Taffy Abel medaled in the 1924 Olympics. Few knew of his Indigenous heritagePosted in Articles, Audio, Biography, Europe, History, Native Americans/First Nation, Passing, United States on 2022-02-08 00:22Z by Steven |
Taffy Abel medaled in the 1924 Olympics. Few knew of his Indigenous heritage
National Public Radio
2022-02-07
Troy Oppie, Host/Reporter
Boise State Public Radio, Boise, Idaho
![](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/02/04/taffy-abel---1924-olympic-usa-flag-bearer---silver-medal-hockey-c-jones-family-collection-b12b4877a7b027becf3d35271f6feccb3cb995c9-s1800-c85.webp)
Jones Family Collection
At the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France, about two dozen American dignitaries and athletes trudged through snowy streets in the opening parade. The American flag – then with just 48 stars – was carried by hockey player Clarence “Taffy” Abel.
What few outside his family and close friends knew at that time: Taffy Abel was Native American – the first Indigenous athlete to carry the flag at the Olympics. Within days he’d become the first Native American to win a medal in winter games history.
“A Native American, carrying our stars and stripes, nearly 100 years ago,” reflects George Jones, Abel’s 73-year-old nephew by marriage. His voice quivered with pride as he spoke of that moment.
Family stories passed down tell how Abel, his sister Gertrude, and his mother Charlotte – a Canadian Chippewa (now called Ojibwe) – all passed themselves off as white, mostly by not talking about it.
“The main thing that they were fearful of,” says Jones, “[was] that Taffy and his sister would be taken away to an Indian residential school.”…
Read the entire story here.