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Anchor: Antonia Gonzales
On the 110th anniversary of Sac and Fox and Potawatomi athlete Jim Thorpe’s July 15, 1912 Olympic win in the decathlon in Sweden, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reinstated Thorpe as the sole champion of both the decathlon and pentathlon.
Thorpe brought home two gold medals for the U.S. in the 1912 Olympic Games, but was later stripped of his wins for playing minor league baseball prior to the summer games.
The IOC declared he broke amateurism rules in place at the time. In 1982, replica gold medals were given to the Thorpe family designating him co-champion.
For years, his family and advocates urged the IOC to reinstate Thorpe as the sole champion saying he dominated the events.
Today, they say an injustice has finally been corrected.
His granddaughter Anita Thorpe says it’s great to hear the words officially spoken that Jim Thorpe is the sole winner, and it’s a glorious time of celebration for his friends, family and supporters.
The organization Bright Path Strong, tribes, and national Native organizations played a part in advocating for the reinstatement.
Bright Path Strong co-founder Nedra Darling says the truth has been upheld and there’s no confusion about the most remarkable athlete in history.
In 2020, Bright Path Strong launched a campaign to call on the IOC for reinstatement, which included an online petition.
The soon-to-be-renamed S**** Lake in Wisconsin (Photo: Bill Keaggy)
Wisconsin officials are eyeing the removal of more sites with derogatory names as a federal task force narrows down replacement terms for 28 geographic features in the state. Danielle Kaeding has more.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Interior asked for public input on new names for 664 sites nationwide that use an Indigenous slur for women.
Those sites include 28 creeks, rivers, lakes, and valleys in Wisconsin.
Now, Tribal Liaison Kris Goodwill with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says they’re putting together another list of names.
“They’re going to probably complete the first phase before they start the second one, but we know that it’s coming. That is a process where we can submit other names we consider derogatory and suggesting that they be changed.”
As an Indigenous woman, Goodwill says replacing those names means a great deal to her.
“I don’t want an indigenous child seeing that and making them feel that they’re not a part of this community in the state of Wisconsin. Because they are.”
A federal task force will recommend replacement names for each site on July 25.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is set to make a final decision in September.
Native women’s advocates met in Washington, D.C. this week to address violence against women.
Advocates from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico took part in two days of meetings for the fourth convening of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls.
The Department of the Interior hosted this year’s gathering on behalf of the U.S. government.
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland discussed work to address missing and murdered Indigenous people, including the agency’s creation of the Missing and Murdered Unit to pursue unsolved cases.
Sec. Haaland also highlighted the Not Invisible Act, which established a joint commission with the Justice Department to work on reducing violent crime in Indian Country.
Athletes are taking part in the World Eskimo Indian Olympics underway in Fairbanks, AK.
The traditional games display preparedness needed for survival requiring strength, agility, and endurance.
Live coverage can be found on WEIO’s Facebook page through Saturday.
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