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Earlier this month, the sons of legendary Sac and Fox athlete Jim Thorpe asked the Supreme Court to consider a case involving the return of their father’s body to Oklahoma. Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox) is buried in a small Pennsylvania town, which was named after the athlete although he never visited the town. In 2013, a federal district court judge in Pennsylvania ruled that the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) does apply and his remains should be returned home. A year later, the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the ruling. Chief Judge Theodore McKee wrote that NAGPRA “was not intended to be wielded as a sword to settle familial disputes within Native American families.” Should Jim Thorpe be returned to Oklahoma for his final resting place? Do you think that NAGPRA can be applied in this case?
Guests:
Matthew Campbell (Native Village of Gambell) – staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund
Sandra Massey (Sac and Fox) – historic preservation officer for the Sac and Fox Nation
Ray Brader – co-coordinator of the Jim Thorpe birthday celebration
Break Music: Sac and Fox (song) Brian Stoner (artist) with Love and Faith We Pray Volume II (album)
