Recent Ancestors: A Name We Know

This is Jim Thorpe. You can see in this photo that he’s wearing mismatched socks and shoes. This wasn’t a fashion statement--it is the legacy of the resilience of our indigenous ancestors.

It was the 1912 Olympics, and Jim, a native of Sac and Fox and Potawatomi lineage from Oklahoma represented the U.S. -- a country he could not claim citizenship from until 5 years later-- in track and field.

On the morning of his competitions, his shoes were stolen. Jim found the two shoes he wore that day in a garbage can. One of the shoes was too big, so he had to wear an extra sock. Wearing these shoes, Jim won two gold medals that day.

This is a true representation of how indigenous people are treated in this country: we are stripped of what anyone else would see as essential tools for success, and then when we excel despite the inequitable challenges heaped upon our people, we are celebrated as shining beacons of the American dream.

This is not a dream. We are here, just as we have always been.

Oh, and Jim Thorpe is a diminutive of his French/Irish settler name. His first name was Wa-Tho-Huk, meaning "Bright Path." Almost prophetic, isn't it? #diversity #leadership #culture #indigenous #realhistory