Alwyn Morris

Early Life

Alwyn Morris grew up in Kahnawà:ke, Quebec (see Reserves in Quebec) Morris is a member of the Turtle Clan. In his youth, Morris showed interest in canoeing and kayaking and learned about the sport through the Onake Paddling Club in Kahnawà:ke. After showing great promise, Morris moved to Burnaby, British Columbia to train. In 1977, he won the K-1 1,000 m and K-1 500 m junior national championships.

Olympics

After success at the national level, Alwyn Morris continued on to the Olympics. With Hugh Fisher, Morris competed in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Together, they won bronze in the K-2 500 m and gold in the K-2 1,000 m. When Morris took to the podium to receive his gold medal, he held up an eagle feather. He has stated this action was meant to pay tribute to his late grandfather as well as to acknowledge Indigenous peoples. In 1988, he and Fisher returned to the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. However, they were defeated in the semi-finals for the K-2 500 m.

In 2009, Morris participated in the Vancouver Winter Olympics torch relay by carrying the Olympic torch through Kahnawà:ke, Quebec.

Later Career

After competing in the Olympics, Alwyn Morris continued to support canoeing, kayaking and Indigenous peoples in sports. In addition to coaching sports in Kahnawà:ke, Quebec, Morris established the Alwyn Morris Education and Athletic Foundation and participated in the Canada Games Council and the Canadian Sport Council. Morris was also involved with the First Nations Sports Secretariat. Additionally, he contributed to the establishment of the Aboriginal Sport Circle, an organization that promotes inclusion of Indigenous peoples in sports.

In 2006, Morris established the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group and served as its CEO. He acquired the online gaming business Bodog (which shut down in 2012), and launched the sports betting and poker business Bovada in 2011. In 2017 Morris sold Bovada and closed the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group to focus on business in Kahnawà:ke (see Reserves in Quebec).

In addition to athletics and business, Morris served as Special Policy Advisor for Aboriginal People and the Constitution to Joe Clark while he was serving as minister for constitutional affairs. In this position, Morris provided advice during the constitutional renewal process.

Awards and Recognitions

• Tom Longboat Award (1977, 1984)
• Member, Order of Canada (1985)
• National Aboriginal Achievement Award in Sports (now Indspire Award) (1996)
• Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (2000)
• Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)
• Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
• Honorary LLD, Western University (2022)
• North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame (2023)