New hall of fame recognizes Native American athletes

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Don Wetzel Sr. believes it's time to recognize scores of outstanding Montana Indian athletes who haven't received their full measure of recognition.

"People have asked me, 'Why hasn't somebody done this before?' " said Wetzel, who has established the Montana Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. "We just opened the gates for them."

Wetzel, an All-American basketball player from the Blackfeet Reservation, will honor the first seven Native athletes as inductees to the Indian Hall of Fame during a 7 p.m. ceremony today at the Montana-Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council office in Billings.

The first athletes to take their place in the Montana Indian Athletic Hall of Fame, all nominated by their tribal communities, are: Philip Red Eagle, Assiniboine Sioux; Louie Longey, Sioux; Lawrence "Larry" Pretty Weasel, Crow; Marvin Camel, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes; Malia Kipp, Blackfeet; Pete Conway, Blackfeet; and Sam Horn, Crow.

The Montana inductees now live throughout the United States.

The entire article can be viewed here: http://helenair.com/articles/2007/12/07/montana/e05120707_01.txt

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