Heroes come in all kinds of packages.   In fact,  many heroes are not even recognized  –  least of all during their own lifetimes.   But with the recently observed Native American Day,  I thought I would share a few of mine  –  some that you may have heard of,  and other lesser-known aborigines of North America.   This is not by any stretch of the imagination,  a comprehensive list. It would be like trying to list all your favorite white people. The great Olympian Jim Thorpe

The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota was in the headlines last fall and winter because of Native American demonstrations protesting an oil pipeline being dug under their tribal lands and threatening their main source of water.  Trust me, I have no intention of weighing in on this bitterly contested issue.  But it does occur to me that I have never written about one of the best stories to ever emanate from that corner of the world. Standing Rock, which straddles