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< Back Dr. Joseph “Bud” Sahmaunt Dr. Joseph “Bud” Sahmaunt Kiowa Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Administrator 2026 Dr. Joseph “Bud” Sahmaunt left an indelible imprint on Oklahoma City University athletics as a basketball player and later athletic director. Sahmaunt earned most valuable player in the All-College Tournament in 1958 while playing basketball for OCU. After transferring from Cameron (Okla.), Sahmaunt became a member of the OCU basketball team from 1958-60. OCU won the 1958 All-College Tournament and participated in the 1959 National Invitational Tournament. In July 1987, Sahmaunt was named athletic director for OCU and served the university for 13 years as such. Before being named athletic director, Sahmaunt served as professor of education and associate dean of education. During Sahmaunt’s tenure as athletic director, OCU captured 15 NAIA national championships. OCU won national titles in women’s basketball in 1988, 1999 and 2000, men’s basketball in 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1996, men’s tennis in 1998, 1999 and 2000 and softball in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2000. Sahmaunt hired OCU baseball coach Denney Crabaugh, men’s golf coach Kyle Blaser and softball coach Phil McSpadden. Each led OCU to NAIA championships in their sport. Jim Abbott, who later became OCU athletic director, worked under Sahmaunt from 1991-94 as director of athletic development and promotions. Sahmaunt is a member of OCU’s 1960 graduating class as well as a member of the OCU Athletics Hall of Fame. Sahmaunt was inducted into the hall of fame in November 1981 while working for the university as the dean of an OCU program that linked higher education institutions with the local Native American communities. He is also a member of the Kiowa Nation Hall of Fame, the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame and was a member of The Oklahoman’s 1950’s all-star basketball team. <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.

Rick Brant (Teho:ka) Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Builder 2024 <Back Rick Brant (Teho:ka) is a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Ontario, Canada. He is a former member of Canada's National Track and Field Team. He has won national championships at 800 metres, 4x400 metre relay, and team Cross Country. In 1988, Brant was a member of the 4x400 metre champion relay team at the CIAU National Indoor Championships, was named the Saskatchewan Track and Field Indoor Male Athlete of the Year. In 1987 he was the 800 metre champion in the International Tri-Meet between Canada, Ireland and Wales. He was also the 1987 Canadian Grand Prix Final Champion and was named the Most Outstanding Male Athlete. In 1987, Brant received the Tom Longboat Award for the most outstanding Aboriginal athlete in Canada. In 1986 he was the 800 metre semi-finalist in the World Junior Championships, was the 800 metre and 4x400 metre relay team champion at the Canadian National Junior Championships, and was named CIAU All Canadian for Cross Country. Brant set the Canadian Interscholastic record in a tie finish in the 800 metres at the Ontario High School Championships. Since retiring from competitive running, Brant has served as an influential leader within the Indigenous sport movement in Canada. He is a founding member of the Aboriginal Sports Circle - Canada's National Voice for Aboriginal sport serving as the Aboriginal Sport Circle's Executive Director from 1998 to 2005. During that time, he helped lead the revitalization of the Tom Longboat Awards, and the creation of the National Aboriginal Coaching Awards, the Aboriginal Coaching Modules, and the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships. Brant helped found the North American Indigenous Games Council, the international governing body for the North American Indigenous Games, serving as the NAIG Council’s President from 2015-2018. He has overseen the delivery of three separate NAIG's - Prince Albert, SK 1993, Victoria, BC 1997, and Cowichan Valley, BC 2008. Most recently, Rick helped establish the Indigenous Sport Physical Activity and Recreation Council of British Columbia (I·SPARC) and led the creation of the Indigenous Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Strategy (BC) – the first comprehensive, long-term strategy of its kind in North America. Rick currently serves as I·SPARC’s Chief Executive Officer.

< Back Tara Hedican Tara Hedican Eabametoon First Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2025 Tara Hedican is one of the world's most accomplished athletes. She has over ten years of international success as an athlete including competing at the world stage and most notably winning Canada’s first Junior World title. She was a dual sport athlete while attending the University of Guelph with all-star accomplishments in both rugby and wrestling and being named a two-time University of Guelph Athlete of the Year. Hedican represented the Ontario region at the national Border Ladner Jervais awards ceremony where she was presented a ring for her accomplishments being one of Canada's best university athletes. In addition to this award she was presented a ring bearing the image of Hiawatha in honour of Tom Longboat as Canada's most decorated Indigenous athlete. Along with her international success she has trained in several countries around the world adding to her training methodology and understanding about international competition. Hedican is a D1 level trained coach and Hockey Academy accredited trainer. She is also a student of the Advanced Coaching Diploma considered to be the top level of Canadian coaching. Hedican has coached and trained internationally recognized athletes under the wing of Canada’s top-level coaches. <Back

< Back Corbyn Tao Corbyn Tao Nisga’a Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 Corbyn Tao is a Nisga’a lacrosse athlete, coach, and leader whose lifelong passion for the game has shaped his identity, career, and commitment to Indigenous communities. Raised in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Tao grew up alongside one older sister and two younger sisters, learning early the values of family, discipline, and perseverance that would guide him throughout his life in sport. Tao attended boarding school in Hudson, Ohio, enrolling at Western Reserve Academy where he excelled as a multi-sport athlete in lacrosse, hockey, and soccer. His dedication to lacrosse led him to a standout junior career, spending most of his development with the Six Nations Arrows before completing his final junior season with the Coquitlam Adanacs. At the collegiate level, Tao attended Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was a four-year starter for the lacrosse program. He graduated with a degree in Business Management, balancing academic success with consistent on-field leadership and performance. Following university, Tao was drafted by the Minnesota Swarm of the National Lacrosse League, where he competed professionally for four seasons. His playing career reflected a deep respect for the game’s roots, strong work ethic, and commitment to team success. After transitioning from player to coach, Tao dedicated nine years to coaching at Breck School, while also leading and mentoring athletes through local travel programs in both box and field lacrosse. His impact extends beyond competition through his role as Executive Director of the Indigenous Lacrosse Alliance, a non-profit organization focused on expanding access and opportunity for Indigenous communities while improving the health and well-being of Indigenous youth through lacrosse. A dual Canadian and American citizen, Corbyn Tao continues to honor the medicine game by using lacrosse as a tool for leadership, cultural connection, and positive change leaving a lasting legacy both on and off the field. <Back

< Back Pamela White-Hanson Pamela White-Hanson Navajo/Diné Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2025 Born and raised on the Navajo Nation, where the sport of running has ancestral connections, Pamela White-Hanson began running, and developed the strength and endurance throughout the years to help her high school team win four consecutive State Cross Country Team titles. With this passion and success, Pamela was provided the opportunity to run with a team called Wings of America, a non-profit youth development program, during her sophomore year and traveled to New York City to compete in the USA Track and Field National Cross-Country Championships where her team placed runner-up. There, she was in awe of a collegiate team who won the national title which inspired her to attend Adams State College without any knowledge of where or what this school was about. Ready to spread her wings, Pamela White-Hanson left home from the comforts of family, community, and culture two years later to join an elite class of collegiate athletes, who became her second family at Adams State College, an NCAA Division II school in Alamosa, Colorado. As a member of the Adams State cross country team, she helped her team to three NCAA Division II National Championships becoming a six-time All- American and managed to complete two undergraduate degrees in Elementary Education and Exercise Physiology and a Masters in Bilingual Education. In 2000, Pamela received a prestigious Giants Steps award with the National Consortium for Academics and Sports as a Courageous Female Student-Athlete alongside other inductees such as Muhammad Ali and Pat Summit as well as being featured in two magazines, Native Peoples Magazine and the Santa Fean. Pamela worked with the Native youth, one of the most at-risk populations in the United States through Wings of America with the Earth Circle Foundation and gained proficiency to facilitate summer running and fitness camps to Native communities throughout the country. Wings of America used running as a catalyst to empower the youth which also empowered Pamela White-Hanson to become an educator. After running professionally for a couple years with Sports Warriors co-sponsored by ASICS, Pamela begin her education career in Flagstaff, AZ where she joined a unique trilingual school, Puente De Hozhó. Pamela returned to her home language and taught the Diné (Navajo) Language to indigenous students for 16 years. She received Arizona’s Rodell Exemplary Teachers Award for 2010 in Flagstaff and was also nominated for Arizona Teacher of the Year. Today, Pamela White-Hanson continues her passion for working with the Native youth at Sinagua Middle School as well as coaching high school Cross Country and Track at Northland Preparatory Academy (NPA). Last fall, her girl’s NPA cross country team won a State Title and the NPA Boys received runner-up with her youngest son on the team. Pamela White-Hanson’s legacy continues and is married to college sweetheart, Brent Hanson and is currently raising three beautiful sons and have been foster parents to many children. Her eldest is in the workforces, one who is currently running collegiately for Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO and her youngest is running in high school at Northland Prep where she currently coaches. <Back

Bennae Calac Pauma Band of Luiseño Indian Induction Category: Year Inducted Builder 2022 <Back 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.

< Back Ron Larsen Ron Larsen Oneida Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 Ron Larsen is a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. He started running in 1978 at age 24 on the roads and streets of Oneida. In the early 1980's he ran marathons but after starting a family and a rehabilitation counseling firm it was recreationally. At age 50 in the early 2000's Ron started competing at the master then veteran masters (60+) level. Since 2003, Ron has participated in over 100 distance races. He has completed 65 road and trail marathons and half marathons; and events 10 to 35 miles. In addition, he has completed solo runs rim to rim at the Grand Canyon (3), Hilltop to Colorado River on the Havasupai reservation; and other events 4-12 hours duration, and track laps 100+. Highlights include certified marathon (26.2 mile) races that met the Boston Marathon qualifying standard in 27 of 28 attempts. He ran Boston Marathons in 2004, 2014, 2024 and will again in 2026. Ron has had 24 age group 1st place wins in road marathons and half marathons. At age 64, Ron was 1st overall at 3 of a Kind Half Marathon and at age 66 he was 3rd overall at the Golden Nights Half Marathon and 3rd place overall at the 2016 Valley of Fire Marathon in Nevada. Special races in Indian Country include the Paatuwaqatsi Water is Life 50k (1st place 60y) on the Hopi Reservation; Canyon De Chelly 55k (3rd 60y) Chinle Az; Navajo Code Talker 29k (1st age 60-65); Shiprock Marathon (1st 60-65). He ran trail marathons 2009-10 in Death Valley; (1st and 2nd place at 55y/o age group) and in 2022 at the Oneida New York Homelands, Great New York State Marathon (1st age group 65). Since age 70 in 2023, Ron has run four marathons; Boston, Mesa, Las Vegas and Green Bay and six half marathons; winning his age group in eight of 10 races. He credits success to a natural holistic diet, training more not less, having a strong heart, mind and spirit. He plans to continue running and to inspire others that running is a life time sport and with dedication to a healthy life and training one can achieve many goals as a senior athlete. Photo: Marathon Foto <Back

< Back Ross Powless Ross Powless Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2023 Considered one of the fathers of modern lacrosse in Canada, Ross Powless was born in Ohsweken Ontario, on the Six Nations of the Grand River in 1926. Belonging to the Turtle clan (Kanien'kehá:ka) of the Haudenosaunee, or Six Nations Confederacy, Ross spent five years as a child at the Mohawk Institute Indigenous Residential School in Brantford, Ontario. Lacrosse, the Creator’s game, which holds deep spiritual and cultural significance for the Haudenosaunee people, offered Ross a powerful way to reclaim his heritage after enduring extreme deprivation and isolation from family and culture at residential school. Ross could not help but raise the profile of lacrosse wherever he played the game. Between 1951 and 1953, he won three consecutive Canadian Senior A championship titles with the Peterborough Timbermen. In 1951 and 1952, he claimed the Tom Longboat Award twice as the most outstanding First Nations athlete in Ontario. In 1953, he was awarded the Mike Kelley Memorial Trophy for Most Valuable Player in Canadian Senior A lacrosse. As player-coach of Hamilton Lincoln Burners Senior “A” team between 1956 and 1958, Ross won every Ontario Lacrosse Association trophy he was eligible to claim, including Top Scorer, Most Valuable Player, Best Defensive Player and Coach of the Year. Among his many coaching highlights, Ross led the Canadian Senior Men’s Lacrosse Team to defeat the United States at Expo ‘67 in Montreal. Despite encountering racism, Ross continually broke down barriers for Indigenous peoples. His son, Gaylord Powless, who was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, stands out as one of the great lacrosse players taught and inspired by Ross. In 2020, Ross was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame for Lacrosse in the Builder category. In 2003, Ross Powless passed away, a respected elder in his community. <Back

< Back Aspen Wesley Aspen Wesley Choctaw Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Aspen Wesley was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, in 2000. She is a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and grew up in the Pearl River Community on the Choctaw Indian reservation. She sees playing softball as her way to inspire the next generation of native kids in her tribe and others. Aspen graduated from Mississippi State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in the spring of 2024 and played on a softball scholarship for five years. She was named 2024 second team all-SEC, two-time NCAA Pitcher of the Week, two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week, and 2023 NFCA All-America scholar-athlete. Aspen helped Mississippi State to their first-ever super regional in 2022. She then played professionally for the Texas Monarchs and was selected as an all-star. She also played overseas in New Zealand. She went to Neshoba Central High School and is a six-time state champion and four-time Mississippi softball Gatorade Player of the Year. When Aspen is done playing softball, she wants to be a pitching coach for college schools. She would love to give back to her community and educate/motivate Native kids to see the world, whether sports-related or academics. Her family and her native people are what have given her the drive to strive for more. Aspen remains committed to pushing the boundaries, learning, and helping others. She hopes to make a meaningful impact in her professional work and community. <Back

< Back Roger Vyse Roger Vyse Mohawk Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Roger Vyse is Mohawk, and member of the turtle clan from Six Nations, Ontario Canada. Growing up on the Six Nations reserve, lacrosse was the dominant sport especially in Vyse's family. Vyse played lacrosse for over 30 years starting at the age of four years old until he retired at the age of 36. Along the way Vyse was a long-standing member of the Iroquois Nationals box and field lacrosse teams starting in 1999 with the under 19 bronze medalists in Adalaide, Australia. Vyse attended Herkimer Community College where he started on attack and was a 2x All American. In his second and final season at Herkimer in 2003, Vyse and his teammates won the NJCAA championship going 18-0 on the season. Vyse played lacrosse at Limestone College Division II. Limestone would make the Division II finals both seasons (2004, 2005) but come up short losing both games in overtime. In Vyse's final season at Limestone, he broke the Division’s 34-year-old goals per season record by one goal (71). He led the team in goals and tied for most assist (71 goals, 29 assists = 100 points) in his final season of college lacrosse. Vyse would be drafted into the National Lacrosse League 13th overall in 2006 by the Buffalo Bandits. Vyse would help the team win the NLL title in 2008. He played six seasons with the Bandits and was nominated to play in the All Star game in 2009. He also played a season in Toronto and Philadelphia to end his NLL career. In the summer's he played for the SR A Six Nations Chiefs during 2002-2016 and also the Sr B Six Nations Rivermen during 2015-2017. While playing for the Chiefs, Vyse and his teammates won the Mann Cup (Canadian Box Lacrosse Championship) three times in ‘13, ‘14 and ‘16. In the same time period in 2015, Vyse helped the Six Nations Rivermen win their first Presidents Cup (Canadian National Title) and was selected to the 1st All Star team as well as being tournament MVP. Vyse still resides from his hometown of Six Nations with his wife and four children with one on the way this summer. Vyse is a Student Mentor at Ogwehoweh Skills and Trade training Center which is also located on the Six Nations of the Grand River. <Back