DeepSummary
The episode celebrates the life and legacy of Jim Thorpe, a Native American athlete who excelled in multiple sports including football, baseball, and track and field. It explores how Thorpe, despite facing racism and discrimination, became one of the greatest athletes in history, winning Olympic gold medals in 1912 only to have them stripped due to amateurism rules. The episode examines Thorpe's struggles after his athletic career ended and the controversial events surrounding the repatriation of his remains after his death.
Today, Thorpe is being celebrated by a new generation of Native American activists, artists, and athletes who see him as an inspiration and representation of indigenous excellence. The episode features interviews with Thorpe's biographer, David Maraniss, activist Suzan Shown Harjo, and hip-hop artist Tall Paul, who created an album about Thorpe's life. They discuss Thorpe's impact, the injustices he faced, and the ongoing fight to honor his legacy.
The story of Jim Thorpe not only highlights his athletic achievements but also serves as a lens to examine the Native American experience, the history of cultural assimilation and oppression, and the importance of preserving and celebrating indigenous heritage. The episode explores themes of perseverance, resilience, and the power of representation, using Thorpe's life as a catalyst for discussions on identity, rights, and the ongoing struggle for recognition and respect.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Jim Thorpe was one of the greatest athletes in history, excelling in multiple sports and overcoming racism and discrimination.
- Despite his athletic achievements, Thorpe faced injustice, having his Olympic gold medals stripped due to amateurism rules.
- Thorpe's life and legacy serve as a representation of indigenous excellence and perseverance in the face of adversity.
- A new generation of Native American activists, artists, and athletes are celebrating and drawing inspiration from Thorpe's story.
- The episode sheds light on the history of cultural assimilation and oppression faced by Native Americans.
- The ongoing fight for the repatriation of Thorpe's remains highlights the struggle for recognition and respect for Native American rights and traditions.
- Thorpe's story serves as a catalyst for discussions on identity, representation, and the importance of preserving indigenous heritage.
- The episode explores themes of resilience, perseverance, and the power of representation in inspiring and uniting communities.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “He can do everything that anybody else can do and he can do it better. And we saw him just without the slightest form.“ by Dwight D. Eisenhower
- “I needed someone great who look like me. Jim Thorpe, you could be my Muhammad Ali. Afflicted with addiction, alcoholic like P. No submitting, both spitting up in college like G's my focus. Not that we probably both got B's.“ by Tall Paul
- “I think for such a long time, native people and native communities have been defined by our deficiencies. We're poor. You know, if you look at educational attainment, we're at the bottom of the list. There's always somebody trying to take our land or our children, or it's always what's wrong with us. And over the past 20 years, I think, as treaty rights have have been asserted successfully in courts, and there's been this renewal of culture and language, especially in Native America, I think people are starting to understand that, yeah, we've got generational trauma, but generational trauma didn't help us survive we survived because of generational joy and ingenuity and innovation and achievement.“ by Patty Loew
Entities
Person
Company
Organization
Movie
Book
Location
Episode Information
To The Best Of Our Knowledge
Wisconsin Public Radio
6/22/24
Jim Thorpe was one of the greatest athletes the world has ever known — a legend in the NFL, MLB, NCAA, and in the Olympics. Today he is being celebrated by a new generation of Native Americans.
- Rapper Tall Paul’s album is called, “The Story of Jim Thorpe." Tall Paul is an Anishinaabe and Oneida Hip-Hop artist enrolled on the Leech Lake reservation in Minnesota.
- Biographer David Maraniss is the author of "Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe."
- Activist Suzan Shown Harjo is the recipient of a 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is Cheyenne and Hodulgee Muscogee.
- Patty Loew is the director of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research at Northwestern University. She is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe.
Special thanks to Robert W. Wheeler and the Smithsonian for archival audio.
Original Air Date: January 14, 2023
Interviews In This Hour:
Was Jim Thorpe the greatest athlete who ever lived? — The white man's trophy — A hero who looks like me — Indigenous excellence: Hip hop and the legacy of Jim Thorpe
Guests:
Tall Paul, Suzan Shown Harjo, Patty Loew, David Maraniss
Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast.
Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.