Jim Thorpe Film Premieres in New York November 19

Jim Thorpe Film Premieres in New York November 19

Detailed Biography of Native American Sports Legend

The full length version of “Jim Thorpe, The World’s Greatest Athlete” will premiere in New York on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York, the George Gustav Heye Center. Presented by the museum’s renowned Film + Video Center, the screening will be followed by a discussion with co-producer, co-writer Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki). The film will be screened again on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m.

All screenings are free, but reservations are recommended. Contact fvc@si.edu or 212.514.3737. Also on Nov. 19, the museum shop will host a signing by Mr. Bruchac of his published works on Jim Thorpe at the museum shop at 5 p.m.

The film is a biography of Jim Thorpe (Sac/Fox), a Native American athlete who became a sports icon in the first half of the 20th century. Beginning with Thorpe’s boyhood in Indian Territory, it chronicles his rise to athletic stardom at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, winning two gold medals at the 1912 Summer Olympics, his fall from grace in the eyes of the amateur athletic establishment, and his rebound in professional baseball and football. Thorpe retired from pro sports at age 41 just before the stock market crash of 1929. He worked as a construction laborer before getting work in Hollywood as a bit part player. Later, Thorpe became a representative for Indian extras in Hollywood, fighting for equal pay for Native Americans in the movies. In the 1940s, he crisscrossed the nation as a public speaker advocating for Indian self-determination.

The Film + Video Center of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian is an international leader in the presentation of indigenous film and video projects. National and international programs include the Native American Film and Video Festival, the annual Native Cinema Showcase in Santa Fe, and daily screenings for youth and general audiences. FVC produces the bilingual Native Networks Website with information and resources on indigenous film, video, and radio: www.nativenetworks.si.edu and www.redesindigenous.si.edu. Media information is provided through the website, by phone and E-mail; on-site research and video viewing are available by appointment.

The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s George Gustav Heye Center is located at One Bowling Green in New York City, across from Battery Park. The museum is free and open everyday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursdays until 8 p.m. Call (212) 514-3700 for general information and (212) 514-3888 for a recording about the museum’s public programs. By subway, the museum may be reached by the 1 to South Ferry, the 4 or 5 to Bowling Green or the R or W to Whitehall Street. The museum’s Web site is www.americanindian.si.edu.

BEAUTIFUL RESISTANCE features the art of the late Hopi artist, Michael Kabotie

Sad to hear that Michael Kabotie passed away a few days ago. He was featured in the stunning Allan Holzman film, Beautiful Resistance, the award winning documentary of contemporary native artists bringing the boarding school histories to light.

His work leaves a strong legacy of Hopi tradition. Thankyou Matt, for sharing this news.

Barbara

Marlene Carvell's book is getting attention

Lovely to see "Sweetgrass Basket" getting much-deserved attention for its complex and poignant portrayal of two sisters' experience at boarding schools. Go look:
http://slayground.livejournal.com/549402.html

There's plenty of hype and self-promotion (not to swipe at the self-proclaimed experts out there - do we really need more athletic star gazing? Bruchac has done great work but the others...enough already!) the real stories of Carlisle come from the connections to relatives who lived the experiment, and SWEETGRASS BASKET is not about the famous athletes, but about two little girls whose lives were influenced by what happened at Carlisle.

"OSAGE INDIANS HERE"

"A party of Osage Indians from the Indian Territory arrived here Tuesday evenng from Washington. Eleven persons composed the delegation, consisting of Striking Axe, Alvin Wood. Ne-kah-ke-pah-nah, Tall Chief, Ne-kah-ko-lab, Saucy Chief, James Bigheart; Paul Aiden, interpreter; E.M.Matthews, clerk; R.E. Bird, agent and guide. They have children here whom they stopped to visit on their way home. Their business in Washington was to adjust the title of certain lands bought by them from the Cherokees, who can convey the special title reposed in them by the government consenting to join in a free simple conveyance. They were an intelligent looking lot of Indians. - 1891 Sentinel."

Thanks, Jack Mullen, for giving this to me.

Carlisle Herald, 1881 Reports on the composition of the Carlisle Indian School, Carlisle PA

"The Indian School.

The composition of the school down to Oct. 5th, 1880, is set forth in the report of Capt. R.H. Pratt to the Commissioner of Indian affairs, as follows:

The school opened Nov. 1st, 1879 with 147 students, of whom 60 boys and 24 girls were drawn from the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Agencies in Dakota; 38 boys and 14 girls from the Cheyenne, Kiowa, Pawnee and other tribes in Indian Territory, and 11 young men from the Hampton Institute. On the 6th Nov., 1879; 6 Sisseton Sioux and 2 Menominees arrived; on 28th Feb., 1880, 8 Iowa and Sac and Fox children; on March 9th, a Lipan boy and girl, who had been captured three years previously by the 4th Cavalry in Old Mexico. On 20th Feb., 11 Ponca and Nez Perces children, and on 1st April, 10 Kiowa, Comanche and Wichita children were received. Rev. Sheldon Jackson brought 1 Apache and 10 Pueblo children from New Mexico on July 31st, and on Sept. 6th, Agent Miles brought 41 Cheyenne, Arapahoe and Comanche children. In all 239 children have been in the school.

The following losses have occurred: Nine young men, former Florida prisoners, were sent home, on account of age and sufficient advancement to be of service to their people. Spotted Tail, because his son-in-law was cashiered, carried away 9 of his children and relatives; 4 others returned with the visiting chiefs, and 15 more were sent home because of imperfect physical and mental condition. Six boys have died at the school, ad 4 of those returned have died. there remains in the school (Oct. 5th is the date of the report) 196 pupils - 139 boys and 57 girls. Two-thirds of them are children of chiefs and head men. About 10 per cent, are of mixed blood."

CARLISLE HERALD, Thursday, February 3, 1881.

Thank you Jack Mullen for finding this for me.

How to Spot a Phony Book Reviewer?

Are you looking to have your book reviewed but are not sure about the authenticity of the reviewer? There's a simple test. If you have to PAY for the review, it's phony.

Next question....

Memorializing the "Lost Ones" becomes a film.

Memorializing the "Lost Ones" becomes a film. The premiere screening is scheduled for Thursday, Sept 24 at 4:30 at Dickinson College. Discover a new story, one that can finally be told - since the children who were lost to the Lipan Apache people seven generations ago were put to rest three months ago.

Jim Thorpe, Greatest Athlete

Jim Thorpe: still the greatest athlete. The Harvard Courant features Thorpe in comparison to Babe Ruth in a nostalgic look back at both careers. And Thorpe still comes in first.

Famous Baseball player to be honored with statue.

At last, Charles Albert Bender will take the mound in the pantheon of our baseball heroes.

A monument has been commissioned to honor the former Carlisle Indian School student to be erected in the new baseball field being developed for the Minnesota Twins. Full Story here.

Pawnee Indian School

The Pawnee Indian Boarding School, founded November 1878, predates the Carlisle Indian School. Find out about the reunion.