^^^?THC h A mSI&S?m1C^M*M
W^m c^Mmllnau ndian^ilJoices M
PUBLISHED Efihi THURSDAY ,Qo >~ _
IrosT omcE BO.x ims i { I: *c. lf/is%i jF1***01^ W-C- 2>372 ,|
VOLUME It NUMBER M 25c PGR QOPY % ^f ^<T THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 1983
- ? T'"'~TT ' v"r'
A Carolina Indian Voice Front Page Editorial
RETURN OF CLYBURN PINES, J
COUNTRY CLUB AREAS 1
SIMPLY A PARTIAL PAYMENT OF
A LONG STANDING DEB T I
BY LUMBERTON CITY SCHOOLS <
1
I've reed a lot of media wringing of the
hands lately about the travails of the
residents of the Clyburn Pines, Country
Club areas who have been returned to
the Robeson County School System from
which they were unlawfully taken
approximately 12 years ago. There have
been administrative problems, inconven
iences caused by all parties concerned. It
has sometimes been unpleasant but
always necessary.
As I see it, the return of Clyburn Pines
and Country Club areas to the county
system from which they were unlawfully
taken is simply just a case of a partial
payment of a long standing debt. It is
sort of like if a man owed you a dollar and
decided to pay you 45 cents on that debt.
Would you not take the 45 cents and still
hold the debtor responsible for the 55
cents still left unpaid?
Now there is talk of merger in the
county. Maybe. But a lot would depend
on how the minorities were treated in the
transitional period. Who would be the J
superintendent of a system encom>~|
passing the whole county? That would bd
an important question that would need to J
be answered beforehand. History shown
that Indians have always been short?
changed educationally in the past.'!
Ideally, total merger is the answer to/
the educational woes of the county. No ?
doubt about it. But who would run such A'
system? How could Indians and Bladm*
and Whites be assured of equal rep
resentation? Who could make that kind;
of decision? Could our provincial and
racial notions be put aside long enough.
to do what is right for all the children of
the county? History shouts "NO!" and
"Be wary, Indians!" ?
The fact is that no one that I know of
has excused Barker Ten Miles and
Lakewood Estates from being returned to
the county system. The educational
chickens are coming home to roost in 01*
Robeson. Their turn is coming, make no
mistake about it. But let's remember ,
what happened and why. N*"One can
reasonably know where He is going if he
does not know where he has been.
The fact is that the Lumberton City
Schools was found guilty as charged for
unlawfully annexing three areas. Barker
Ten Miles, Lakewood Estates, and
Clyburn Pines and Country Club into the
city system more than a decade ago. The
illegal annexations were effected in order
to escape the implementation of the 1970
desegregation plan imposed by HEW,
and to buttress up misconceived notions
of racial superiority.
Lumberton, wnen caiiea on uie carpet
recently by the justice department, and
found guilty of breaking the 1965 Voting
Rights Act, decided to return Clybum
Pines and Country Gub area to "THe
county. Their hope is that they will be
allowed to keep Barker Ten Mile and
Lakewood Estates for having done so. As
I see it, they will not be allowed to do so.
The county board of education's position
was to accept the partial payment of a
long standing debt. They said, in es
sence, "Yes, we will take Gyburn Pines
and Country Gub area back into the
system from which they were unlawfully
taken but you (the Lumberton City
Schools) still owe us Barker Ten Mile and
Lakewood Estates." There the matter
stands.
That is why some folks now are
lamenting and wringing their hands
about merger. The legal hand writing is
on the wall.
So, of course, total merger of the
duplicitous five school systems in
Robeson is the answer but not by the
educational rape of the Robeson County
School^System, the aggrieved party in
this nutter.
The lobeaawbu and I almost agree on
the need for merger--almost. The
Isbsmlsi seems to want to forget (or
pretend it never happened) the past. The
Csriina hdks Voice wants the illegal
annexations remembered so that It never
happens again.
Vernon Bellecourt
Reports on Travels
To South America
Vernon BeDecourt, one of the founders
of the American Indian Movement, was
recently ift At.MM U? present his
(Mings if a recent (our to CeutfeT
America; as a guest of die Nicaraguan
government. Bellecourt appeared at
Lumbee Regional Development Asso
ciation (LRDA) and showed slides taken
in the troubled region and shared what
he found there.
BeDecourt, now 51, is an articulate
spokesman for oppressed people gen
erally and Indian people specifically. He
still considers the American Indian
Movement a "viable movement" al
though their strategy has changed
somewhat over the years. The movement
is more spiritual and mobile now. They
go where they are needed and, in many
ways, have become a national advocacy
group for Indians.
While in the area he stayed with Kever
Locklear, a leader of the Tuscarora
movement in Robeson County. He
bridges many ideological camps in the
Indian world, refusing to "play the
game" of those who fight over names
like Lumbee and Tuscarora and non
federal versus federal Indian recog
nition. He likes to go where he is needed
and is comfortable in any camp. He is a
great admirer of Kever Locklear and
respects his "unswerving commitment."
BeDecourt, who was involved in the _
Prospect School dispute in the early '70s,
considers that a turning point in Indian
affairs in Robeson County.
Still, he made the seconding motion a
couple of years ago when Lumbee
Regional Development Association was
accepted into NCAI (National Congress
of American Indians) after earlier being
rejected. He remembers that "I took
some heat for it but 1 believe they had a
right to join..."
A Chippewa, or Ojibwe, from the
White Earth Reservation in Minnesota,
Be He court was appalled at what he found
while it} Central America. He accuses the
Am erica ri government of
holocaust," "the longest holocaust"
because of their involvement in the
abuse, relocation and killing of Miskito,
Sumu, Creole and Rama Indians of
Nicarauga and the rest of Central
America. He saw evidence of the CIA
there and laments that the mistreatment
continues "at this very moment, at an
alarming rate, in these countries."
Bellecourt is not afraid to chastise
America. "America should be the last
country to try to embarrass another
..."because of the lamentable record of
mistreating the Indian Nations within
Her own borders. Bellecourt speaks with
authority because his Indian tribe more
correctly calls themselves " Anishinabe"
-The Original People.
Contrary to media reports in America,
Bellecourt found that the San din is tan
Revolutionary government that ousted
the hated Somoza regime was instituting
progressive reform among the Indian
populace and was attemping to respect
the sovereignty of the Miskito, Summa.
Rama and the other indiginous Indian
people within the Nicaraguan borders.
Bellecourt declares, "the U.S. Gov
ernment has declared economic war
against Indians and they need to be
challenged. We have a very difficult time
ahead of us." *
And Vernon Bellecourt is going about
the country attempting to rouse the
Indian people wherever he finds them
because "1 have a moral obligation to tell
the story of the plight of Central
American Indians." And he never
forgets to remind America of her moral
obligation to treat the American Indian
with respect and dignity too.
' l" '"VV* ' >" ?; T""! V
Ym IdHMrt n^i t. ,hni, wkh
vUl AB ft# WML
J*^
coiMcnowi v? iiii i ii it n i
Ml ?f Sot* DM1 m if m?< hi
Qtm w ? fwaknl* fltat* m
named to
Indian Board
?i . *'a
Dr. June* B. Chavis of Pembroke
State University has been elected to the
Board of Directors of the Society for the
Preservation of American Indian Culture
Dr. Chavto was cboeen tot Ms oetstand
. tag educations] leadership and service to
? Indian people. He haa been active in the
national Indian programs of SPA1C. i
SPAK is dedicated to preserving
IndUa calturs through Economic Devel
opment, self-sufficiency and public <
'"'DTamviswM serve ae an educettooal
'and economic consultant for SlAK. He
wW alto icrvc on thn progri^cwninlttff
P ?! " "
I DIAL TENURE AS COMMISSIONER REMEMBERED
Appreciation Banquet Sat. Night
at Old Foundry Restaurant _ ^ ?
L> ?? A t " ?
' Herman Dial
by Conaee Braybay
Looking through the eyes of experien
ce, there are those who believe that the
recent defeat of Herman Dial as County
Commission ?as in a sense the end of an
era. That era spanned 16 yean and is
. considered one of the most progressive
periods in the annals of Robeson Indian
history. In 1966 Herman Dial was
elected for his first term as County
Commissioner for the Pembroke- Smiths
Maxton District. Dial defeated incum
bant Tracy Sampson, who was the fint
Indian to be elected commissioner.
W **?? WUlie OnendiM of the Sartrtta
tree area is one of those who look
through the eyes of experience. He
recalls those troubled times prior to and
immediately after the election of Dial.
OXENDINE'S STORY
"As a race of people, the Indians of
Robeson County have made some
tremendous strides. Granted, progress
for us has always been relatively slow.
There are many reasons for that. I'm
sure we don't have to rehash those. We
.are all aware of the oppression of our
people. Suffice it to say that the most
significant changes for the better for us
have really developed over the past two
decades.
We have always been an industrious
people. We've always been interested
and involved in things happening around
us. In 1965 many of we Indians
supported Dan K. Moore for Governor.
Following that election an organization
was formed. Although we did not
formally name the organization, we
met regularly to discuss and evaluate the
plight of our people. There were seven of
us who met often. Among us was
represented each area of Robeson
County-South, North, East and West.
Evolving from these meetings was the
decision to run Herman Dial as a
candidate for Commissioner. This deci
sion was made by these men whom 1 still
believe to be, men of vision. We felt that
after analyzing the condition and lack of
growth among Indians, that progress
could be made through political chan
nels. The office of commissioner was
decided upon because of the age- old
adage that "He who controls the
finances of a people, controls their
destiny."
During those early years of the 1960s.
Tracy Sampson was the only elected
official among the Indians. Dial was
chosen as a candidate because he was
considered the most electable person we
had at the time. We felt that be would do
whatever was in the best interests of
Indians in particular and the county in
general. We felt that we couldn't go
wrong with a candidate who was
personable and always willing and eager
to learn whatever skills were required to
bring about significant change in the
county.
After sixteen years, 1 still feel that 4
strongly about Herman Dial's potential,
ability and intentions. That is not to say,
of course, that I've always agreed with
everything he has done, but I've never
doubted his motives.
During the early years of Dial's
service, the commissioners met in a
small room in the Robeson County Court
House. These meetings were held in
such a small area that people were
usually discouraged from attending.
There were many times during Dial's
first years as commissioner thit he could
a second to a motion, let jjone ?t
a motion carried. Those were really
distressing times for all of us. Dial was
an aggressive commissioner. He did not 1
hesitate to bring attention to those things
he felt were morally wrong. Because he
was never hesitant to speak, he was sort
of looked upon by the other commission
ers as totally different from the way they
had visualized Indians. Herman Dial
certainly broke out Of the stereotype of
passiveness. These feelings, I believe,
contributed greatly to his inability to
garner support for anything from the
other commissioners.
Eventually, however, things began to
change slowly but surely. In 1968 the
voters of Robeson County changed two of
the county commissioners. In 1970 they
voted for one new person. In 1972 the
voters in the Red Springs District elected
Bobby Dean Locklear and in 1974 J.W.
Hunt was elected to represent the
Rowland Disrict. As new faces began to
be elected. Dial became more and more
sure of himself- experience and determi
anation on his part produced confidence
and friendship on the part of the other
commissioners. And slowly things began
to happen. In a matter of months, Dial
found himself changed from a member of
a board who couldn't receive a second to
a motion, to a viable force on the
Robeson County Board of Commission
ers.
With the combined talents of Dial,
Locklear and Hunt, things began to
improve politically for Indians. Their
efforts, along with other members,
resulted in Dial becoming the first Indian
to serve as Chairman of the Robeson
County Board of Commissioners in July
1978. He held that position until
December 1981.
Under his capable leadership, Kobe
son County has undergone some tre
mendous changes in areas where Indians
before had little or no input. For
instance, during several years of his
service, an Indian served as Chairman
of the Robeson County Department of
Social Services; another served as
Chairman of the Robeson County De
partment of Health; the Robeson County
Board of Commissioners had an Indian
Chairman; as did the Robeson County
Board of Education; and the Chairman of
the Robeson County Board of Elections is
Indian.
During his years of service we have
experienced radial changes in the
employment situation also.
I recall that in 1969 I visited the
Department of Soda) Services, along
with Herman Dial. During this visit, Dial
asked for a racial breakdown
of the employees in that department. We
learned that two Indians, one Black and -
5 Whites were employed there. It was an
unbelievable comparison. Since that
time. Dial has attempted to and has
accomplished through his efforts an
equitable racial breakdown- not only hi
that department but also in all county
wide employment. When I think about
his accomplishments, I am always
reminded of the racial breakdown of
employees in the Robeson County Court
House, then and now. I consider myself
fortunate to have lived long enough to
see fair and equal employment oppor
tunities for all races in Robeson County.
*2?* services todw,
employes 158 people ahd racially all
three races are equally represented. W
You know of course that Herman Dial
served as chairman of the Social Services
Board of Directors for six years. During
his tenure in that position, the employ
ment situation became racially equal. He
was the first Indian to serve as chairman
of that board.
You will notice as I relate this story
that most major accomplishments for
Indians has been directly or indirectly
attributed to Herman Dial. I tell our story
on this theme because I know these facts
to be true. Without telling my age, let me
say that I have lived longer than some
and not as long as others. But I've lived
long enough to know where are came
from as a people. And I know for a
certainty that Herman Dial has been the
catlyst around which we have begun to
climb politically, educationally, socially
and in many other ways. Did I forget to
say economically? We've progressed
during his tenure economically also. The
loss of Herman Dial as a representative
in county government is the greatest loss
we've experienced in my life time. It
was a great loss to his District and the
County, but an even greater loss to the
the Indian cause of reaching our
potential as citizens in our county. I can't
help but add that 1t is probably a Rain to
his family who have been neglected in a
way because so much of his time has
been demanded by our needs. He is the
most unselfish person I've known. We've
accomplished goals and realized
potentials as a people at great personal
sacrifice to Herman Dial. And 1 am
CONTINUED ON PAGE 1
New policy
on military
funerals from
Pembroke VFW
Post 2843
The Pembroke VFW Poet 2843 'has
taken the following action relative to
military service for fnnerala, according to
Bobby D. Locklear, Post Commander.
The Poet will no longer perform
military rite* at fnnerala for non
members. This action was agreed npon
by a. vote of the general membership
recently.
cause the majority of oar membets have
obligations to jobs, it has become almost
impossible to f>'?I enough members who
can take time off from their employment
to attend all the funerals we are
^ .... m rn OM J a - ,? ?? ee
retjuciwa to serve on.
Commander Lcbklear continued. "We
* sincerely regret that we wH no loqpr
persona who ere net members of the
: Pembroke VFW Feet 2843."
^The Pembroke VFW Ime in eiowe rf
obtained Post Commander
Marcos & Elizabeth Dial
Descendants Gather. ???