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< Back Jimmie Johnson Jimmie Johnson Stockbridge-Munsee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Jimmie Johnson was born June 6, 1879, the son of Adis Tousey, a Stockbridge - Munsee Indian, in Edgerton, Wisconsin. In 1899, Johnson attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School of Carlisle, Pennsylvania and joined the school's renowned football team as a quarterback. Under the direction of Carlisle’s legendary coach, Glenn “Pop” Warner, Johnson and his teammates regularly excelled in competition against the powerful football programs of the era such as Penn, Harvard and Yale. During the 1903 season, in a game at Harvard, the Indians found themselves evenly matched against the heavily-favored Harvard. Carlisle had Harvard challenged before a crowd of 15,000 spectators. To start the game’s second half, Johnson executed one of the most memorable scoring plays in the history of early football. After receiving the kickoff, he quickly tucked the football inside the back of teammate Charles Dillon’s jersey. Johnson began a run while holding an imaginary ball. When the Harvard defenders pulled him to the ground, they found that Johnson did not hold the football. In the meantime, Dillon had reached the goal line. Dillon had to touch the ball to the field in order for the score to count and had trouble reaching the ball still positioned up the back of his jersey. With Harvard players confused over what had occurred, Johnson ran to Dillon, removed the hidden ball, and touched it to the field for a score. Harvard complained of foul play, contemporary rules were mute on the subject of a hidden ball, and Carlisle took the lead. Harvard later rallied to win the game 12 to 11, but Carlisle’s trick play made the headlines and became a football legend.. Johnson would be named to Walter Camp’s All-American Football Team. After graduation from Carlisle, Johnson was eligible to continue his playing career as a graduate student at another school and entered the Dental School at Northwestern University. Johnson played for Northwestern in 1904 and 1905, ending his football career with an injury in the game against Minnesota. Johnson earned a D.D.S. degree from Northwestern in 1907 and returned to the Carlisle squad as an assistant to Coach Warner. There, he helped recognize and develop the talents of Jim Thorpe, who subsequently became known as one of the world’s greatest athletes. After practicing dentistry briefly back in Chicago, Johnson and his wife, Florence Welch, an Oneida Indian from Wisconsin and also a Carlisle graduate, moved to Puerto Rico. Johnson set up a successful dentistry practice in San Juan. Johnson died January 19, 1942, at Rochester, Minnesota, and was buried at Lincoln Cemetery in Chicago. In 1969, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Source: Northwestern University Library Archives <Back

< Back Scott Murray Scott Murray Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2025 Scott Murray was born on November 25, 1955, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, living there until the age of 10 before his family moved to Grafton. During his time at Grafton High School, he was a two-time All Conference stand out athlete who lettered in five sports: basketball, baseball, golf, cross country, and track. Scott attended Milton College where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management. He was a three-year starter in basketball, scored 1,000 points in his college career and was selected as an All-WICA and All-District collegiate athlete. During his college basketball career, he was invited to play in Costa Rica and later played professional basketball in San Jose, Costa Rica. During his off time in Costa Rica, he was an English teacher. Scott was later inducted into the Milton College Hall of Fame. Scott’s college coach, Dale Race, who coached hundreds of student athletes in his long career, made it clear that number 11 was one of his finest student athletes ever, both on and off the court. He said in his 40 years of coaching, Scott was one of the best, Scott Murray was a champion. For many years, and up to the time of his death on December 18, 2015, Scott was the Area Manager of Fitness and Recreation for the Oneida Nation where he is an enrolled member. In addition to his important role in fitness and recreation, Scott was the well-loved and longtime Head Boys Basketball Coach at the Oneida Nation High School. He also coached the Wisconsin Boys Basketball team at the Native American Indigenous Games where they won the Gold Medal twice. While Scott was an exceptional athlete in high school, college, and at the recreational level, it was not without having to overcome an amazing challenge in life. Early in his high school years, Scott lost three fingers in a shop class. In spite of that traumatic experience his athlete resume’ was amazing. In his post high school and professional basketball years, he continued to be an outstanding recreational athlete regularly competing in basketball, softball, and golf. While competing locally and nationally, Scott was a part of many local and national championships which included three National Championship titles at the National Indian Athletic Association (NIAA) 40 and over tournament. He was selected as the Co-MVP at the 40 and over national NIAA Championship in 1999. Scott Murray passed away on the worksite doing what he loved to do. As the Area Manager of Recreation, Scott took the Nation to another level while constantly working towards making our Nation a better place. Whether it was empowering our youth to become great student athletes or building our future in recreation and sports, Scott cared about the Oneida Nation community. The Oneida Nation Fitness Center gym is now named the Scott Murray Gym in honor of his commitment. <Back

< Back Carolyn Darbyshire-McRorie Carolyn Darbyshire-McRorie Metis Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 Carolyn was a contributing member of four provincial championships in 1985, 2007, 2009, and 2020. Playing with her mother in 1985, the team represented Manitoba at the Canadians. She moved to Calgary and played in many competitive play downs and an Olympic Trials spot in 2001, where she played all positions on mixed and ladies teams in that time period. Curling with Team Bernard in 2006, they played in various spiels and went on to win two provincial championships, the Olympic Trials in Edmonton and the Silver Medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, BC. In 2020, she went on to win the Senior Provincial Championship and went to play at the Canadians in 2021 due to the Covid pandemic. In 2017, Carolyn went on to get her coaching certificate to give back to her curling community which has given her so much. She has coached a women’s team to their first Alberta Championship and an Olympic Trials spot. In 2018-19, she went on to work in China as the National Women’s curling coach, working with five teams at their Centre located in Beijing. Working closely with two teams, taking them throughout the World Curling Tour events, moved one team from a rank of 50th and 104th to a 24th and 26th ranking in the World Curling standings and a 5th place standing at the World Curling Championships. Carolyn is now back in Canada coaching junior teams for the past two years. Her hopes are to continue curling competitively and working with teams to help give them the knowledge of the game that has given her so much joy and happiness in her life. <Back

Bennae Calac Category Builder Tribe Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians Year Inducted 2022 D.O.B. 11/16/1969 Bennae is a strong Native woman, mother, business owner, mentor, teacher, and leader. Over the last 35 years, Bennae Calac has represented Pauma in various political, cultural, and administrative capacities. She has served as the repatriation chair since the age of twenty-one and her life’s work is to preserve the culture and traditions of her people. She is dedicated to the preservation and revitalization of Luiseño songs and dances and works with her own children and local youth programs to ensure that this traditional knowledge is instilled in the younger generation. Bennae was elected as Committee Member to the Pauma Band’s Tribal Council in December 2008 and served another two-year term as Secretary and Treasurer. Through her various Tribal roles, Bennae interacts with the youth, culture, public and political relations. Bennae continually answers the community’s call to speak on topics ranging from native wellness, health advocacy, domestic violence, women’s issues, and cultural preservation. Bennae serves on numerous boards and committees, including as the Co-Founder of the 7G Foundation , a (501)(c)(3) organization providing Native Americans, and other Indigenous people and communities, assistance in reaching their goals through Athletics, Education, Health-Mind-Body Practices, and Community. She has also established and serves as Board Chair for Onoo Po Strategies , a multifaceted consultancy and holding company with capabilities in Economic Development, Technology, Procurement and Distribution, Business Strategy and Marketing, and Environmental and Agricultural Management. Photo: Mom (left) and daughter at the US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis. Home 2025 Banquet 2025 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More

< 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

< Back Oliver “Cap” Bomberry Sr Oliver “Cap” Bomberry Sr Cayuga Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Builder 2023 Cap Bomberry played for the Oshweken Warriors from 1959 to 1973 and won the President's Cup in 1964, 1967 and 1968. He was involved in minor organization from 1975 to 1988 and was a Team/General Manager with the Jr. A Arrows from 1990 to 1992 winning the Minto Cup in 1992. This was the first indigenous team to win the Minto Cup. He was also the GM for the Six Nations Chiefs from 1993 to 1997 winning the Mann Cup in 1994, 1995, and 1996. Cap was President and GM of the Six Nations Rivermen from 2013 to 2019 winning the President's Cup in 2015 and 2019. Bomberry has been a builder of the sport of lacrosse in the Six Nations minor organization, coach of Pee Wee and Bantam national championships, and Midget provincial championship. He traveled to Australia when Six Nations athletes competed for Team Canada in the World Field Lacrosse Championships and with the Iroquois Nationals when Ontario hosted the World Indoor Championships. Bomberry has been inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997 in the Builder Category. He was also inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2001 as a Builder, became an Ontario Lacrosse Association (OLA) Life Member in 2006 and was presented with the OLA President's Award. <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

< 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

< Back Danny Hodgson Danny Hodgson Cree Metis Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Danny Hodgson was born in Fort Vermilion, AB. and grew up playing minor hockey in Fort McMurray, AB. In 1980-81, at the age of 15, Hodgson began playing junior hockey with the Cowichan Flyers of the BCJHL. After two seasons, he joined the Prince Albert Raiders of the Western Hockey League (WHL) and was named the WHL Rookie of the Year in 1982-83. The next season, Hodgson finished second in league scoring with 181 points and followed it up with 182 points in 1984-85-while breaking Bobby Clarke’s WHL all-time record for assists. In 1984-85, Hodgson won the Ed Chynoweth Cup with Prince Albert as league champions and then the 1985 Memorial Cup as Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Champions. He was named the 1984-85 CHL Player of the Year and 1985 Memorial Cup MVP as he set a Memorial Cup record with 13 assists. Hodgson represented Canada two times at the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, placing fourth in 1984 and winning gold in 1985 as Team Captain. He continued to win major awards in 1985, as he was named the Canadian Amateur Sportsman of the Year. In 2016, he was named the 27th greatest player of all-time in WHL history. Hodgson was drafted 83rd overall in the fifth round of the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs and spent four seasons in the NHL from 1985 to 1989 playing a total of 114 games for Toronto and Vancouver Canucks. He scored 29 goals and added 45 assists for 74 points over his NHL career and had a career-high of 5 points (1g, 4a) in one game during the 1987-88 season versus the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hodgson played professionally in Europe for 17 more seasons as he played in Austria, Eishockey-Bundesliga (Germany), and the Swiss-A League. While in the Swiss-A league, he won back-to-back titles with the ZSC Lions in 2000 and 2001. As a professional in Europe, Hodgson represented Canada twice at the Spengler Cup, winning the championship 2001, and would play in six more with his club teams Hedos Muchen (1), and HC Davos (5). <Back

< Back Connor Church Connor Church Métis Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Connor Church is a distinguished Métis athlete who proudly represents the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF). Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Connor moved to Montreal, Quebec at 18 years old to pursue his dream of representing Canada at the Olympics. Wrestling in the 79kg weight class, Connor has achieved remarkable success, becoming a four-time national champion, with two titles in the U20 division and two in the senior division. Church has competed in three World Championships and two Pan American Championships, where he earned a silver and bronze medal. In 2022, he represented Team Quebec at the Canada Games, emerging victorious in the 76kg weight class. Inspired by his father, who introduced him to the UFC, Connor became a huge fan of Georges St-Pierre. Watching a fellow Canadian dominate the world of MMA with his perfectly timed takedowns ignited the passion for wrestling. As a two-time Tom Longboat Award winner, Connor has been celebrated for his athletic accomplishments and dedication to his Indigenous heritage and community. His journey to success was highlighted by becoming a U Sports National Champion as a standout member of the Concordia wrestling team. Looking ahead, Connor is focused on his goal of representing Team Canada at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, driven by his love for the sport and desire to inspire fellow indigenous athletes. He is determined to leave a lasting legacy in wrestling and within his community. <Back

< Back María Lorena Ramírez María Lorena Ramírez Rarámuri Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 María Lorena Ramírez won the 2017 Ultra Trail Cerro Rojo 50K in Puebla, Mexico in a time of 7:20 and not long after, she became the first Rarámuri woman to compete in a European ultra with her inaugural attempt at the Bluetrail, the second-highest race in Europe. She competes wearing huaraches, a form of sandals, and a long skirt and she has a truly fascinating story and was featured in the 2019 Netflix documentary Lorena, Light-Footed Woman. Photo/Bio Credit: Ultra X <Back

< 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