Will Our Wishes Be Respected After Death?

I took an article from the Indian Country Today Media Network about Jim Thorpe.  Jack McNeel's article, "The Battle Over Jim Thorpe's Remains", is clearly about his remains.  Now, before I go on, I assume that most people, especially those that live in Pennsylvania know who Jim Thorpe is, and that there is even a town north of here that is named after him.  For those of you that do no know about Jim Thorpe, he was from the Sac and Fox tribe in Oklahoma.  He is most known for being an amazing athlete, being quoted as one of the top three greatest athletes of the 20th century.  He also died at the age of 64 in 1953.

Okay, now that we got that all settled, back to the article.  What basically happened was that when he died, his body as taken away from Shawnee, Oklahoma during his funeral and taken to Pennsylvania, in what is now the town of Jim Thorpe (obviously this is how the town had gotten its name).  Clearly, a huge controversy came from this this issue.  The biggest of which is that there is now a Federal Case to have his body returned back to Oklahoma to a place that his two surviving sons have already picked out.  "The basis for this suit is the 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).  This Act requires federal agencies and institutions receiving federal funding to return American Indian Cultural items, including human remains, to their respective places.  In this case it's asking that Jim Thorpe's remains be repatriated to the Sac and Fox tribe in Oklahoma, Jim had voiced his desire to be buried on his ancestral homeland and his sons desire to honor that wish."

McNeel goes on to explain that during the three day funeral ceremony for Thorpe his third wife Patrica, along with two Oklahoma state troopers removed the body.  Patrica had contacted these men to take the body of her late husband.  They wanted Jim Thorpe's body in order to create more revenue/business for their town and make their town attract more people and tourists.

So now, their is a rift between the Sac and Fox Tribe in Oklahoma, and those in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.  The people in Jim Thorpe do not want to give up his body, because that is what their town has become.  That is what their town thrives off of.  And to be honest I do understand the argument from both sides. I agree more with the children of Thorpe and the tribe of the Sac and Fox.  I think that a person should be buried wherever the hell they that want to be buried.  I think that it is extremely wrong that his body was pretty much sold out to draw attention to a town.  I honestly hope that his remains are brought back to Oklahoma, not just for the tribe, but mostly for his sons' and family.  His remains should be with his sons and family.  That tribe was and will always be his family.