Jim Thorpe, revered as one of the greatest athletes in American history, illustrates how personal desires and legal rights can collide after death. Thorpe's third wife, Patricia, moved his remains to a town in Pennsylvania that now bears his name in an effort to create a tourist attraction, a decision contested by his sons under the Preservation Act. 1990 Native American Graves and Repatriation.

David Lenok talks with Alma Soongi Beck and Professor Jo Carillo about the multifaceted legal landscape surrounding Native American estates, focusing on the controversial burial of Jim Thorpe. They explore the nuanced issues of land rights, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and the growing interest in land restitution movements.

David, Alma and Jo discuss:

• The legal battles surrounding the Jim Thorpe burial controversy and what it symbolizes for indigenous rights;
• The impact and importance of the land restitution movement on traditional land ownership;
• Common Pitfalls Encountered in Estate Planning Involving Indigenous Lands;
• Recent trends in charitable giving and how they support Indigenous communities;
• How tax laws affect charitable giving to indigenous organizations;

Sources:

Connect with David Lenok:

Connect with Alma Soongi Beck:

Connect with Professor Jo Carillo:

About our guests:

Alma Soongi Beck is certified as a specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law by the State Board of Legal Specialization. Alma's practice focuses on trusts, charitable planning, gift and estate tax planning, and post-death administration, including trust administration and probate. She also provides consultations and seminars on the legal and tax implications of domestic partnership, marriage and co-ownership of property for same-sex and unmarried couples, as well as on the evolution of parenting and gender in estate planning. Alma also advises and presents Land Back to Indigenous Tribes for indigenous title holders, tribes and non-profit organizations.

Jo Carrillo JD/JSD is professor of law and faculty director of the Indigenous Law Center (ILC) at UC Law San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings). For more than three decades, Carrillo has taught and written extensively on property and property subjects, including Federal Indian Law. Carrillo earned her BA from Stanford University, her JD from the University of New Mexico and her JSD from Stanford Law School. She is a member of the Order of the Coif, the American Institute of Law and a former Trustee of the Law and Society Association; she was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Study of Law and Society at UC Berkeley Law, and a Visiting Professor at Stanford Law School. As Faculty Director of UC's Center for Indigenous Justice, among other responsibilities, Carrillo facilitates a seminar series called Law and Seminars.

Browse more episodes in this podcast series. …

The Celebrity Estates: Will of the Rich and Famous podcast is available at Apple Podcasts, Android, Sewing machine and wherever podcasts are found.