Harry Xul-si-malt Manson (1879-1912) will be formally inducted into the Legends class in Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in Calgary on June 17.

The honour recognizes Manson “for his leadership as a First Nations athlete and for breaking through racial barriers at the turn of the century

“Harry was a strong believer in the principle that you could be successful even when the odds were working against you,” the Hall of Fame said. “He lived those values as the only player of Indigenous descent to play on the three Nanaimo premier soccer teams between 1897 and 1905.

“Harry was aptly named Xul-si-malt, meaning ‘One who leaves his mark’ and laid the path for the future aboriginal athletes that followed him. He died tragically in a coal train accident in 1912, but his legacy in soccer carries on.”

Manson was also named a Pioneer in Canada’s Soccer Hall of Fame in 2014.