Above and Beyond
Program recognizes Native Americans for significant achievements
BISMARCK – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Native American Hall of Honor ceremony will not be held or new inductees installed this year.
“We will not be having a Native American Hall of Honor ceremony or new inductees this year due to COVID, but have updated our exhibit area with the names of each person in the cases. We’re also hanging the flags of each tribe from the ceiling in that area soon,” said Kim Jondahl, Audience Engagement & Museum Division director with the State Historical Society of North Dakota in Bismarck. All the flags are expected to be in place by the end of September.
The induction ceremony normally is held each fall as part of the Tribal Summit and United Tribes’ International Powwow. Inductees are featured in an exhibit in the North Dakota Heritage Center and State Museum in Bismarck.
Since the Native American Hall of Honor began in 2016, a number of individuals along with three sports teams have been recognized for going above and beyond in representing their tribe and culture.
The program recognizes traditional and contemporary achievements in four categories: Arts and Culture, Athletics, Leadership, and Veterans, according to information from the State Historical Society of N.D.
First ceremony
The first Native American Hall of Honor ceremony and exhibit opening was held Sept. 8, 2016, according to Jondahl. She said the program was initiated by Scott Davis, executive director of the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission.
“He brought the idea to our staff, and we created the program and exhibit with Scott’s guidance. Scott continues to select committee members representing leaders of North Dakota tribes to review and select the annual honorees during an in-person meeting each year, and he serves as the emcee of the program and orders the awards,” Jondahl said.
The State Historical Society of North Dakota staff works closely with Makoche Studios of Bismarck to produce videos of each honoree, Jondahl said.
“We also create loans with the nominators, honorees, and families to obtain the objects representing the honorees that are exhibited for one year. Our staff also creates the publicity, programs, the exhibits, and coordinates most details of the dinner reception before the ceremony,” Jondahl said.
She said the State Historical Society of N.D. Foundation has raised the funding to start and continue the program annually.
“It’s a beautiful partnership of the three entities (North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission, State Historical Society of North Dakota and State Historical Society Foundation) that serves to bring recognition of the achievements of North Dakota’s Native American population,” Jondahl said.
$100,000 gift
The State Historical Society of N.D. Foundation received a gift of $100,000 this year from the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (Three Affiliated Tribes) to fund the Native American Hall of Honor annual inductee videos.
Marlo Sveen, Foundation executive director, and Scott Davis, Indian Affairs Commission executive director, had traveled to New Town in December 2019 to submit a grant request to the MHA Nation business council for funding of the Native American Hall of Honor Celebration held annually.
The exhibit in the N.D. Heritage Center & State Museum includes personal artifacts and short videos that share their remarkable histories.
According to information, nominees for the Native American Hall of Honor can be living or in memoriam. Two people per category are accepted into the Hall of Honor each year. Visit https://vimeo.com/155040368 for a short video about the Hall of Honor.
Native American Hall of Honors inductees
Following is a list of those inducted in the Native American Hall of Honors since 2016:
Arts & Culture
Anthony McDonald
Spirit Lake Nation
2016 honoree
Dan Jerome
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
2017 honoree
Mary Louise Defender Wilson
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2017 honoree
Keith Bear
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
2019 honoree
Wallace “Butch” Thunder Hawk Jr.
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Athletics
Robert Eaglestaff
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2016 honoree
Arnold Charging Sr.
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
2016 honoree
1973 Fort Yates Warriors Basketball Team
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2017 honorees
Pete Fredericks
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
2017 honoree
1941-1942 Elbowoods Warriors Basketball Team
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
2018 honorees
1970-71 Turtle Mountain Community High School Wrestling Team
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
2019 honorees
Leadership
Marcellus Red Tomahawk
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2016 honoree
Harriett Skye
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2016 honoree
David Gipp
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2017 honoree
Leigh Jeanotte
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
2017 honoree
Patrick Moses Gourneau
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
2018 honoree
Betty L. Fredericks Gress
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
2018 honoree
Martin T. Cross
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
2019 honoree
Charles W. Murphy
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Veteran
Nathan Goodiron
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
2016 honoree
Richard Marcellais
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
2016 honoree
John W. Smith
Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
2019 honoree
Lawrence Dean Brown Otter
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Conrad Lee Flying Horse
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Ronald “Christy” Good Iron
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Randolph Scott Hutchinson
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Kenneth Robert Jamerson
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Loren Dallas Lebeau
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Gary Frederick Myers
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
2019 honoree
Legendary Award
Chief Little Shell III
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
2019 honoree
– Source: State
Historical Society of North Dakota