Alwyn Morris,
CM (born November 22, 1957) is a retired Canadian
sprint kayaker. A member of the
Mohawk nation
The Mohawk people ( moh, Kanienʼkehá꞉ka) are the most easterly section of the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy. They are an Iroquoian-speaking Indigenous people of North America, with communities in southeastern Canada and northern Ne ...
in
Kahnawake
The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (french: Territoire Mohawk de Kahnawake, in the Mohawk language, ''Kahnawáˀkye'' in Tuscarora) is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, C ...
,
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 Summer Olympic Games and one of the only three North American aboriginals to do so, alongside
Jim Thorpe
James Francis Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk): ''Wa-Tho-Huk'', translated as "Bright Path"; May 22 or 28, 1887March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native ...
and
Billy Mills
Billy may refer to:
* Billy (name), a name (and list of people with the name)
Animals
* Billy (dog), a dog breed
* Billy (pigeon), awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945
* Billy (pygmy hippo), a pet of U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
* Billy, a youn ...
.
Sporting career
Early years
Morris was inspired to compete in elite level of
canoeing
Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...
while watching Olympic canoeing competition in his early teens. This pursuit received encouragement and guidance from his grandfather.
Morris' first notable canoeing accomplishment was winning the Canadian National Junior Title in 1977 for K-1 1,000 m, as well as K-1 500 m.
He was the winner of multiple junior regional and provincial titles in late 1970s before won six consecutive K-1 Canadian champions between 1980 and 1984.
Morris also won two medals at the
ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships are an international event in canoe racing, one of two Summer Olympic sport events organized by the International Canoe Federation (the other being the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships). The World Cham ...
with a silver (K-2 1000 m:
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...
) and a bronze (K-2 500 m:
1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
).
1984 Olympic Games
Morris was a medalist in the 1984 Los Angeles
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
, winning a gold medal in K-2 1000 m, and a bronze medal in K-2 500 m with partner,
Hugh Fisher.
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.
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 died 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."
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."
The symbolism of Morris's Eagle Feather Salute has been compared with the
Black Power salute of U.S. sprinters
Tommie Smith
Tommie C. Smith (born June 6, 1944) is an American former track and field, track and field athlete and former wide receiver in the American Football League. At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith, aged 24, won the 200-meter sprint finals and gold me ...
and
John Carlos
John Wesley Carlos (born June 5, 1945) is an American former track and field athlete and professional American football player. He was the bronze-medal winner in the 200 meters at the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he displayed the Black Power sal ...
in
1968 Olympics. They are both considered iconic examples where athletes used sport as a site to engage in political activism and resistance.
Other Activities
After the
Oka Crisis
The Oka Crisis (french: links=no, Crise d'Oka), also known as the Kanehsatà:ke Resistance (), was a land rights, land dispute between a group of Mohawk people and the town of Oka, Quebec, Canada, which began on July 11, 1990, and lasted 78 day ...
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.
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.
He currently serves as the chairperson of Aboriginal Sport Circle.
On December 8, 2009 Morris carried the
Olympic torch
The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olym ...
through
Kahnawake
The Kahnawake Mohawk Territory (french: Territoire Mohawk de Kahnawake, in the Mohawk language, ''Kahnawáˀkye'' in Tuscarora) is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, C ...
, Quebec as part of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games torch relay.
Recognition
He received the
National Aboriginal Achievement Award
The Indspire Awards, until 2012 the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, are annual awards presented by Indspire in Canada. The awards are intended to celebrate and encourage excellence in the Aboriginal community.
About
The awards were fi ...
, now the
Indspire Awards
The Indspire Awards, until 2012 the National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, are annual awards presented by Indspire in Canada. The awards are intended to celebrate and encourage excellence in the Aboriginal community.
About
The awards were fir ...
, in the sports category
and won the
Tom Longboat Award
The Tom Longboat Awards were established in 1951 to recognize Aboriginal athletes "for their outstanding contributions to sport in Canada" and continues "to honour Indigenous athletes across Canada" annually. As a program of the Aboriginal Sport ...
in 1977 and 1984 that recognizes Aboriginal athletes outstanding contributions to sport in Canada. Morris was made a member of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
on December 23, 1985 as recognition for his canoeing success, as well as his continued work with youths for organizations including
Health and Welfare Canada The Department of National Health and Welfare (NHW), commonly known as Health and Welfare Canada, was a Canadian federal department established in 1944.
Its advisory body on welfare was the National Council of Welfare. In June 1993, Prime Minister ...
's Native Drug Abuse Programme. He was also inducted in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.
His athletic achievements were considered highly influential for Indigenous communities across Canada. Joe Delaronde, a staff member of the Mohawk Council commented: "I could never even fathom, that somebody from this community would be the best in the entire world".
References
Alwyn Morrisat
The Canadian Encyclopedia
''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage.
Available fo ...
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CBC News: Olympic Torch Cheered in Mohawk Community
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Alwyn
1957 births
Living people
20th-century Native Americans
21st-century Native Americans
Canadian male canoeists
Canadian Mohawk people
Canoeists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Canoeists at the 1988 Summer Olympics
First Nations sportspeople
ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships medalists in kayak
Indspire Awards
Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Members of the Order of Canada
Olympic canoeists of Canada
Olympic gold medalists for Canada
Olympic bronze medalists for Canada
Olympic medalists in canoeing
Sportspeople from Quebec
Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke