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Chapter 3: ‘An unsung hero:’ The story of Tarzan Brown

Ellison "Tarzan" Brown's victory at the 1939 Boston Marathon is seen as a turning point in the visibility and official recognition of New England's Native people.
Courtesy of the Boston Public Library
/
Leslie Jones Collection
Ellison "Tarzan" Brown's victory at the 1939 Boston Marathon is seen as a turning point in the visibility and official recognition of New England's Native people.

In the 1930s, runner Tarzan Brown twice won the Boston Marathon – and carried the Narragansett tribe’s name out of obscurity and onto a global stage. “He was like an unsung hero for a long time,” his granddaughter says. “It’s just good to see him get the recognition he deserves.” In Chapter 3 of “Still Here,” discover how Brown put his tribe back on the map through endurance running, a tradition that goes back centuries in Native American cultures.

Click here to learn more, including videos, photos and digital stories.

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Diane Orson is a special correspondent with Connecticut Public. She is a reporter and contributor to National Public Radio. Her stories have been heard on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Here and Now; and The World from PRX. She spent seven years as CT Public Radio's local host for Morning Edition.