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February 9, 2022 – Bright Path Strong is proud to present this case study to support the petition to reinstate Jim Thorpe as the sole gold medalist for the pentathlon and decathlon he decisively won in the 1912 Olympics. We thank the Doug Williams Center for working in conjunction with Thorpe biographer Robert W. Wheeler and Dr. Florence Ridlon, honorary board members of Bright Path Strong to bring this study to light.

The research provides clear data and historic context to highlight why the removal of Thorpe’s Olympic gold medals and his name from the official record book was illegal according to the rules under which he competed and partially motivated by racism. Given the overwhelming evidence and support for Thorpe’s rightful titles, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is being urged to correct this historic injustice.

“A century after his Olympic triumphs and starring in, co-founding, and serving as the unanimously elected first president of what became the National Football League, Jim Thorpe is still considered to be the world’s greatest athlete,” said Wheeler and Ridlon. “He was also a leader and champion for all minorities. Jim Thorpe lived in a dark time of American injustices, inequalities, and the poverty of the Great Depression but his talent and kindness shone a bright light on everyone he encountered.”

Bright Path Strong’s grassroots effort to gain proper recognition for Thorpe’s achievements continue with an active petition campaign, feature motion picture, and ongoing work with Ms. Anita DeFrantz, who is the first woman and first African American, to serve as a representative from the IOC to the United States.

“Jim Thorpe deserves to be a household name, highly regarded in every place that American sports legends are mentioned.” said Brandon A. Logan, Executive Director of The Doug Williams Center.

Nedra Darling, Prairie Band Potawatomi and co-founder of Bright Path Strong, and one of the film’s producers is quoted in the study: “Correcting Jim Thorpe’s achievements in the official records would not end the systemic prejudices that pervade our institutions, but it would send a powerful message of hope and liberation to Indigenous communities in the United States and around the world, whose past and present should no longer be invisibilized.”

For media inquiries, contact Nedra Darling at joinus@brightpathstrong.org and ‭(424) 281-0031‬.

Join us for this special live Zoom roundtable with Olympic Gold Medalist Billy Mills & Jim Thorpe Biographer Robert Wheeler, in a conversation led by Nedra Darling, co-founder of Bright Path Strong.

Thursday, Feb 25th 2PM EST / 11AM PST

Meet the Panelists:

Billy Mills

Billy Mills was born on June 30, 1938 in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. He is Oglala Lakota (Sioux) and grew up on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Billy did not have an easy childhood. Surrounded by poverty and orphaned at the age of 12, he started running to channel his energy into something positive. In high school, his gift for running become more apparent as he set records in numerous track events. He went on to earn a track scholarship from the University of Kansas and then served as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps. At the 1964 Olympics, he shocked the world and came from behind to win the gold medal in the 10,000 meters race. At the time, he set a world record of 28 minutes, 24.4 seconds and is still the only American to ever win a gold medal in the 10 m event. His win was an upset that has been called the second greatest moment in Olympic history. In Lakota culture, someone who achieves great success has a ‘giveaway’ to thank the support system of family and friends who helped him achieve his goal. As part of his effort to give back to his community, Billy helped found Running Strong for American Indian Youth and became the organization’s National Spokesperson. Today Billy travels over 300 days every year. He visits Native American communities throughout the U.S. and speaks to youth about healthy lifestyles and taking pride in their heritage.

Robert Wheeler

Emmy Award-winner Bob Wheeler co-founded the Jim Thorpe Foundation with his wife, Dr. Florence Ridlon. Jim’s son, Lt. Colonel Carl Phillip Thorpe, was insistent that full credit for the International Olympic Committee’s decision to restore his father’s gold medals be given to “Bob and Florence, who even put their own careers aside for it.” The editor of PRO, the official magazine of the National Football League, reviewed Bob’s biography of Jim as the “definitive volume on Thorpe.” Bob is an Executive Producer for the upcoming feature film about Jim Thorpe, Bright Path, which is based on his book, Jim Thorpe: World’s Greatest Athlete. Bob’s career includes managing public relations for ABC Sports, FOX Sports, and the White House Conference for Children and Youth as well as forming his and his wife’s public relations company, Wheeler/Ridlon Communications.

Moderator:

Nedra Darling

Nedra Darling, a citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and a proud Cherokee Nation descendent, co-founder of Bright Path Strong and an executive producer of the forthcoming feature film Bright Path. She co-produced the award winning documentary Surviving Columbus while director of the nation’s first American Indian Film and Video center at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Nedra devoted her 35 year federal government career to celebrating and uplifting American Indian and Alaska Native peoples and continues her work for Indian Country by telling our truths in movies.

About Bright Path Strong

Bright Path Strong was created to share and amplify authentic Native American voices and stories, past and present. Representation matters, and it’s time we shine a light on our real history, our people, and our resilience — in our own words.

The right path is the Bright Path.

About Running Strong

Billy Mills (right) joined forces with Eugene Krizek (left) in 1986 to help found Running Strong for American Indian Youth®. Running Strong was founded under Christian Relief Services in 1986. After Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota) became the Olympic champion for the 10K, he made it his priority to give back to his community and create a better future for Native American youth.

Our Tribal Partners:

• The Tuolumne Band of Mewuk Indians
• The Mohegan Tribe
• Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
• The Tonto Apache Tribe
• The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria
• Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Mewuk Indians of California
• Sac & Fox Nation
• Sealaska Corporation
• Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians

Join us for this special live Zoom roundtable with environmental scientist and Absentee Shawnee & Kickapoo tribe member Paulette Blanchard, and Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan of the Seneca Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy Oren Lyons in a conversation led by a member of the Grammy Award-winning band Portugal. The Man.

Thursday, Dec 10th 2 pm EST | 11 am PST

Meet the Panelists:

Chief Oren Lyons

International Human Rights Advocate, Environmental Activist Oren Lyons is a Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan and serves as a Member Chief of the Onondaga Council of Chiefs and the Grand Council of the Iroquois Confederacy, the Haudenosaunee Peoples. He has been active in international Indigenous rights and sovereignty issues for over four decades at the United Nations and other international forums. In addition to his many accolades for extraordinary achievements, Oren holds a Juris Doctorate of Law from Syracuse University and is the recipient of the prestigious Rosa Parks and George Arents Awards for environmental and social activism, as well as the Green Cross International Environmental Icon Award (2019).

Paulette Blanchard 

Paulette Blanchard, Absentee Shawnee & Kickapoo, is a current PhD candidate in the department of Geography at the University of Kansas, and a 2018-2020 Diversity and Inclusion Fellow with the University of Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Her current work addresses Indigenous science, Indigenous led environmental movements and activism for Indigenous Peoples and other intersectional and marginalized populations. Paulette holds a Master of Arts in Geography from the University of Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Arts in Indigenous & American Studies from Haskell Indian Nations University.

Moderator:

Portugal. The Man

Portugal. The Man is a Grammy Award-winning rock band from Wasilla, Alaska, currently based in Portland, Oregon. Recipients of the Public Sector Leadership Award from the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and Legend Award from the Native American Music Awards, the band is widely recognized for their activism and advocacy for Indigeous rights. A Portugal. The Man show always opens with a land acknowledgement ceremony, and in July of 2020, they announced the launch of the PTM Foundation, an organization “focused on building community resilience, empathy, and awareness through music, stories, art, education and connectivity.”

About Bright Path Strong: 

Bright Path Strong was created to share and amplify authentic Native American voices and stories, past and present. Representation matters, and it’s time we shine a light on our real history, our people, and our resilience — in our own words.

The right path is the Bright Path.

Our Tribal Partners:

• The Tuolumne Band of Mewuk Indians
• The Mohegan Tribe
• Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
• The Tonto Apache Tribe
• The Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria
• Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Mewuk Indians of California
• Sac & Fox Nation
• Sealaska Corporation
• Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians

Get to know a true G.O.A.T.

Jim Thorpe, a.k.a. Wa-Tho-Huk (meaning Bright Path) was a Native American athlete, actor, and humanitarian who dominated in nearly every sport he played, despite all odds. At the 1912 Olympics in Sweden, he brought home two gold medals for the United States — one for the pentathlon and one for the decathlon. He broke records at the events and was proclaimed “World’s Greatest Athlete” by King Gustav the V. 

Many talk about his athletic strength, but few highlight his resilience. Ahead of the games, Jim Thorpe’s shoes were stolen but instead of giving in, he scoured the area grabbing two mismatched shoes from two different garbage cans. Despite the challenge, he went on to take the gold.

The setbacks didn’t end there, however. About six months after he won, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped Jim of his rightfully earned medals and champion status. He was heartbroken, but not defeated.

Decades after his passing, a petition carrying 1 million signatures calling for a reversal of the decision that had cheated Jim Thorpe out of his Olympic wins was delivered to the IOC, and his medals were restored. This chapter in Jim’s story should end there, but the fight continues to this day.

Learn why Bright Path Strong has petitioned the IOC to restore the records

Jim wasn’t just an Olympic gold champion, though. He went on to become a pro athlete in both football and baseball. He always played the game with a higher purpose, and went on to coach football, and was even elected as the first President of the NFL. 

Living through two World Wars, the Spanish Flu, and the Great Depression, Jim’s continued resilience became an asset as he set his sights on a new career path: acting. And in true Bright Path style, it wasn’t really about being in the spotlight — it was about bringing real Native representation to the big screen.

As his hard-earned athletic fame opened doors for him in Hollywood, Jim would get calls late at night about helping out fellow Native Americans looking for work. With the help of Cecelia Blanchard, Jim co-founded the Indian Center, later named the Native American Actors Guild, helping hundreds of Native people to secure jobs in TV and cinema.

It’s no wonder that he earned the nickname “Akapamata,” meaning “Caregiver” in Sac & Fox. There are countless stories about Jim’s tireless work to lend a hand to folks in Native communities across the US.

For Jim, it wasn’t just about being recognized as a champion athlete or a movie star. It was about using his celebrity status to amplify Native American stories that needed to be told. Thorpe didn’t just give 100% when playing sports — he gave it his all when caring for his people, too. 

And that’s why, all these years later, it’s so important to keep his legacy alive and continue to share Native American stories of resilience and strength. 

Jim has taught us that whatever you’re after, keep going.