Zitkala Sa, 1898
Alternatively known as Gertrude Simmons, or Red Bird, Zitkala-Sa was an American native activist who spent her adult life touting the native lifestyle while fighting to extend their people’s opportunities and safeguard their community. She moved with her husband to Washington, D.C. where, before founding the American Indians National Council in 1926, she acted as a liaison between the company and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Even as her life ended in 1938, she continued to work for the advancement of the Indians.
Zitkala Sa, 1898
Jim Thorpe, 1887
In return, Thorpe won his place in the Olympic track team with regular sneakers but when he arrived at the Olympics 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden, somebody took his shoes off. Thornton did not deter this. A teammate lent him one shoe, and unexpectedly, he found another one in the garbage but it’s too big. So, he wore extra socks to solve this problem. The only thing Thorpe did not win during the games that year was a javelin throw – he had never attempted it before. He finished as a bronze medalist.
Jim Thorpe, 1887
