Trophy of the Caucasian Male
Jim Thorpe, a prominent Native American athlete and cultural figure, is the subject of both a book by author David Maraniss and an album by Rapper Tall Paul. Maraniss's book, "Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe," offers an in-depth look at the life of this extraordinary individual, while the album, titled "The Story of Jim Thorpe" by Tall Paul, a member of the Anishinaabe and Oneida tribe enrolled on the Leech Lake reservation in Minnesota, explores Thorpe's legacy through the lens of contemporary hip-hop.
Thorpe's remains are currently interred in a monument site in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, a town named in his honour after the merger of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk. The circumstances surrounding the transfer of his remains to this site have been a subject of controversy, with reports suggesting that it was done without the full consent of other family members and for monetary considerations linked to the town's efforts to attract business.
The dispute over Thorpe's remains has been ongoing, with his son Jack Thorpe filing a federal lawsuit in 2010 seeking to have his father's remains returned and reburied near other family members in Oklahoma on Native American land, citing the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Jack Thorpe argued that the arrangement with the Pennsylvania town was against the wishes of many family members. However, Jack Thorpe passed away in 2011, and the lawsuit did not resolve the dispute.
The ongoing impact on Native American communities involves concerns over respecting Jim Thorpe’s burial wishes and cultural heritage, as well as the legal complexities around repatriation of Native American remains. The case highlights broader issues of Native American sovereignty, family rights, and cultural respect linked to burial practices and honours for Native American figures. The dispute continues to underscore tensions between commercial interests, historical commemoration, and Indigenous community rights and traditions.
Patty Loew, a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, is at the forefront of efforts to address these issues. She is the director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern University, where she works to advance understanding and respect for Native American cultures and histories. Loew's work is crucial in the ongoing discussions and debates surrounding the treatment of Native American remains and the preservation of Indigenous cultural heritage.
As the case of Jim Thorpe's remains continues to unfold, it serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting Native American cultural heritage and the need for ongoing dialogue and action to ensure the protection and preservation of Indigenous rights and traditions.
[1] Sources: [Insert appropriate citations here]
- The life of Jim Thorpe, a notable Native American figure in both history and sports, has been extensively explored in Maraniss's book "Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe" and Tall Paul's hip-hop album, "The Story of Jim Thorpe."
- The ongoing legal dispute over Thorpe's remains raises important questions about respecting Native American burial wishes, cultural heritage, and the complexities of repatriation, while also underscoring broader issues of sovereignty, family rights, and cultural respect in relation to Native American burial practices and honours for Native American figures.
