Shades of Thorpe

05/21/2026

For the 2026 Native Nonprofit Day, Shades of Thorpe takes this moment to express our utmost gratitude for all our supporters, donors, and believers!

We would like to create a special shoutout to the following:
- O.P. & W.E. Edwards Foundation (Montana Community Foundation)
- Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous People
- Hopa Mountain
- Charlotte-Martin Foundation
- Community Contributor, Freda Gipp
- American Indian Education at District One91
- Poplar School District
- Haskell Indian Nations University
- Fort Peck Tribal Departments
- Plus the ones that work behind the scenes to make this purposeful dream possible (we see you 👏🏽)

To learn more about Shades of Thorpe, please visit www.shadesofthorpe.com

To all the other Native Nonprofits out there, keep stepping forward and stay resilient. Your work will create the change our communities deserve!

Happy 2026 Native Nonprofit Day 👏🏽

04/30/2026

Wow!! 👏🏽

This art was created by a 191 7th grader. Let that sink in. Inspired by Jim Thorpe’s legacy, powered by their own vision. The next generation of legends is already blazing their bright path 👏🏽✨
American Indian Education at District One91

04/20/2026

Still thinking about Jim Thorpe Day and our time in Minnesota. ❤️

04/16/2026

🪶🪶

04/16/2026

👏🏽👏🏽

Happy Jim Thorpe Day!

In 1973, President Richard Nixon proclaimed April 16th "Jim Thorpe Day" in recognition of his accomplishments. Thorpe (1887-1953) was Sac & Fox/Potawatomi.

He won Gold Medals for the Pentathlon and Decathlon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. He is considered "The Greatest Athlete of the Twentieth Century."

04/16/2026

Happy Jim Thorpe Day!! 👏🏽

04/15/2026

On April 12th, we joined the Kansas City Chiefs for a day Jim Thorpe would have been proud of 🏈

Native youth took the field where champions train by running drills, hitting pads, and seeing themselves as athletes who truly belong. Beyond the field, the organization provided interactive nutrition and mental health stations, showing up for our youth mind, body, and spirit

This is how we carry Jim Thorpe’s legacy forward. Not just in history, but on the field and in the hearts of our youth ❤️

04/09/2026

There’s something different about speaking his name out on the land 🤞🏽

Jim Thorpe: Wa-Tho-Huk, “Bright Path”, was born to change the world, and he did it on his own terms. Two Olympic gold medals. Four professional sports. A legacy no one could take away, no matter how hard they tried.

At Shades of Thorpe, we don’t just tell his story. We use it as a reminder that every Native youth carries that same potential. The Bright Path doesn’t start somewhere else. It starts right here with this identity, this culture, and this land.

Watch to the end. 🪶

04/02/2026

New Graduate Scholarship Available! 👏🏽

This scholarship opportunity through the University of Kansas is dedicated to relatives who graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University and are looking to continue their journey into grad school.
📚

Contact [email protected] for more information

The Native American School of Education and Human Sciences Graduate Scholarship at the University of Kansas will provide $5,000 per academic year to eligible students.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must:

✅ Have a bachelor's degree from Haskell Indian Nations University

✅ Apply and be accepted into one of these programs:

💻 Online Programs
Curriculum & Instruction MSE program
Educational Administration MSE degree
SPED MSE degrees in Autism, High Incidence, Transition

👩🏽‍🏫 In-person Programs
SPED MSE degrees in Low Incidence or Early Childhood

This scholarship is made possible by donor support through KU Endowment. For further information and details, email the Office of Sovereign Partnerships at [email protected].