats hockey team was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, in 1976 his Kimberley Dynamiters team was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame, and in 1987 the Winnipegs, his 1932 Olympic hockey team, was inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame. Moore’s accomplishments were celebrated in 2018 in a hockey exhibit at the Manitoba Museum, and his achievements are on display at the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame. <Back

< Back Brady Tanner Brady Tanner Cherokee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Brady Tanner was born on January 4, 1980 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation, is the son of Gary and Jane Tanner and has two sisters Jamie and Jennifer. Brady has come a long way as he only weighed 4.9 pounds at birth and has Rubenstien-Taybi Syndrome which limits his ability to mentally develop and grow normally. He started lifting in the Special Olympic Competitions at age 21 and was considered the Strongest Special Olympian in the World from 2011-2014 with his maximum lifts. The maximum lifts for Brady’s career included: Bench Press-525 lbs., Squat-650 lbs., Dead Lift-650 lbs., and a strict Curl-165 lbs. for a total maximum combination of 1,990 pounds. In 2011 Brady was chosen to be on Special Olympic Team USA and represented America in Powerlifting at the 275+ category in Athens, Greece. He won three Gold Medals and one Silver Medal including the Overall Combination Gold Medal. Brady has also won the following competitions: -He competed in the first National Special Olympics Games and won two Gold Medals in Powerlifting. -State Special Olympic Champion (Kansas) 19 times from 2001-2020. -World Association of Bench Pressers and Deadlifters (WABDL) – 17 World Championships in Bench Press and 17 World Championships in Deadlift. He was the Outstanding Lifter seven times in Bench Press and four times in Deadlift. -Natural Athlete Strength Association (NASA) nine-time National Champion Brady has also accomplished the following: -Brady has been awarded Kansas City Sports Commission Special Athlete Achievement Award in 2011. -He was recognized as one of the 10 Most Distinguished Kansan of 2011. -The Mayor of Lawrence, Kansas declared June 16, 2011 as Brady Tanner Day. -He is an inductee of the 2013 American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame -Lawrence High School Hall of Honor in 2013 -Inducted to the World Association of Bench Pressers and Deadlifters Hall of Fame in 2016 -Kansas Special Olympics Hall of Fame in 2018 Brady was the Ball Boy for the Haskell Indian Nations University from 1987 until 2015 where he was motivational to all the student athletes in the athletic program. <Back

< Back Ray Fougnier Ray Fougnier Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 On his 81st birthday on April 5, 2024, Oneida tribal member and grandfather Ray Fougnier set 13 new world records and earned four gold medals at the 2024 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) North American Powerlifting Championships. Fougnier also earned the AAU Powerlifting Best Overall Male Lifter Award and the Best Squat Award, named as the best athlete of all competitors, regardless of age. In 2023, Fougnier was named the AAU National Powerlifter of the Year. The year prior, he earned the 2022 AAU Strength Sports Best Overall Male Athlete of the Year Award, which includes powerlifting, weightlifting, body building and feats of strength. These awards include all competitors, regardless of age. Fougnier has competed at the AAU North American, World and International Powerlifting Championships for ten years, setting new records every time in the raw master’s division, where participants within his age range (80-84) do not use equipment to assist their lift. In addition to his success in powerlifting, Fougnier is also an accomplished educator, administrator and academic. After growing up in the homelands of the Oneida Indian Nation in Upstate New York, the weightlifting champion was selected to serve as the first Director for the American Indian Program at Cornell University. He also served as a teacher or administrator in the East Syracuse-Minoa, Solvay, Westhill and Syracuse City school districts. Fougnier started powerlifting at the age of 70. He was a natural athlete and lifted throughout high school when he was playing sports more consistently. The primary reason for powerlifting later in life was seeing both of his parents struggle with their health. His father was diagnosed with cancer and passed at the age of 66 shortly after retiring. His mother developed diabetes in her 40s and struggled with managing that disease up until she passed at the age of 72. Fougnier has spent the last ten years as a World Champion, and now having entered his third age group in competition, he knows his success supports the correlation between strength training and disease prevention. Source/Photos: Oneida Indian Nation <Back

< Back Miguel Lara Miguel Lara Tarahumara Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Miguel Lara’s record as an ultramarathon runner is very impressive and has resulted in him winning recognition across the globe. He has finished first in more than 20 ultramarathons, including three times each at Ultramarathon Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon, Ultramaratón de las Canones and the Born to Run Series. He participated in the Boston Marathon in 2017, won the Ultra X Mexico in 2019. He won four races in 2016 including the Red Rock and Beyond 50 miles in 6:43.23, Wild Wild West Ultra 50k in 4:32.22, the Born to Run Ultra 60k in 8:13.06, and the Kodiak Ultra 100 miles in 19:58.00. Photo/Bio Credit: Ultra X <Back

< Back Greg Edgelow Greg Edgelow Cree Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Greg Edgelow is a retired Olympic freestyle wrestler born in Edmonton, Alberta and living in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Edgelow is a nationally certified Aboriginal Wrestling Coach with Cree Ancestral Heritage from Manitoba Canada and European mix. In 2018, Edgelow was inducted into the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame, Indigenous Gallery. Edgelow won at every level of wrestling. He was a juvenile, junior and six-time Canadian senior wrestling champion (7 Freestyle and 1 Greco) and 5 times top-10 placing at the world championships (fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth). He represented Canada at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain placing 11th and won a bronze medal at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, two bronze medals at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba, a silver medal at the 1992 Pan American Championships, Toronto and a gold medal at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria. Edgelow is the only Canadian to win a medal in wrestling (bronze) at the Goodwill Games. He is also the only Canadian wrestler to win four separate consecutive senior freestyle weight classes (82 kg, 90 kg, 96 kg, 100 kg). His last senior national title was in 1998, where he represented Canada (100 Kg) at the World Championships in Tehran, Iran. He is a two-time NAIA All-American for Simon Fraser University, while placing #1 in Minot, ND at 177 lbs. in 1986. Edgelow was awarded the 1999 Canadian Sport Leadership Award for his outstanding athletic achievements and leadership in volunteerism, beating out fellow finalist, Hockey great Wayne Gretzky. Edgelow was the motivational speaker at the Parade of Nations for the 1997 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) Victoria and member of Aboriginal Team BC Mission Staff at NAIG 2006 Denver and Assistant Chef de Mission, Team BC at NAIG 2008 Cowichan. He worked with the BC Boys U-16 Soccer team at the 2017 NAIG Toronto where they earned gold. Edgelow created an endowed wrestling scholarship fund at his Alma Mata, Simon Fraser University in 1996 that has financially assisted over 35 university wrestlers since its creation. Edgelow works in Indigenous relations at the corporate level providing economic development, jobs and training for Indigenous people and businesses. <Back

< Back Henry Boucha Henry Boucha Ojibwe Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 While growing up in Warroad, Minnesota, Henry Boucha played on the 1964 Bantam State Championship team, was all-conference in football, baseball, and hockey and was three-time All-State in hockey. Boucha graduated in 1969 from Warroad High School. The Warroad Warriors were runner-up at 1969 Minnesota Boys State Hockey Tournament. He signed with the Winnipeg Jets of the WCHL after high school. As an 18-year old, Boucha was chosen to represent the USA in the 1970 World Championships in Bucharest, Romania. In 1970, he was drafted in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He served two years in the Army while playing with the 1971 US World Championship Team and competing in the 1971 World Championships in Bern and Geneva Switzerland. In 1971 the Detroit Red Wings drafted him 16th overall. Still in the service he also played for the US Olympic Team in 1972 in Sapporo, Japan winning a silver medal. Boucha was the first draft choice of the Minnesota Fighting Saints in the new World Hockey Association just after the Olympics. He signed with the Detroit Red Wings in the 1971-72 season and played the last 16 games with Detroit. In 1973, he scored the fastest goal at the start of the game against the Montreal Canadians. Boucha was traded to the Minnesota North Stars in the summer of 1974. He suffered a major eye injury on January 4, 1975 when Dave Forbes of the Boston Bruins hit him with his stick resulting in a devastating and career ending eye injury. Boucha retired in 1977 as a 25-year-old. He returned to Warroad in the mid 80’s to raise his family. Henry coached youth hockey, was Indian Education Director at Warroad Public Schools, and was a realtor. He is the CEO of Boucha Films, LLC, and CEO of Boucha Films LTD, Canada. Boucha Films is currently in pre-production on the movie based on his book he authored called “Henry Boucha, Ojibwa-Native American Olympian”. <Back