OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - Native American in Oklahoma started a campaign on Wednesday for the return of the body of sports legend Jim Thorpe, whose remains are buried in a Pennsylvania hamlet named for the famed American Indian athlete and Olympic champion.
The Sac and Fox Nation, which lost a court case last year on the return of the remains, told a news conference they were taking their campaign to the U.S. Supreme Court and the public, arguing Thorpe's body should rest in his tribal lands after a sacred burial ceremony.
"For years we were disregarded, our graves were looted, and we are still fighting for the right of a man to decide how to be buried," said Sandra Massey, historical preservation director for the Sac and Fox Nation.