Submitted Photo
The Native American Hall of Honor exhibit area is located in the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck. Photo from State Historical Society of North Dakota.

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