Search Results

< Back Trina Ross Trina Ross Pimicikamak Cree Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2026 Trina Ross, a proud member of Pimicikamak Cree Nation, also known as Cross Lake, Manitoba, spent her formative years in this Northern Manitoba reserve until the age of 22. She then relocated to pursue other opportunities and later established her own family, blessed with four beautiful boys. At 35, Trina embarked on her athletic journey, enrolling in a gym membership to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Inspired by her two sons, who were already members of the Manitoba Canoe & Kayak Centre, Trina discovered her passion for dragon boat racing. She enrolled in the competitive program and rapidly excelled, becoming one of the strongest female paddlers at the club. In the fall of 2022, Trina received a surprise invitation from the Dragonboat Team Canada coach to join the national team and compete in the 2022 International Canoe Dragonboat Federation World Championships in Racice, Czech Republic. Trina accepted the invitation and, alongside Team Canada, participated in both 10-member and 20-member dragon boat races against 15 countries. Their impressive performance yielded eight medals: three gold, one silver, and four bronze. As the sole Indigenous woman competitor, the Pimicikamak Cree Nation flag was prominently displayed alongside the Canadian flag in the Czech Republic. In recognition of her outstanding achievements, Trina received the Order of Sport Excellence in 2022. In 2024, Trina was nominated for the Tom Longboat Award by the Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council, which recognizes the national female Indigenous Athlete of the Year. Trina was presented with this prestigious award at the Canada Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Later that year, Trina participated in her second World Dragonboat Championships with Team Canada in Puerto Princesa, Philippines, securing four silver medals and two bronze medals while competing against 32 countries. In addition to dragon boating, Trina is a competitive canoe paddler, having recently won the 70-mile General Clinton Canoe Regatta, stock boat category in New York State. She continues to participate in canoe racing events throughout Northern Canada, culminating in a successful tour at the end of each season. In April 2025, Trina received the highest honor for a Manitoba indigenous athlete, being inducted into the Manitoba Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in recognition of her outstanding achievements. <Back

< Back Mariah Bahe Mariah Bahe Navajo Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Mariah Bahe is an accomplished amateur boxer with six national boxing titles including the 2016 Ringside World Tournament Championship, 2017 USA Jr. Olympic National Championship, 2018 Eastern Olympic Qualifier National Championship, 2018 Western Olympic Qualifier National Championship, 2019 Silver Gloves National Championship, and 2020 Silver Gloves National Championship. Bahe has competed in over 60 bouts in USA boxing with a 70% win record. She has also won over 15 Arizona State boxing championships, over 10 Regional titles, and four All Indian National titles. Bahe trains in a small gym called Damon-Bahe Boxing, with males as her sparing partners. She would travel 2.5 hours and more to spar with females her age and weight. Bahe qualified for the Arizona High School State Cross Country Championships placing in the top 20 all three years of high school. She also qualified in the Arizona High School State Track and Field Championships all three years. Bahe has been recognized in 2018 in the Arizona State House of Representatives for her accomplishments in the sport of boxing. She is featured in boxing documentaries and “Mariah: A Boxers Dream” is on the Olympic Channel and it has won two WEBBY awards. She was also in the 2019-2020 A Puma Campaign with four advertisement commercials. Bahe has spoken to schools on the topic of “Never Give Up and Anything is Possible.” She wants to show younger women and girls there is no limit on what they can accomplish no matter where they come from. Bahe enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and will continue to box in the military. <Back

< Back Larry Foster Larry Foster Navajo Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Larry Foster is of the Kinyaa’a’anii (Towering House People Clan) born for the Dzil’ta’ahnii (Mountain Cover Clan). Raised in the Fort Defiance, Arizona community to the late Navajo Code Talker Harold Y. Foster, Sr. and Margaret Foster. As a student athlete at Window Rock High School, he earned All-Conference and All-State honors in three sports from 1966-1968 in baseball, football, and basketball. He was named to the All-Area Connie Mack San Juan Basin League and the Navajo American Legion Baseball League. Upon graduating from high school, he played two years at Bacone Junior College in Muskogee, OK under Coach Negial A. King, and played in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) World Series in Grand Junction, CO. He went on to play at Adams State College in Alamosa, CO, He was named as Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Batting Champion in 1971, under Coach Louie Long with a .442 batting average, where he was part of winning the RMAC District #7 finals and a trip to the NAIA playoffs in Pueblo, CO. After his college career, he played semi-pro baseball and was a nine-time All-Tournament outfield and batting champion. He also played in All-Indian baseball tournaments in Northern Arizona Baseball League tournaments from 1964-1976. He competed in leagues with All Pueblo Indian, Southwest Salt River Agency, Colorado River Indian, and Southern Arizona in Tucson, Arizona and competed in Amateur Softball Association (ASA) fast pitch softball that earned him trips to the National All Indian ASA fast pitch tournaments in Oklahoma City; Bell Gardens; California Indian Softball; Soboba Indian Reservation, CA; and, Gallup, NM. Foster was inducted into the Southwest All Indian Sports Hall of Fame in Phoenix, AZ in 2008 and the Navajo Nation Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. He is married to Mattie Foster, with two adopted kids, and seven grandchildren. Foster received BA in Sociology and AA in Public Health from UCLA in 1980. He is a retired Public Health Advisor and Infectious Disease Coordinator in Arizona, NM and Navajo Nation. Presently, he’s an advocate with the American Indian Religious Freedom, Apache Stronghold and Sportswriter for local area high school on social media. <Back

2015 Team Canada Women's Soccer Team 2022 Induction Category: Year Inducted <Back NIFA Women’s Indigenous Team Canada won the inaugural World Indigenous Games soccer championship in 2015. The World Indigenous Games is a multi-sport event with over 2,000 athletes from 30 countries. Indigenous Team Canada, with nine of its 17 players from First Nations communities across BC, played six games against teams from Brazil, Peru and Chile. In the Championship Final, the Canadian team played the host Brazilian Indigenous Nation of Xerente in front of 10,000 local supporters. Regulation play ended 0-0, the Canadian team becoming champions by scoring on three penalty kicks to one. The team repeated its achievement at the 2017 World Indigenous Games.On their return, the team received a letter from Canada Soccer, in which President Victor Montagliani expressed Canada Soccer’s congratulations and pride in this “monumental victory” of Indigenous Team Canada. A video of highlights of the championship game is available at https://youtu.be/LS6M9GcZxt4 BC Soccer Hall of Fame and Heritage Archive Web-Site – Click on Full Biography: https://heritage.bcsoccer.net/entries/nifa-indigenous-women-s-team-canada-2015/

< Back Ernie Stevens Jr. Ernie Stevens Jr. Oneida Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Builder 2022 Ernie Stevens, Jr. is Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) out of Washington, DC. Serving in his 11th consecutive two-year terms. Stevens serves as Chairman and National spokesman for the Indian Gaming industry working with Tribal Leadership in shaping policy initiatives that have the potential to impact the industry. Stevens served as elected Councilman for the Oneida Nation from 1993 to 1996. His career in Washington, DC began in 1995 as the First Vice-President of the National Congress of American Indians. He serves as a board member of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, Nike N7 Foundation, Center for American Indian Youth, and American Indian Graduate Center. In 2008, Stevens was inducted into the National Indian Athletic Association Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was inducted into the Boys & Girls Club Alumni Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was inducted as Lifetime Member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s Alumni Association. In 2015, Stevens was inducted into the American Gaming Association Gaming Hall of Fame, and has received several national accolades. Ernie’s boxing career started in his teens. At 16, along with boxing icon Louie Askinette, he co-founded the Soaring Eagle Boxing Club in Oneida in 1975. His accolades include 4-time State Heavyweight Champion in 1976, 1977, 1978 & 1979. He is also a two-time National Heavyweight Champion out of Carson City, NV in 1977 & 1978. In 1977, he was 17 years old fighting seasoned men to win the Championship. Stevens received an Associate Degree from Haskell Indian Junior College, 1983, a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Mount Senario College,1996 and a Masters in Management from the University of Phoenix, 2021. Stevens is married to his wife and best friend of 43 years, Cheryl. Together they have 5 kids and 17 grandchildren. <Back

< Back Naomi Lang Strong Naomi Lang Strong Karuk Tribe of Northern California Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Naomi Lang was a competitive ice dancer, and represented the United States in numerous competitions around the world. She has five U.S. national titles, and has competed at five world championships, in which she placed in the top 10 each time. She is a member of the 2002 Olympic team, and became the first Native American woman to compete at the Winter Olympics. Naomi continued to skate professionally and appeared in several U.S. ice shows, including many of the Disson skating shows televised on NBC and the Hallmark Channel. She also toured extensively in Europe and Russia performing in Art on Ice, Kings on Ice with Evgeni Plushenko and composer and violinist Edvin Marton, and the Katarina Witt Farewell Tour. They performed at Jim Carrey's private Christmas party in Hollywood. She is a member of the Karuk tribe of northern California, and has Wiyot and Shasta decency. She was born in Arcata, California. Additionally, Naomi was inducted into the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. Naomi has been instructing figure skating for 18 years, and her goal in teaching figure skating is to inspire people, not only from her own experiences, but share everything she has discovered and learned along the way. Whether it be from her own amazing coaches or things she learned touring the world for figure skating, she wants to help make dreams come true, and strive to find the right path for everyone, and with the right balance of fun and hard work She believe dreams can come true. <Back

< Back Jon Michael McGrath II Jon Michael McGrath II Cherokee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete/Coach 2026 Jon Michael McGrath II is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. While Jon Michael was attending his first Boy Scout summer camp with Troop 1 from Tulsa, he found that he had an aptitude for clay target shooting and soon was invited to move to the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Jon Michael pursued his interest and enjoyed a very successful career in American Skeet and Olympic Skeet. At age 16, McGrath is the youngest to win the USA National Championship Gold Medal in Men’s Olympic Skeet. McGrath holds 28 World Titles in both American Skeet and Olympic Skeet including three World Records and one World Cup Individual Gold Medal. Jon Michael McGrath earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2009. McGrath was educated at Bishop Kelley High School and The University of Oklahoma. In 2015, Jon Michael worked for United States Representative Markwayne Mullin (OK-2) in his Washington, DC office. A sixth – generation railroader, Jon Michael McGrath started working for the family firm during his free time during high school. Jon Michael spent two years working on the Oklahoma City Streetcar Project as a field engineer for Herzog – Stacy Witbeck, before rejoining the McGRATH family firm. He is currently a Vice President for McGRATH Rail in Tulsa. Jon Michael is a member of the Board of Directors of the Committee of 100 in support of law enforcement in the Tulsa area. In May 2022, he was nominated and confirmed as a Commissioner of the Environmental Protection Commission for the Cherokee Nation. He is an avid Hunter, Fisherman, Golfer and Public Speaker. At age 12, Jon Michael McGrath II became the Youngest All America Athlete in any sport. At age 14, Jon Michael became the Youngest National Champion in Olympic Skeet in the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) defeating all of the collegiate athletes. At age 16, Jon Michael earned three World Records in Olympic Skeet at the Olympic Skeet World Championship (NSSA). At age 16, Jon Michael became the youngest athlete to win Men’s Open USA National Championship in Olympic Skeet at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. At age 16, Jon Michael became the First American to win the World Championship in Men’s Junior Olympic Skeet in Munich, Germany. Today, Jon Michael is one of the coaches for the USA Shooting Shotgun Team out of the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. <Back

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

< Back Rebecca Wolfe Damas Rebecca Wolfe Damas Eastern Band of Cherokee Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2025 Rebecca Wolfe Damas is enrolled in the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. She began swimming at age six with her local summer league team, then quickly found success in year-round swimming with her club team. In age-group swimming she was Texas state champion six times. Rebecca was selected three times to attend the annual United States Swimming Olympic Development Camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The highlight of her age-group career was winning the national championship in the 200-meter butterfly at age 13 in Santa Clara, CA, and setting a Texas state record in the event. Rebecca swam for Clear Creek High School in League City, TX, setting four individual and two relay records. She was a high school All-American, in addition to achieving Scholastic All- American status. She was an All-State swimmer in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard individual medley. She graduated in 2000 as a Magna Cum Laude graduate, senior class officer, member of the National Honor Society, and a Peer Assistance Leadership Student. Rebecca’s high school achievements were further recognized in 2023 with her induction into the Clear Creek Independent School District Athletic Hall of Honor. Rebecca continued her swimming career, first at the University of Nebraska, then at the University of Missouri. In 2001 at Nebraska, she won the Big 12 Conference title in the 200-yard butterfly, setting a conference championship meet record that stood for 18 years. At Missouri, she won a second Big 12 title in the 200-yard butterfly in 2003. At both Nebraska and Missouri, Rebecca was a NCAA championship meet qualifier and a Scholastic All-American. As a finalist at the NCAA championship meet in 2001, she was named to the NCAA Division I All-American swim team. Further recognition of her college career came in 2006 when she was one of only twelve women who were named to the Big 12 Conference Swimming and Diving 10th Anniversary Team. The highlight of Rebecca’s career was qualifying and swimming at Olympic trials in 2000 and 2004. Rebecca graduated Cum Laude from Missouri in 2004 with dual Bachelor degrees in Psychology and Communications. Photos: Colin Damas and Mizzou Athletic Department <Back

< 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

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 Sharon and Shirley Firth Sharon and Shirley Firth Gwich’in First Nation Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Twin sisters Sharon and Shirley Firth were members of Canada’s national cross-country team for an unprecedented 17-consecutive years competing on the World Cup circuit. Between them, they won 79 medals at a variety of racing distances at the national championships and competed in four winter Olympic Games in 1972 at Sapporo, Japan, in 1976 at Innsbruck, Austria, in 1980 at Lake Placid, New York, USA, and in 1984 at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. She and her sister were the subjects of a CBC Documentary entitled The Olympians: The Firth Sisters. Shirley and Sharon were in the PBS TV Episode 2010 Series of Molly of Denali “Stand Back Up.” They were also on a Canada Postage Stamp: Canadian Women in Winter Sports 2018. Sharon Firth had been awarded the John Semmelink Memorial Award from the Canadian Ski Association in 1972, the Commissioner’s Award from the Government of the Northwest Territories in1981, the Order of Canada in1987, was inducted into the Canadian Ski Museum and Skiing Hall of Fame in 1990, and she received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. Sharon also received the 2005 National Aboriginal Achievement Award, inducted into the 2008 Banff Sport Hall of Fame, and received the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal in 2012. In addition to hall of fame inductions, she was also named to the 2012 Northwest Territories Sports Hall of Fame and 2015 Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, Order of Sport. In 2017 Sharon received an honorary doctorate of law degree and was an adjunct professor in 2018. She also received the 2018 Order of Northwest Territories. Shirley was voted Canadian Women's Nordic Skier of the Year six times by Ski Racing Magazine, and was inducted into the Canadian Ski Museum and Skiing Hall of Fame in 1990. After marrying, Shirley lived in Europe for over 20 years, receiving a teaching diploma in 2002 from the University of Paris. She won 42 Canadian national championship medals including 29 gold, 10 silver and 3 bronze. Shirley died on April 30, 2013. <Back