National Native American Hall of Fame

“I never allow a lack of knowledge on a particular subject matter to hold me back from doing something,” said James Parker Shield, Chippewa Cree Little Shell, when talking about the National Native Hall of Fame. “About ten years ago I thought: there is a Hall Fame for just about everything else, why not Indians? Then, I didn’t know much about museums and such, but I saw the need.”

Since then, with the help and support of many tribal leaders stretching from Florida to Alaska and resolutions of support provided by the National Indian Education Association, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (tribal colleges) and others, that dream was realized in 2018 when the National Native Hall of Fame (NNAHF), a 501(c)3 organization inducted its first honorees.

2018 Inductees included: Lionel Bordeaux, Rosebud Sioux, Education; Vine Deloria, Jr., Standing Rock Sioux, Writing; LaDonna Harris, Comanche, Advocacy;’ John Herrington, Chickasaw. Science; Allen Houser/Haozous, Chiricahua Apache, Arts; Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee, Government; Billy Mills, Oglala Sioux, Athletics; N. Scott Momoday, Kiowa, Writing; Lori Piestewa, Hopi, Military; Maria Tall Chief, Osage, Arts and Jim Thorpe, Sac and Fox, Athletics.

2019 Inductees included: Lucy Covington, Coville Tribes, Advocacy; Ada Deer, Menominee, Advocacy; Louise Erdrich, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, Writing; Billy Frank, Jr., Nisqually, Advocacy; Forest Gerard, Blackfeet, Government; Hattie Kauffman, Nez Perce, journalism; Oren Lyons, Onondaga, Spiritual; Richard Oakes, Mohawk, Advocacy; Elizabeth Paratrovich, Tlingit, Advocacy; Pascal Poolow Kiowa, Military; Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee, Science and Wes Studi, Cherokee, Arts.

2020 slipped by inductions canceled because of the COVID 19 virus, but on November 6, 2021 the annual induction ceremony will include Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell Northern Cheyenne among the third wave of American Indians to be inducted. Nighthorse commented that he is highly honored.  “It is wonderful to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding contributions and selfless devotion of so many of our people,” he said. “A lot of Americans are not aware of our continuing role in America, thinking all the real Indians are in the history books. But we are alive and well, still making contributions to our own and to America as whole.”

Shield, a longtime mover and shaker in Montana Indian Country previously was the first Native American to serve in the Governors office under past MT governor Ted Schwinden; he was elected as Vice-Chairman of the Little Shell Chippewa and served many terms on the Tribal Council (now firmly retired from that line of work); established a state-wide magazine Native Montana  which promoted accomplishments of Montana tribal members and served as an aide to former MT Congressman Denny Rehberg, MT.  Relying on skills learned during those experiences and his innate ability to galvanize support for a good idea and get many folks involved, he began promoting the Hall of Fame idea in about 2016.  Ever modest, he downplays his role “Myself I’m just a poor guy from Wire Mill Hill Indian Community outside Great Falls. Nobody knows me outside of Montana, but I am smart enough to ask for help.”

Gaining nonprofit status from the Federal government is quite a challenge and Shield credits the Hopa Mountain Foundation for helping make that possible, especially the efforts of Bonnie Satchetello-

Sawyer. Director.  Hopa Mountain provides an array of trainings and technical assistance to native non-profits. During one HOPA meeting, James had a fortuitous meeting with Hestor Dillon, Indigenous Program Coordinator for the Novo Foundation established by a son of Warren Buffet.  After giving Dillion a tour around Great Falls including Hill 57 a poverty-stricken Indian community and the Fort Shaw Boarding School, home to the 1903 Women’s National Championship Basketball Team (all Indian Boarding School students from different Tribes), Dillon invited Shield to apply to the Foundation which only accepts invited applications.

Indian Country stretches across the continent, but the Novo Foundation enabled Shield to travel to promote the Hall of Fame concept, otherwise working out of slim pockets. He produced a brochure and wrangled opportunities to speak at the National Indian Education Association, the American Indian Higher Association Education Consortium, the National Indian Gaming Association and American Indian/ Alaskan Native Tourism Association, which all offered support.

Shield gives great credit to his Board of Directors, strictly volunteer who are very active in the project making the final selection of inductees including: The first board member was Dr. Nathanial St. Pierre, President of Stone Child College, followed by Harlan McKosato, who was well known through his work at the radio program, “Native America Calling.” Both are now deceased, but Shield says Hall of Fame could not have been successful without them.  Another founding board member is Laura Harris, long-term Executive Director of Americans for Indian Opportunity. Liz Hill, who had worked at the National Museum of American Indians (NMAI) in Washington, D.C., also became a founding member, as did Walter Lamar, retired law enforcement and FBI who served at the higher levels of the federal government.

Lamar now serves as Board Chairman and other members include Patricia Gerard, Blackfeet retired federal employee who worked at highest levels in Indian trust management; Bobby (Owyahl) Meszaros, Tlingit, development director for SeAlaska Institute; Holly Cook Macarro, Red Lake Ojibwe, professional lobbyist, Spirit Rock Consulting; Laura Harris, CEO, Americans for Indian Opportunity; and Leslie Logan, Seneca, writer and public relations consultant.  Shield as founder is Chief Executive Officer, devoting himself full-time to Hall of Fame.

To compliment the Hall of Fame and fulfill its mission of recognizing the accomplishments of contemporary American Indians the organization has developed a curriculum and educational poster series made available to educational institutions at no cost.  A next major step will be building a new home for the Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City.  Read more about those developments in Part 11.  James Parker Shield may be contacted at (406)315-2950 or James@nativehalloffame.org.

 

(Clara Caufield can be reached via acheyenne voice@gmail.com).

The post National Native American Hall of Fame first appeared on Native Sun News Today.

Visit Original Source