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.

< Back James Walker James Walker Standing Rock Lakota/Dakota Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 James Walker was born along the Missouri River in 1955. Shortly thereafter his family’s home got flooded and they had to move. He was sent to St. Josephs Indian Boarding School in Chamberlain, SD, when he was five years old. He was there seven years and was introduced to basketball. He went to Wilton, ND in the eighth grade and continued playing basketball and football until graduating in 1973. James was recruited by Dickinson State College to play basketball. When he was a sophomore in college, he tried out for the National Indian Activities Association national team and made the cut. The team had a scrimmage at the University of Mary against the defending state amateur basketball team. They went to Haskell, KS and had another scrimmage against their college team and then on to Baton Rouge, LA to play in the National Amateur tournament. We got beat but I got to play against some would-be Pros and D1 college players which really help me develop. James was named to the NAIA All American honorable mention team while at Dickinson State College. After college, he played Indian ball with the UTTEC team in 1975. In 1976, his team and part of the South Dakota team got together and formed the Lakota Coup Counters and they won the national tournament in Ft. Duchesne UT. They repeated in 1977 in Minneapolis and he was named MVP. He continued to play with the Coup Counters for 10 years and they were one of the top teams and always in the top three finishes at national tournaments. He then played with the Dakota Warriors in many tournaments, both Indian only and open tournaments. He was also named to the National Indian Activities Association (NIAA) Hall of Fame. <Back

< Back Ellison Tarzan Brown Ellison Tarzan Brown Narragansett Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, also known as Deerfoot among his people, was born on September 22, 1913 and raised near where the Narragansett tribe's reservation was located. Ellison’s physical prowess at an early age led to his nickname of “Tarzan”. He was extremely agile and fast when running through the forest, climbing and swinging from trees and all of this was reminiscent of the Tarzan character who was popular at the time. “Tarzan’s” career moved onto the big stage in 1935 when he started training for the Boston Marathon. Brown started the race also wearing shoes that were falling apart. However, Brown etched himself into Boston Marathon folklore when he removed his shoes and finished the last third of the race barefoot. He finished in 13th place while Johnny Kelley from Massachusetts went on to win the Boston Marathon that year. It was the following year’s Boston Marathon where “Tarzan” took center stage among the esteemed list of Boston Marathon winners, when he outdueled the previous year’s winner, Johnny Kelley, over the last few miles. These miles were made up of modest hills and Kelley managed to catch up to Brown, only to see Brown surge ahead for good on the last hill, leading the media to name it “Heartbreak Hill”. Brown went on to win the 1936 Boston Marathon, helping to qualify “Tarzan” for the 1936 U.S. Olympic Team. Brown ended up being disqualified in the Olympic Marathon for getting medical assistance to rub out leg cramps. Upon his return to the U.S., the media was critical of Brown, often attributing his lack of success to his Indigenous heritage. Brown responded by winning a marathon in New York and another marathon in New Hampshire just 24 hours later. When asked why he ran two marathons in two days, he responded that it was to show his detractors that he didn’t give up in the Olympics. “Tarzan” would go on to win the 1939 Boston Marathon to solidify his place in history. He was the first runner to complete the Boston Marathon in under 2 hours and 30 minutes. He was set to be a member of the 1940 U.S. Olympic team but the outbreak of World War II in Europe would cancel the Olympic Games, and do the same to the 1944 Olympics. Ellison “Tarzan” Brown died on August 23, 1975. The accomplishments of the Indigenous icon live on forever. A reminder of an undying spirit and legacy of perseverance persists from Ellison “Tarzan” Brown. <Back

< Back Darren Zack Darren Zack Ojibwe Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 Darren Zack is a legendary Ojibwe pitcher from the Garden River First Nation who dominated the softball diamond in the 1990s. Zack was known for throwing change up pitches including the rise, drop, screw and curveballs. In 1974, “Z-Man” began his career with the Garden River Braves at first and third base at just 14 years old. He was sought after internationally by age 19. In 1991, Darren played for the Canadian National Team. The team earned a gold medal at the International Softball Federation (ISF) World Championships in 1992, and two silver medals in 1996 and 2004. He also won three consecutive Pan American Games gold medals with Canada: 1991 in Havana, 1995 in Argentina, and 1999 in Winnipeg. During the 1995 International Softball Congress (ISC) World Championships, he didn’t allow a single run in ten straight games, striking out a record 150 batters. The Toronto Gators won the ISC World Championship for the second time. He was a major part of two more ISC World Championships in 1998 and 2000. He earned the Most Outstanding Pitcher award in 1992, 1993, 1995, and 2000. Darren was received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award in 1997 and the Tom Longboat Award in 2000 for his outstanding contributions to sport in Canada. In 2009, he was inducted into the Softball Canada Hall of Fame, and in 2010, he entered both the ISF and ISC Halls of Fame. In 2025 he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. <Back

< Back Jordan Nolan Jordan Nolan Ojibwa Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Jordan Nolan is a three-time Stanley Cup Champion with the LA Kings (2012 and 2014) and St. Louis Blues (2019). Nolan is from the Garden River First Nation. He was drafted to the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and would go on to play for the Erie Otters (2005-2006), as well as the Windsor Spitfires (2006-2008) and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (2008-2010). A 20-goal scorer in Sault Ste. Marie with the Greyhounds, he was drafted by the LA Kings in the 7th round (186th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Nolan would be an integral part of the LA Kings Stanley Cup winning teams in 2012 and 2014. Just like his father and brother, giving back to First Nation youth is very important to Nolan. Having co-created the 3NOLANS First Nation Hockey School in 2013, he continuously sets aside time in his busy summer schedule to travel to First Nation communities across Canada to help teach hockey skills, but more importantly, how to be a positive role model and leader within your community. <Back

< Back Ukaleq Slettemark Ukaleq Slettemark Inuit Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Ukaleq Slettemark is a Greenlandic Biathlete who competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where she was the only biathlete, regardless of gender, who hit all 30/30 targets in the individual and sprint competition. In 2019 she won gold in the youth World Championships in Osrblie, Slovakia. She has several other top 10 results in the Junior World Championships from 2017, 2019 and 2021. Ukaleq is inuk and grew up in Greenland with no access to a biathlon shooting range. In 2016 she moved to Norway to pursue biathlon. She currently lives in Norway where she trains and competes with a Norwegian private team. In Norway she is considered one of the best biathletes in her age group, with several podiums and gold Medals in the Norwegian cup and Norwegian championships, as well as a few podiums in the senior category. Norway is considered the best biathlon nation in the world. In 2018 she won the overall Norwegian cup score for the girls 17 group. Photo: Proudly wearing a sealskin cap during training. <Back

Scott Daniels Mistawasis Nêhiyawak Induction Category: Year Inducted Builder 2024 <Back Scott Daniels is a former professional hockey player and a proud member of Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, where he grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada with his parents Noel and Thelma and five siblings. Before becoming a Major Junior A hockey player, where he played in the Western Hockey League with the Kamloops Blazers, the New Westminster Bruins and the Regina Pats, Daniels attended Athol Murray College of Notre Dame where he played ice hockey. After Junior Hockey, Daniels was drafted by the Hartford Whalers of the NHL. He played for the Springfield Indians/Falcons, Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils. Daniels won a Calder Cup Trophy during his time with the 1991 Springfield Indians and was a part of the 1995 Stanley Cup finalists with the Philadelphia Flyers. After retiring from hockey due to a career ending injury, Daniels went on to coaching a local youth team where he taught his daughter Sydney to play the game. He also coached Junior hockey and was a Scout for the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. Currently, Daniels runs the Daniels Hockey School, where he works alongside his daughter, Sydney, to pass along his love for the game to indigenous youth and to teach valuable life lessons that can be learned within the sport. Daniels spends a lot of his time traveling across the United States and Canada giving talks to Indigenous youth on dealing with adversity, goal setting, and the opportunities that can be given to you through hard work. Currently, Daniels lives in Massachusetts, USA with his wife Lynn. They have three daughters, Cassie, Sydney and Cree, son-in-law Jose and two grandchildren Adrian and Mateo.

< Back Victoria Bach Victoria Bach Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Victoria Bach is a Mohawk from the Bay of Quinte. She grew up in Milton, Ontario. Her late grandmother was raised in the Tyendinaga territory, where she had her father, George Bach. Melissa and George are her parents, and she has one brother Jacob. Victoria Bach attended Boston University for four years and played on the Ice Hockey team. Victoria was the first player to score 100 goals in Terrier history and became the school's all-time point leader in 2018 with 104 goals and 198 points. Throughout her time at Boston University, she accomplished the following: Regina Eilberg Scholarship Hockey East Rookie of the Year Hockey East First Team All-Star (2017-18, 2016-17) New England Division I All-Star (2017-18, 2016-17) CM/AHCA First Team All-American AMCA All-American Scholars Mildred Barnes Female Athlete of the Year In her senior year, she was nominated Top 3 Finalist for the Patty Kazmaier Award. The Patty Kazmaier Award is presented annually to the top players in the NCAA Division 1 women's ice hockey. After graduating from university, she played professional hockey in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). During her year of professional hockey, she won Rookie of the Year. Victoria has been a part of the Hockey Canada National team since 2014. In 2014 she was named to the U18 Women's World Championship team, where she won a gold medal. Victoria has also played in 2020, 2021 and 2022 Women's World Championships. She won back-to-back gold medals at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships, but 2020 was cancelled due to Covid. She was recently an alternate at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, where the team won Gold in Beijing. She is currently a member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Association, with goals to promote, advance, and support a professional women’s hockey league. <Back

Michael Daney <Back Choctaw Induction Category: Year Inducted Coach/Athlete 2024 Michael Daney is a member of the Oklahoma Choctaw Tribal Nation. He was a track and cross country athlete at Haskell Indian Junior College, Oklahoma Baptist University and Northeastern Oklahoma State University, and a coach at Haskell Indian Junior College and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute where he is currently a health and physical education instructor. Daney serves as a coach, mentor, and facilitator of the Sport Warriors Track Club, a program that is designed to encourage and assist Native American post-collegiate runners to continue to compete on a national level in USATF national competitions. Daney mentored and coached three runners that qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials. As an athlete at Haskell Indian Junior College, he was a two-time NJCAA national cross country qualifier and was named the cross country team MVP while earning letters in cross country, basketball, and track. While being an athlete at Oklahoma Baptist University, Daney was a member of the NAIA Cross Country All Conference Team, NAIA District 9 Cross Country Champion, and NAIA National Cross Country Qualifier. He was All Conference in the Three Mile Run and Steeplechase and was also named to the NAIA All Region Team Steeplechase. Daney also attended Northeastern Oklahoma State University, and he was the winner of the NIAA Native American Cross Country Championship, Conference Track Champion and school record holder in the one and two mile Daney began his college coaching at Haskell Indian Junior College and was a part of the four-peat Haskell’s Men’s Marathon National Championships that is still an NJCAA record. His men and women’s teams qualified for seven NJCAA National X-Country Championships and were all top 10 finishes. Daney coached 18 male and female All-Americans including one national champion and he was a two-time NJCAA Region X-Country Coach of the Year. Daney also coached 10 NJCAA National Championship at Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute. He coached 23 All-Americans and seven individual national champions. He was named NJCAA Regional Coach of the Year five times and National Coach of the Year 10 times. Daney currently lives in Albuquerque, NM, with his wife, children and grandchildren.

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 Harrison J. Funmaker Harrison J. Funmaker Ho-Chunk Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Harrison Funmaker wanted to be a prize fighter since he was a little boy. His father Bob Funmaker Sr. was his first trainer. Funmaker had his first professional bout in the summer of 1989. He lost a six round split decision in the heavyweight division. His motivation was just beginning to be the best he could be. His next bout was against the same opponent in his debut and he knocked him out in the second round. Funmaker turned pro in Green Bay, WI. Matt Baulie was his trainer/manager in the beginning. Boxing took him around the world including Israel, twice to New Zealand, and to Canada. He fought in three world title fights. He became the World Indian Heavy Weight Champion at Mohican Casino in March of 2003. He was named the Mid-American Champion during the same fight. He was a sparring partner to Tony “TNT” Tubbs and Carlos “King” Molina, the IBF Super Welter Weight World Champion. Funmaker fought Eric “Butterbean” Esch three times and beat him during the third fight. He defeated him in Milwaukee at the US Cellular Arena in 2009. The fight is on YouTube with over 1.3 million views. He was on ESPN in 1990 and was also on ESPN Fight Classics. Fellow 2025 NAIAHF Inductee Lou Askinette trained Funmaker the last half of his career. Funmaker had a 23 year professional career and four decades as a fighter. He won 23 out of 41 fights. Funmaker hopes to inspire young fighters to follow their dreams. Fighting as a pro taught Funmaker many things but the main lesson was to be grateful. He had the opportunity to speak at six schools in the McKinley County School District on the Navajo Reservation in New Mexico. He spoke about life as a prize fighter, what is was like to be on the road, in the ring and at home with his six kids. He wishes to share with all young native kids who have dreams they wish to follow, and let them know it can happen and it is all achievable. <Back

< Back Dale McCourt Dale McCourt Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2023 Dale McCourt played major junior in the Ontario Hockey Association (today's OHL). As a 15-year-old, he was already playing Tier II junior hockey when called up by the Sudbury Wolves for part of the 1972–73 OHA season. He joined the Hamilton Red Wings for the full 1973–74 OHA season, and was team captain by the time the renamed Hamilton Fincups won the 1975–76 OMJHL Championship and then the national 1976 Memorial Cup championship. In 1976–77, McCourt led the relocated St. Catharines Fincups as the team won the OMJHL Regular Season Championship. That season, he was awarded the Red Tilson Trophy as the league's Most Outstanding Player and was voted the nationwide CHL Player of the Year. Dale was also awarded the William Hanley Trophy as the OMJHL's Most Sportsmanlike Player in both 1975–76 and 1976–77. In the 1977 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, McCourt scored 18 points, a Canadian record he shares with Brayden Schenn and one point more than Eric Lindros and Wayne Gretzky. McCourt was drafted 1st overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1977 NHL amateur draft. He successfully scored 33 goals in the first year with the team and was entitled to NHL rookie of the year with the Red Wings. McCourt was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in December 1981 and claimed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs in October 1983, finishing his NHL career at the end of the 1983–84 NHL season, with 478 points in 532 games played. McCourt then played for 8 seasons for HC Ambrì-Piotta, in the top Swiss league where his number 15 jersey is retired. His coaching career highlight includes representing Italy as an assistant coach with the Italian National Ice Hockey Team at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. <Back