The son of legendary athlete Jim Thorpe is hoping he can work out a deal to settle his Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act lawsuit.

Jack Thorpe, 73, a past chief of the Sac and Fox Nation, and his brothers want their father reburied in Oklahoma, where he was born and raised. But Thorpe said he will accept whatever decision comes out of the federal court system.

“If it doesn’t work out, if the federal court doesn’t say that they must return them, it’s all well and good,” Thorpe told The New York Times.

Jim Thorpe was buried in 1953 in Pennsylvania after his widow, Patricia, worked out a deal with a town that changed its name to "Jim Thorpe." Some of Thorpe's other children did not want his remains taken back to Oklahoma.

Jack Thorpe waited until Patricia and his half-siblings to die before filing his NAGPRA lawsuit.

Get the Story:
A Legal Battle Over Jim Thorpe’s Remains (The New York Times 7/25)

Related Stories:
Opinion: Town will go on if Thorpe's remains reburied in Oklahoma (7/19)
Jim Thorpe's son sues to have remains returned to Oklahoma (6/25)
Commentary: A good case for returning Thorpe to Oklahoma (5/24)