Attendees heard comments of inspiration, hope and more from such history changers as forward-thinking educator Lionel Bordeaux, longtime Native rights activist LaDonna Harris, Native astronaut John Herrington, and gold-medal winning Olympian Billy Mills. Photo: Deb Krol

Honorees include Native Astronaut John Herrington, LaDonna Harris, Olympian Billy Mills, Eloise Cobell and Lori Piestewa

In an evening filled with emotion, laughter and occasionally tears, 12 Native people known for their distinction in athletics, activism, education, art and even reaching the stars were honored during the inaugural National Native American Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Oct. 13 at the Phoenix Indian School Memorial Hall.

Four of the five living recipients were on hand to accept their awards, while Jill Momaday accepted on behalf of her father, daughter of author and poet N. Scott Momaday, who at age 84, uses a wheelchair and finds travel difficult. “My dad extends his best wishes and deep gratitude,” Momaday said. “His papers and writings center on what it means to be Indian in America.”

Attendees heard comments of inspiration, hope and more from such history changers as forward-thinking educator Lionel Bordeaux, longtime Native rights activist LaDonna Harris, Native astronaut John Herrington, and gold-medal winning Olympian Billy Mills.

Not even a rainstorm during the day could stop the ceremony, as James Parker Shield, Little Shell Chippewa, the Hall of Fame’s CEO and founder said. “I wanted to ensure that the United States doesn’t forget the contributions of these Native Americans.” The evening’s ceremony was the culmination of that effort, as well as a call to action to continue to grow the Hall of Fame.

The evening was also enhanced by a special performance by Martha Redbone, Cherokee/Choctaw, who sang about the Indian boarding school era, accompanied only by her hand drum.

A brief video about each inductee preceded the award presentation.

Turk Cobell, son of Eloise Cobell, accepted the award on behalf of his mother, the woman who was the key person responsible for the largest monetary federal court settlement in history for Native people. “Being as humble as she was, she didn’t spend years of her life and her resources for recognition. It was the right thing to do.”

People in the audience cheered, or wept, as each speaker or representative accepting the induction award on behalf of that person, gave comments about the singular honor. Every thank-you, every comment was eloquent and heartfelt.

Turk Cobell, son of Eloise Cobell, accepted the award on behalf of his mother. Photo: Deb Krol

Emily Haozous, the granddaughter of Allan Houser, one of the most renowned Native American painters and sculptors of the 20th century said of him, “He built a real narrative of Native people as beautiful, graceful and peaceful.”

Gina Olaya, daughter of Wilma Mankiller, called her mother “a leader who would go to Washington, D.C. and fight for Native American rights, and then come home, put on an apron and cook for people at ceremonies. Mom dug ditches along with everybody else.”

LaDonna Harris accepted her honor surrounded by a group of graduates of her Americans for Indian Opportunity ambassador program, including MC Harlan McKosato, Sac and Fox. Harris beamed as she accepted the award.

Tears flowed as John Herrington delivered a heartfelt speech honoring his wife Margo, who died in April after a two-year battle with cancer. Herrington also honored the people he called “my heroes—LaDonna Harris, Billy Mills.” And, he recounted a time when fellow astronaut Tom Stafford invited Herrington to be part of the Apollo 10 mission anniversary. “There was an empty chair on the stage,” Herrington said. “Tom said to go sit in that chair. But, I said, I don’t belong there! ‘You belong there with those Apollo people,” Tom told me.”

Billy Mills took the stage. “In a few hours it’ll be the anniversary of my Olympic Gold Medal win...Never more has America needed people of color and American Indians.” Photo: Deb Krol

Tears were also flowing as former Native American Journalists Association President Patty Talahongva, Hopi, presented Percy Piestewa with her daughter Lori’s induction award. “I’m proud you have chosen to honor her,” said Piestewa of Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat. “We tend to forget that our service members are putting their lives on the line for us.”

Former Native American Journalists Association President Patty Talahongva, Hopi, presented Percy Piestewa with her daughter Lori’s induction award. “I’m proud you have chosen to honor her,” said Piestewa of Lori Piestewa, the first Native American woman to die in combat. Photo: Deb Krol

2018 INAUGURAL INDUCTEES

EDUCATION
Lionel Bordeaux (Sicangu Lakota) (1940-)
Dr. Lionel Bordeaux is a long-time educator and was the first president of Sinte Gleska College on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. He has received many honors over the years, including Outstanding Educator of the Year by the South Dakota Indian Education Association and has been inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame. Today, he continues to serve as president of Sinte Gleska College, making him the longest-serving college president in the United States.

ADVOCACY
Elouise Cobell / Yellow Bird Woman (Blackfeet) (1945-2011)
A respected tribal elder, Cobell was the lead plaintiff in the groundbreaking class-action suit Cobell v. Salazar that challenged the United States' mismanagement of trust funds belonging to more than 500,000 individual Native Americans. She was instrumental in the U.S. government awarding $3.4 billion settlement for the trust case, the largest settlement in history.

WRITING/PUBLISHING
Vine Deloria, Jr. (Standing Rock Sioux) (1935-2005)
Author, theologian, lawyer, historian and activist, Vine Deloria, Jr. is widely known for his book, “Custer Died for Your Sins: An Indian Manifesto” (1969), which helped generate national attention to Native American issues in the same year as the Alcatraz-Red Power Movement. He is known to many as the leading Native American intellectual of the 20th century and a giant in the realm of Native American policy.

ADVOCACY
LaDonna Harris (Comanche Nation) (1931-)
Ladonna Harris is founder and president of Americans for Indian Opportunity. As a national leader, she has influenced the agendas of civil rights, feminist, environmental and world peace movements. She was a founding member of Common Cause and the National Urban Coalition and is an ardent spokesperson against poverty and for social injustice. As an advocate for women’s rights, she was an original convener of the National Women’s Political Caucus. She was the 1980 vice presidential nominee on the Citizens Party ticket with Barry Commoner.

SCIENCE
John Herrington (Chickasaw) (1958-)
John Herrington is a retired United States Naval Aviator and former NASA astronaut. He was the first enrolled member of a Native tribe to fly in space.

ARTS
Allan Houser (Chiricahua Apache) (1914–1994)
Allan Houser was a sculptor, painter and book illustrator. He is one of the most renowned Native American painters and Modernist sculptors of the 20th century. His work is in the collections of prominent museums throughout the world.

GOVERNMENT/LEADERSHIP
Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee Nation) (1945–2010)
Wilma Mankiller was a community organizer and the first woman elected to serve as principal chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma. She is the author of a national best-selling autobiography, “Mankiller: A Chief and Her People.”

ATHLETICS
Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota)(1938-)
Billy Mills was an Olympic Gold Medalist in 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Olympics, at the time was the only person from the Western Hemisphere to win the Olympic gold in this event. He was awarded the 2012 Presidential Citizens Medal (the second highest civilian award in the U.S.) by President Obama, for his work with his organization Running Strong for American Indian Youth.

WRITING/PUBLISHING
N. Scott Momaday (Kiowa) (1934-)
N. Scott Momaday is a novelist, short story writer, essayist and poet. His novel, “House Made of Dawn” (1969) was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. He received the National Medal of Arts in 2007 and holds 20 honorary degrees from colleges and universities and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

MILITARY
Lori Piestewa (Hopi) (1979-2003)
United States Army soldier Lori Piestewa as the first Native American woman in history to die in combat while serving in the U.S. military and the first woman killed in the Iraq War. Piestewa Peak in Arizona is named in her honor.

ARTS
Maria Tallchief (Osage) (1925-2013)
Tallchief was an American ballerina and was considered America’s first prima ballerina, the first Native American to hold that rank. She became the first star of the New York City Ballet, co-founded in 1946 by legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Tallchief’s 1949 role in The Firebird catapulted her to the top of the ballet world. Her role as the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker transformed the ballet to America’s most popular. She was the first American to perform in Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater.

ATHLETICS
Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox) (1887–1953)
Athlete and the first Native American to win Olympic gold medals for the United States, Thorpe is considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports. He won Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon, and played American football (collegiate and professional), professional baseball and basketball. The Associated Press named Thorpe the “greatest athlete” from the first 50 years of the 20th century, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him as part of its 1963 inaugural class.

National Native American Hall of Fame
While there are various resources and facilities for learning about Native Americans from the “old times," it is difficult to find an accurate and comprehensive source to learn about more contemporary Native Americans. America and its Native American people need a place to honor and commemorate the significant contributions and achievements of more recent historical and contemporary Native Americans.
https://www.nativehalloffame.org