Alwyn Morris: Difference between revisions
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== Recognition == |
== Recognition == |
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He received the [[Indspire Awards|National Aboriginal Achievement Award]], now the [[Indspire Awards]], in the sports category |
He received the [[Indspire Awards|National Aboriginal Achievement Award]], now the [[Indspire Awards]], in the sports category<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://indspire.ca/laureate/alwyn-morris-2/|title=Indspire {{!}} Alwyn Morris|website=indspire.ca|access-date=2017-03-26}}</ref> and won the [[Tom Longboat Awards|Tom Longboat Award]] in 1977 and 1984 that recognizes Aboriginal athletes outstanding contributions to sport in Canada<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca/en/pdf/Recipients-1951-2001.pdf|title=List of Regional(R) and National(N) "Tom Longboat" recipients 1951-2001|last=Forsyth|first=Janice|date=2005|website=Aboriginal Sports Circle|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=December 19, 2017}}</ref>. Morris was made a member of the [[Order of Canada]] in December 23, 1985 as recognition for his canoeing success, as well as his continued work with youths for organizations including [[Health and Welfare Canada]]'s Native Drug Abuse Programme.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/honour.aspx?id=1201&t=12&ln=Morris|title=The Governor General of Canada|last=General|first=The Office of the Secretary to the Governor|language=en|access-date=2017-03-26}}</ref> He was also inducted in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sportshall.ca/stories.html?proID=410&catID=all&lang=EN|title=Canada's Sports Hall of Fame {{!}} Stories|website=www.sportshall.ca|access-date=2017-11-01}}</ref> |
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His athletic achievements were considered highly influential for Indigenous communities across Canada. Joe Delaronde, a staff at Mohawk Council commented: “I could never even fathom, that somebody from this community would be the best in the entire world”. <ref name=":2" /> |
His athletic achievements were considered highly influential for Indigenous communities across Canada. Joe Delaronde, a staff at Mohawk Council commented: “I could never even fathom, that somebody from this community would be the best in the entire world”. <ref name=":2" /> |
Revision as of 17:34, 18 December 2017
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Born | Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada | November 22, 1957||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sport | Canoe racing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Alwyn Morris, CM (born November 22, 1957) is a retired Mohawk-Canadian sprint kayaker. A member of the Mohawk nation in Kahnawake.[1], he is considered one of the most influential Indigenous athletes of all time. He is the first and only Aboriginal Canadian athlete who won a gold medal at the Olympics and one of the only three North American aboriginals to do so, alongside Jim Thorpe and Billy Mills. [2]
Sporting Career
Early years
Morris was inspired to compete in elite level of canoeing while watching Olympic canoeing competition in his early teens. This pursuit received encouragement and guidance from his grandfather. [3]
Morris' first notable canoeing accomplishment was winning the Canadian National Junior Title in 1977 for K-1 1,000m, as well as K-1 500m.[1] He was the winner of multiple junior reigional and provincial titles in late 1970s before won six consecutive K-1 Canadian champions between 1980 and 1984. [3]
Morris also won two medals at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships with a silver (K-2 1000 m: 1982) and a bronze (K-2 500 m: 1983).
1984 Olympic Games
Morris was a medalist in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, winning a gold medal in K-2 1,000m, and a bronze medal in K-2 500m with partner, Hugh Fisher.[4]
The Eagle Feather Salute
After winning the gold medal in K-2 1000m race with fellow Canadian Hugh Fisher, Morris raised an eagle feather when he was standing on the podium. It created widespread influence among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. [3]
In a 2009 interview, Morris revealed the intentions behind his eagle feather salute in 1984. First, he wanted to pay tribute to his grandparents, who raised him through his youth. It was important for Morris to commemorate his grandfather, who passed away before he could witness Morris's achievement: "He wasn't there any longer and I needed to be able to show my respect for what he had taught me and went through with me." [2]
Moreover, Morris saw his eagle feather salute as a way to share the victory with Indigenous Peoples in Canada but also demonstrated his Indigenous identity to Canadians: "It was pretty obvious I was there as an athlete representing Canada, and Canadians as a whole certainly were jubilant and happy that Hugh and I had accomplished our goal and brought home a gold medal for Canada...I am a Mohawk person, and I'm aboriginal in Canada and it was important for me to be self identified in order to share that with the other part of who I am." [2]
The symbolism of Morris's Eagle Feather Salute has been compared with the Black Power salute of U.S. sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos in 1968 Olympics. They are both considered iconic examples where athletes used sport as a site to engage in political activism and resistance. [5]
Other Activities
After the Oka Crisis in 1990, Morris started his endeavors in politics, specifically concerning issues related to Indigenous self-governance. He has been an active member of Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and a policy advisor on aboriginal rights and land issues. [3]
Having a vision to create sport programs that would empower Indigenous athletes and youth, Morris also helped create Aboriginal Sport Circle, a national organization that concerns the interests of Aboriginal sport, in 1995.[3] He currently serves as the chairperson of Aboriginal Sport Circle. [6]
On December 8, 2009 Morris carried the Olympic torch through Kahnawake, Quebec as part of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games torch relay.[7]
Recognition
He received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, now the Indspire Awards, in the sports category[8] and won the Tom Longboat Award in 1977 and 1984 that recognizes Aboriginal athletes outstanding contributions to sport in Canada[9]. Morris was made a member of the Order of Canada in December 23, 1985 as recognition for his canoeing success, as well as his continued work with youths for organizations including Health and Welfare Canada's Native Drug Abuse Programme.[10] He was also inducted in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.[11]
His athletic achievements were considered highly influential for Indigenous communities across Canada. Joe Delaronde, a staff at Mohawk Council commented: “I could never even fathom, that somebody from this community would be the best in the entire world”. [3]
References
- Alwyn Morris at The Canadian Encyclopedia
- ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships – Part 1: flatwater (now sprint): 1936–2007 at WebCite (archived 2009-01-21). Additional archives: Wayback Machine (archived 2010-01-05).
- ICF medalists for Olympic and World Championships – Part 2: rest of flatwater (now sprint) and remaining canoeing disciplines: 1936–2007 at WebCite (archived 2009-11-09)
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Alwyn Morris". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2016-12-04.
- CBC News: Olympic Torch Cheered in Mohawk Community
- ^ a b "Canada's Sports Hall of Fame | Stories". www.sportshall.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
- ^ a b c Meissner, Dirk (2009-12-27). "From a single feather to a top-flight program". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
- ^ a b c d e f "Moving Images Distribution: Alwyn Morris • Chiefs and Champions". www.movingimages.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
- ^ "Olympic Medalists | Canoe Kayak Canada". canoekayak.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
- ^ Joseph, Janelle; Darnell, Simon; Nakamura, Yuka (2012). Race and Sport in Canada: Intersecting Inequalities. Canadian Scholars’ Press. ISBN 9781551304144.
- ^ "Human Performance International - Team". www.humanperformance.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
- ^ cdnolympicteam (2009-11-13). "Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Features Canadian Olympians". Official Canadian Olympic Team Website | Team Canada | 2016 Olympic Games. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
- ^ "Indspire | Alwyn Morris". indspire.ca. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
- ^ Forsyth, Janice (2005). "List of Regional(R) and National(N) "Tom Longboat" recipients 1951-2001" (PDF). Aboriginal Sports Circle. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ General, The Office of the Secretary to the Governor. "The Governor General of Canada". Retrieved 2017-03-26.
- ^ "Canada's Sports Hall of Fame | Stories". www.sportshall.ca. Retrieved 2017-11-01.
- 1957 births
- 20th-century Native Americans
- Canadian male canoeists
- Canoeists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Canoeists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Living people
- Members of the Order of Canada
- Canadian Mohawk people
- First Nations sportspeople
- Olympic canoeists of Canada
- Olympic gold medalists for Canada
- Olympic bronze medalists for Canada
- Olympic medalists in canoeing
- ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in kayak
- Sportspeople from Quebec
- Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- Indspire Awards
- Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductees