 |  | | Candid conversations about identity in 21st-century America. | | | | | | | There are more than 500 federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States. I'm Native American — Haliwa-Saponi of North Carolina — and I've usually heard of most of the tribes or can ask a Native friend or relative if they know of a smaller or lesser known tribe. But when an assignment editor reached out and asked if I'd do a story on the Oorang Indians, I was stumped and too embarrassed to say aloud what I thought in my head: "The Oorangs? I've never heard of that tribe." Clueless, I did what our 7-year-old does — I went to the Internet and quickly found a brief history. They weren't a tribe at all. They're the first — and only — all-Native American team to play for the National Football League more than 100 years ago. The legendary Olympian Jim Thorpe, who was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States, was a player and coach. The team is credited with creating what was probably the first-ever halftime show. The team also was a source of controversy for some Native Americans. This week, the imagery of Native Americans in football was again in the news as the Washington Football Team chose a new team and completely broke away from its former name, which was a slur against American Indians. Let's hope it's a sign of progress with how society perceives Native Americans.  The Oorang Indians were the only NFL team with all Native American players on it. They played two seasons in 1922-1923 and Olympic star Jim Thorpe, third from left in back row, was a player and coach for the team. The Oorang Indians played a century before the Washington Football Team announced its new name, following a lengthy campaign to change a name that many see as a Native American slur. By Dana Hedgpeth ● Read more » | | | | | | Pandemic life  A couple dances along the Riverwalk in Detroit on July 17, 2021. This outdoor dance venue helped keep Detroit ballroom alive during the coronavirus pandemic. (J. Lester Feder for The Washington Post.) This style of dance has endured for decades. The next steps are far from clear. By J. Lester Feder ● Read more » | | |  (The Washington Post) This Black History Month, we could witness a new chapter in the ongoing story of African Americans' struggles and achievements, as President Biden has pledged to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. Stories, commentaries and photos about Black Americans' ongoing struggles and achievements. By Washington Post Staff ● Read more » | | | | | | More from The Post  Mamie Till-Mobley stirred the conscience of the country after she insisted on an open casket funeral of her 14-year-old son and allowed Jet magazine to publish photos of his brutalized body. Her son, Emmett Till, was murdered by white supremacists in 1955. On Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 12:00 p.m. ET, Deborah Watts, co-founder of the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation and a cousin of Emmett Till, discusses how Till-Mobley galvanized the civil rights movement in our continuing series about the role of Black women in the country's history. By Washington Post Live ● Read more » | | | | | | What we're reading | | | Word on the street | | | | | | | | |
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