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< Back Rainelle Jones ​ ​ ​ Rainelle Jones Cree Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Rainelle Jones is part Cree on her mother’s side and grew up in Oxon Hill, Maryland with her two parents Michelle Jonasson-Jones and Thomas Jones, and her younger siblings Reis, Ria, Renee & Ryla Jones. Playing on varsity basketball and volleyball freshman year at Oxon Hill High school, she soon committed to the University of Maryland for volleyball as a freshman in 2015. Soon selected as PrepVolleyball's No. 32 Senior Ace in 2016 and 2017, Rainelle Jones was one of 22 players selected to the USA High Performance Youth A1 Team. Coming to the University of Maryland in 2018, Rainelle Jones, freshman through her grad year of college played and contributed to Maryland becoming one of the best Blocking teams in the Big10 and NCAA. Meanwhile, in the 2020-2021 season, she was the first athlete to kneel during the National Anthem as a fight for social injustice. Using the NCAA NIL opportunities, she worked with merchandise companies raising awareness with slogans and a vision for the future as an activist. Becoming a guest speaker for Maryland Athletics in conferences, classes, podcasts, and events as a student-athlete. In addition to being a spokeswoman for the Big10 volleyball and athletics since 2021. In 2022, Rainelle graduated with an American Studies degree and a minor in Leadership Studies. On the court, by her graduate year, she reached her 700th career kills and becoming the #1 in program history leading Maryland Volleyball in total Blocks. A 4x Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, a 2x Big Ten and NCAA blocks per set leader, and historically the first student-athlete in Maryland Athletics to be #1 in the NCAA ever. Rainelle is currently signed to play overseas professional volleyball. Photo Credits and Captions: University of Maryland volleyball game and roster photo, year 2022 <Back

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

Marty Ward <Back Cherokee Induction Category: Year Inducted Coach 2024 Marty Ward has been a part of the Florida Southern men's lacrosse program for nearly its entire existence. The Moccasins have posted an overall record of 105-85, and have been ranked in the USILA Top 20 numerous times. During his time at Florida Southern, the program has produced 71 all-conference selections, 10 USILA All Americans, and 4 USILA Scholar All Americans. Ward was named as the DSC Co-Coach of the Year in 2011 after leading the Mocs to the conference title game. Ward's teams have also excelled in the classroom, with 35 players earning the D2ADA Academic Achievement Award for a total of 61 total selections, with 4 USILA Scholar All Americans Moccasins have also had more than 100 players named to the SSC Commissioner's Honor Roll. Ward was a standout goalkeeper and two time All American at Division II powerhouse Limestone College, where he helped lead the Saints to a record of 55-9 in his four years. A member of the Cherokee Nation, Ward has also had success as a goalkeeper for the Iroquois Nationals team, earning a bronze medal at the 2014 World Lacrosse Championships. He was also the starting goalkeeper for the Iroquois Nationals team that finished fourth in 2006. He made the roster in 2010 as the team qualified for the global event but did not participate. He has also served as a coach for the Iroquois Nationals U-19 squad at the international level, leading the team to a bronze medal at the 2012 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championships. Ward is currently the only Native American head coach in NCAA men's lacrosse, at any level. In 2018, Ward became the first lacrosse player inducted into the Corcoran (N.Y.) High School Athletics Hall of Fame. Outside of the sport, Ward worked with the NativeVision program from 2013-16, a part of the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Heath. Sponsored by the National Football League (NFL), the program, one of the nation’s largest nutrition, obesity and diabetes prevention programs for American Indian children. Ward lives in Lakeland, Florida with his wife Aricka, daughter Sawyer, and son Ryker.

< Back Carol L. (Pickett) Hull ​ ​ ​ Carol L. (Pickett) Hull Inupiaq Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2022 An Alaska Native Games icon from Alaska, Carol Pickett won the 1989 Denali Award as Alaska’s Sportsperson of the Year. Even as a teenager she proved to be a natural with jaw-dropping kicks that reached 7 feet, pushing the women’s records to new heights. She still holds the world record in the traditional one-foot high kick, set in 1990. Born and raised in Anchorage, AK, Carol began participating in traditional Native sports in 1979. Since then, Carol has competed successfully in the Native Youth Olympics, World Eskimo Indian Olympics and Arctic Winter Games – Inuit Sports. For 30 plus years of participating in traditional Native sports, Carol has won over 100 medals to her collection as well as the 1989 Alaska State Sportsperson of the Year, Outstanding Contributor Award from World Eskimo Indian Olympics and various other recognitions. Married to fellow Alaska Native Games icon Garry Hull, Carol continues to support traditional Native games events by volunteering, coaching, organizing and officiating events. <Back

< Back Robert ‘Bob’ Gawboy ​ ​ ​ Robert ‘Bob’ Gawboy Bois Forte Band of Chippewa Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Although the sport of swimming isn’t often associated with Native Americans, Robert ‘Bob’ Gawboy became an aquatic sensation, setting high school and collegiate records, eventually going on to break a world record in 1955. Bob Gawboy was born on the Vermilion Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota, on June 28, 1932. At the age of 14, his family moved to Ely where he attended Ely High School. Bob joined the swim team because it practiced at noon and he could then take the bus home after school, instead of walking 10 miles. In 1949, Ely High School won the state championship. Bob placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke. The following year, he broke a state record in the 200-yard free, and set national high school records in two IM events. He went on to Purdue, placing first in the 150-yard IM at the East-West collegiate competition. In 1952, at the NCAA Nationals he placed second in the 150-yard IM. Suffering from coordination problems, and a congenital arterial condition of his left leg, he was forced to stop swimming. After surgery on his leg, he started working out again in February, 1955, at the University of Minnesota, on a scholarship. Despite the two year hiatus and short time training, Bob shocked the sports world on April 1, 1955 at the AAU Indoor National Championship at Yale, where he swam the 220-yard breaststroke in 2:38.0, cracking the world-record. The pain in his leg was so severe during the race and the pent-up emotion over two years so great, that, upon winning, he erupted in whoops and hollers that was called war-whoops by the press with celebratory splashing around the pool. Bob Gawboy passed away on July 15, 1987 from multiple sclerosis, but not before he was inducted into the American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame in Lawrence, Kansas, as the sole swimmer. Photo Credits: Purdue University and AP/Wide World Photos <Back

< Back Billy Mills ​ ​ ​ Billy Mills Oglala Lakota Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2023 Billy Mills was born in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He is Oglala Lakota and grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Billy did not have an easy childhood. Surrounded by poverty and orphaned at the age of 12, he started running to channel his energy into something positive. In high school, his gift for running become more apparent as he set records in numerous track events. He went on to earn a track scholarship from the University of Kansas and then served as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps. At the 1964 Olympics, he shocked the world and came from behind to win the gold medal in the 10,000 meters race. At the time, he set a world record of 28 minutes, 24.4 seconds and is still the only American to ever win a gold medal in the 10K event. His win was an upset that has been called the second greatest moment in Olympic history. In Lakota culture, someone who achieves great success has a ‘giveaway’ to thank the support system of family and friends who helped him achieve his goal. As part of his effort to give back to his community, Billy helped found Running Strong for American Indian Youth and became the organization’s National Spokesperson. Today Billy travels over 300 days every year. He visits Native American communities throughout the U.S. and speaks to youth about healthy lifestyles and taking pride in their heritage. Photo Credit: Billy Mills <Back

< Back Brett Bucktooth ​ ​ ​ Brett Bucktooth Onondaga Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 While playing varsity lacrosse at LaFayette Sr. High School, New York, Brett Bucktooth was named a four-time All League player, a Central NY First Team All Star, and was an All American. He was the team captain and led the team to the Section 3 Championship three times and the team were NYS High School Class “C” State Finals Runner-up. Bucktooth played for the Canadian Jr. A and B teams and played 14 seasons with the Canadian Box Lacrosse Sr. B and A teams. While playing at Syracuse University, Bucktooth played midfield and attack positions and received team and individual honors. He led the Orange with 37 goals and 55 points his senior season. The team were 2004 NCAA D1 National Champions. He was named the 2005 STX/USILA All American Honorable Mention. He was also named to the 2006 STX/USILA All American Second Team, was team captain, and a USILA North-South Team Senior selection. He made the NCAA Tournament Team and the team were in the NCAA D1 Final Four in 2003, 2004 and 2006. Bucktooth had a 12 year professional career. He was the Major League Lacrosse 12th draft pick and played with the Boston Cannons, Rochester Rattlers, and Hamilton Nationals. He was the National Lacrosse League Third Draft Pick and played for the Buffalo Bandits, Vancouver Stealth, and New England Blackwolves. While with the Iroquois Nationals field lacrosse program, Bucktooth was the captain of the 1998 U15 World Games Tournament Festival team. He was named to the 2006 All World Team as a midfielder and was the captain of the 2014 bronze medal team and served as an assistant coach in 2018. During the indoor national team time, he was on the team that won the silver medal in 2007, 2011 and 2015 and he was the captain in 2011 and 2015. Brett is married to Sateiokwen and in her Mohawk language the translation is, “She picks things up evenly”. Fitting as she now harvests medicines and continues to use the language in running her own business. Brett is also a proud father to his children, Brett Jr, and Aura. <Back

< Back Louis Tewanima ​ ​ ​ Louis Tewanima Hopi Induction Category: Year Inducted Athlete 2024 Louis Tewanima was born in the Hopi village of Shungopavi on the Hopi Nation during the time when there was little contact with the outside world. The Spanish, who sought to Christianize the Hopi and other northern Pueblos were instead banished from the Hopi mesas during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt. Much later the U.S. government sought to impose their laws on the Hopi and began to round up children to give them “proper education”. But the Hopi, who were a deeply religious society, resisted these efforts and the U.S military was dispatched. Many Hopi men were incarcerated and carted off to places such as Alcatraz. Tewanima along with 10 other men, all in their twenties were rounded up and sent by train to Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. They had little choice but to begin to transition to their new environment. One day the 5’3” Tewanima approached track coach Glenn S. “Pop” Warner and said “Me run fast good. All Hopis run fast good.” Not long after Tewanima was headed for the 1908 Olympics held in London, England. Tewanima finished ninth in the marathon. Jim Thorpe joined the Carlisle track team which dominated the best college teams around. During this time, Tewanima ran and won many races including the 10-mile indoor race at Madison Square Garden in New York and the New York Evening Mail Marathon in Manhattan. During the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm Sweden, Tewanima won the silver medal in the 10,000 meters in a time of 32:06.6, a new American record which held for 52 years until Billy Mills set a new record winning a gold medal in the 1964 Olympics. Tewanima also ran the marathon and placed 16th. When Tewanima returned home, he continued his Hopi religious practice to old age and one foggy winter evening he left the ceremonial kiva to return home, he apparently got disoriented and fell to his death off the mesa edge. He was 92 years old. The Hopi proudly hold the Tewanima Footrace in honor of their Olympian and this past Labor Day celebrated the 50th Anniversary. <Back

North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame (NAIAHF) Banquet ​ Saturday, June 7, 2025 Oneida Hotel and Conference Center; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA ​ The North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame will recognize the 2025 inductee class as well as other annual inductees in an exclusive ceremony and lunch on Saturday, June 7, 2025. There were 54 inductees and 300 guests at the first banquet on September 9, 2023 at the Canterbury Park Expo Center, Shakopee, MN, USA. Last September 16, 2024 there were 55 inductees and 450 guests at the Oneida Hotel and Conference Center, Green Bay, WI, USA. By honoring and celebrating the empowered journey of these individuals and teams, the hope is their stories may inspire future generations to follow their dreams in athletics. Please join us in our efforts to honor and recognize the elite indigenous athletics leaders in North America by becoming a hall of fame, table or drawing sponsor for the 2025 North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet. All proceeds will offset the event expenses including providing gifts to the inductees. This is the NAIAHF website: https://www.naiahf.org/ Dr. Dan and Susan Ninham, Directors, NAIAHF, PO Box 652, Red Lake, MN, USA, 56671, cell: 218.368.6430 coach.danninham@gmail.com 2025 NAIAHF Banquet Schedule coming soon... NAIAHF Banquet Information: $40 USD/per person with a deadline of noon central time on March 8, 2024; send name, cell number and email address, and number of tickets with check or money order payable to Empowered Youth Development Initiatives and mail to Dan Ninham, PO Box 652, Red Lake, MN, 56671, USA or PayPal payment to code: coach.danninham@midco.net Austin Straubel International Airport: The Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay, WI is across the road from the host Oneida Hotel and Conference Center, Green Bay: https://www.flygrb.com/ Host Oneida Nation Schools: https://oneida-nsn.gov/education/oneida-nation-school-system/ Host Hotel Information: Oneida Hotel and Conference Center, https://www.oneidahotel.com/ Ask for the group rate for “North American Indigenous Athletics”. The room rate is $99USD plus 15.5% tax. Rooms can be tax exempt with Tribal ID shown at check in. Call this phone number to make a reservation: 920-494-7300 extension 0. Sponsorship Opportunities: Click on this link - https://www.naiahf.org/copy-of-banquet-sponsorship Information: Susan Ninham, cell: 218.766.3507 or Dr. Dan Ninham, cell: 218.368.6430 or coach.danninham@gmail.com

Tanner Albers Category Athlete Tribe Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Year Inducted 2022 D.O.B. 2/12/1977 - 2/2/2010 Tanner Albers was a team captain for the 1994 and 1995 Boys Basketball Teams at Takini High in South Dakota. In both of those years he was the team’s leading scorer, earning All-State and All-Tournament honors while leading the Skyhawks to back-to-back state tournament appearances. He was also a team captain for the 1997-98 United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) Thunderbirds where he led them to the school’s first Junior College National Tournament appearance. That year he earned 1st Team Mon-Dak All-Region, Mon-Dak Region 8 Player of the Year, and was the school’s first, 1st Team All-American. Tanner is currently still the school’s all-time leading scorer UTTC. Tanner played for the Division I Delaware State University Hornets for the 1998-99 season and finished up his collegiate basketball career at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. Up until his passing in 2010, Tanner had traveled across North America, playing in many basketball tournaments with teams Iron 5, Iron Boy, Rim Rats, Pure Method, and many others. He would often receive MVP, All-Star, and others honors because of his amazing scoring and shooting talents. He had the opportunity to coach at the collegiate level and was a co-creator of HOOPGOD Basketball Camps. Home 2025 Banquet 2025 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More

2015 NIFA Indigenous Women's Soccer Team Canada Category Team Tribes Team Canada Year Inducted 2022 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. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ BC Soccer Hall of Fame and Heritage Archive Web-Site – Click on Full Biography: ​ Home 2025 Banquet 2025 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More

Becki Wells-Staley Category Athlete Tribe Blackfeet and Blood Year Inducted 2022 D.O.B. 9/9/1974 Becki Wells-Staley established herself as one of the most elite female Native American Athletes in history while running Track and Field and Cross Country. Becki is a 20-time North Dakota State Champion. She graduated from Dickinson High School holding the fastest times in the country for the High School Girls 1600m and 800m in 1993. She was the US Jr. National Champion in the Girls 1500m in ‘93. Wells-Staley went on to represent the US in the Jr. Pan American Game in Winnipeg where she was a silver medalist. Wells-Staley signed with the University of Alabama to run Track and Field and Cross Country. She was the Southeastern XC Conference winner in her first season with the Tide. She was the Jr. National XC Champion in 1994. In 1995 Wells-Staley transferred to the University of Florida. Wells-Staley was the Commissioner Trophy Award winner twice while running for the Florida Gators. The Commissioner’s Trophy goes to the highest point scorer at the SEC Track and Field Championships. She ended her career with the Gators winning the NCAA DI National Title in the Indoor Women’s Mile and the Outdoor Women’s 1500m. She held the school record for over a decade at 4:12.88. She is a 10 X All American in Track and Field and XC. She went on to represent Nike, Reebok and The Native American Sports Council as a professional athlete in Track and Field. Wells-Staley qualified for the 2000 US Olympic Trials in Track and Field in the 800m and 1500m. Becki still holds the North Dakota State record for high school girls at 4:44.44. She was inducted into the Dickinson High School Hall of Fame, the ND State Athletics Hall of Fame and also the University of Florida Hall of Fame for Athletics. Becki currently lives in North Mankato, MN with her husband Maurice Staley who played football for the University of Tennessee (94’-96’). The Staley’s have four boys: Eleazar, Ephraim, Nahshon and Nathan. Home 2025 Banquet 2025 Banquet Sponsorship About Inductee Search Provincial Nominees Contact More