Editorial And
?
Opinion Page
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Bruce Barton
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Thanks for your expressions of concern
Dozens of you contacted me in the last few days and expressed
concern about my spiritual welfare following my last column in
which I lamented about some of my spiritual dilemmas. I want to
say. emphatically, that my spiritual laments and disappointments
are due. in large measure, to my being spiritually offended by a
small number of people, not Jesus! My soul is well and my
eternal preparations have been made, but I am touched by your
expressions of concern. Spiritual matters are the most important
issues facing man, and lying about it seems fruitless and without
reward. After all, God himself knows our every thought and if we
are disconcerted we might as well come clean and tell it.
But my sister, Connee, accuses me of being a wee bit maudlin.
It might be so, but I care deeply about spiritual matters: afterall,
our eternal life depends upon it. Anyway, I am not offended by
your prayers nor your expressions of concern. The outpourings,
instead, buttress and encourage me on every hand. Thanks!
Best wishes to
Coach Kelvin Sampson &
the Oklahoma Sooners Basketball Team
NORMAN,OKLAHOMA-Best wishes to Pembroke native and Coach
Kelvin Sampson and the Oklahoma Sooners as they recently won the
prestigious Big 12 Conference tournament, advancing to the National
NCAA Men i Basketball tournament. The Sooners had to beat Missouri,
Kansas ands Taxas to win the torunament. They open play in the
NCAA tournament Friday night (March 16) in the Pyramid Arena in
Memphis, Tenn. in the South Regionals against Indiana State. Time to
be announced The Sooners (26-6) are looking good right now, inspite
some internal problems that led Coach Sampson to suspend his point
guard JR- Raymond for unspecified team and school infractions going
into the conference tournament. Go Sooners! We '11 have results
next week We like Coach Sampson a lot because he believes following
the rules applies to everyone, including his star point guard Viclories
are sweeter and have more meaning when they are won by working
hard and following the rules.
The Healing Force to perform
at local church and school
North Carolina performing artists
The Healing Force will perform
at Jones Chapel Missionary Baptist
Church at 7:00 PM; Wednesday,
March 28. Admission to this
performance is free and the public
is invited.
Founded in 1975 by Joseph and
Gail Anderson, who acted with the
African Folkloric Troupe and studied
with the National Black Theater
on New York. The Healing
Force began full-time professional
work in 1990. Since then they have
traveled and performed throughout
the country. The Winston-Salem
based group will perform a program
featuring singing, music, and
story-telling, with audience participation.
According to Mr. John
Staton, "We are delighted to host
this event and we hope to have a
good audience. The public can expect
a lively, entertaining and inspiring
production for the entire
family."
In addition to this public performance,
the-group will also conduct
a school residency at the Red
Springs Middle School. Red
Springs Arts Council President,
John Bowman, notes, "That The
Healing Force's school programs
are designed to encourage positive
behavior, creative opportunities
and enrich the school curriculum."
This project received support from
the North Carolina Arts Council,
and agency funded by the state of
North Carolina and the National
Endowment for the Arts. For additional
information, call 843-5248
or 843-2427.
The Carolina Indian Voice
Published each Thursday in Pembroke, N.C. by
First American Publications
. The first issue of the weekly newspaper, The Carolina Indian
Voice was published on January 17, 1973, by then editor,
owner and founder, Bruce Barton with a $500 personal loan.
It has a proud history of continuous publication, having never
missed an issue since its inception. Bruce's sister, Connee
Brayboy, the current editor, is the only person to have
enjoyed full-time employment since the newspaper's inception.
A brother, Garry Lewis Barton came to work full-time
in 1973 and ended his affiliation with the newspaper in 1985;
its founder, Bruce Barton left to further his education shortly
thereafter. Another brother, Ricky Barton, has been affiliated
on a part-time basis with the newspaper since its inception.
For the first time in years, the four siblings are reunited
and dedicated to publishing the best newspaper humanly
possible.
Connee Brayboy ... Editor
T ?
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1 1 1 T ' . " " "
Mong n^fie H(p6eson Trait
by Dr. Stan Knick, Director, UNCP Native American Resource Center
'
Human beings are an adaptive
lot. Generally when they are
| presented with a challenge and given
enough time to deal with it. they are
capable of coming up with an
adaptation to suit their needs.
Inventions such as the bow and arrow,
agriculture and ceramics are examples
of adaptations made by ancient people
in many lands, including the ancestors
of today's Native Americans. The list
of adaptations made throughout
prehistory and history by Native
Americans is virtually endless.
One Native American adaptation
which has not received a lot of
attention is Indian Sign Language,
also known as Plains Sign Language.
In the vast area of the great plains and
eastern plateau there lived many
different groups of Native people.
Although in some ways their
respective traditional cultures were
somewhat similar, their languages
were extremely diverse. Notonlywere
there different languages (including
Lakota, Pawnee, Arapaho, Kiowa.
Crow, Shoshone, Cheyenne and
others), but also entirely different
language families (including
Algonkian, Caddoan, Kiowan,
ShoshoneanandSiouan). Meanwhile
these people did not live in isolation,
but came into regular contact with
each other in the conduct of trade and
political alliances.
I
Because there was so much
linguistic diversity, there was a
profound need for the development
of ways to communicate across
language barriers. Over time the people
jointly developed a language using
gestures instead of spoken words to
carry on the necessary business. If
one of these Indian nations had been
consistently able to dominate the
others, sign language might not have
been necessary. In the course of
human history, dominated nations
frequently have been compelled to
learn the language of dominant
nations. But where there was a
relative balance of power as on the
plains and eastern plateau, some other
adaptation had to be made to meet the
linguistic challenge of how to talk to
strangers.
Enter Indian Sign Language.
Anyone could leant to use it. Words
which were difficult to pronounce and
sounds which were hard to make from
other languages could be avoided.
Many signs could be used that simply
looked like the object or action they
were meant to represent (these are
called "iconic" signs). Signs which
were widely and repeatedly used by
members of various nations became
permanent parts of the language.
Eventually the language became
so complex that even subtle
conversations involving irony and
humor could be enjoyed.
When the Spaniard Coronado
"explored" the southern plains in the
early 1540s, he saw Native people
using sign language. Countless other
explorers and settlers observed Indian
Sigh Language in use; some of them
even learned to make use of the
language themselves.
Sign language was not only
used between nations, but also
within nations. The use of signs was
a common part of ordinary
communication, where signs added
emphasis and subtle meanings to
stories and public speeches. In the
twentieth century it is especially in
the realms of storytelling and religious
ceremony that sign language has
survived. Elders in the Assiniboin,
Blackfeet, Crow and Northern
Cheyenne (among other) nations still
use Indian Sign Language, and some
are even re-introducing sign language
instruction to their younger members.
What began as a adaptation to
communicate with strangers has
evolved into a way to keep traditional
Indian culture alive.
For more information, visit the
Native American Resource Center in
historic Old Main Building, on the
campus of The University of North
Carolina at Pembroke (our Internet
address is www.uncp.edu/
nativemuseum).
I
Jonathan Nicholas Chavis with his Brazil friends.
Returning with honor
How far would someone go for something they believed in? Do you think
they would be willing to leave everything they hold dear behindL.their family, their
friends, and their life, as they knew it. just for the sake of something they felt was
a righteous cause? Well that was the choice twenty-one year old Jonathan
Nicholas Chavis, a native of Robeson County, chose to make two years ago.
Jonathan, the son of Herman and Connie Chavis, was sent to the beautiful and
historical lands of England to serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Now, two years have passed and Jonathan has finally arrived home to the
appraising arms of his family and friends. Yes, much is different about the young
lad, (a bit of England's lingo) but to all, it appears as though he has changed for the
better and became a young man that is finally at peace with himself. Jonathan has
said this of his mission:
"Serving a mission for the Lord has been the greatest experience in my life. My role as a
missionary was to bring souls closer to Christ, through serving and teaching them the gospel of Jesus
Christ. It was a privilege to serve others and see their life change for the better. 1 love this work with all
my heart and know that this is what God wanted me do. Although I put my education on hold for two years
I do not feel my quest for knowledge went lacking. While on my mission, I was able to gain a greater
knowledge of myself and others, the purpose of life, and most importantly a greater testimony of Jesus
Christ. These two years have been the greatest two years of my life, and I will always treasure the
experience of serving a mission for the Lord.
As far as the future is concerned, 1 will be attending Brigham Young University (BYU) in
Utah this summer. My plans are to pursue a career in the medical field. I know if I rely on the Lord in all I
do I can accomplish much more than I ever expected."
Jonathan was one of over 60,000 missionaries serving worldwide for The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you would like to know more
concerning the church and their teachings, you may contact the local missionaries
at (910) 521-2612.
k ?&?& ?. . ! /*>+x-iCO. /It iC ?*?* ,
Jonathan Nicholas Chavis with his South African family.
\C Back to
ileep Campaign
3egins in State
H4LEIGH? Child care providers
and private sitters can play a critical
role in reducing the risk of Sudden
Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
by placing infants on their backs
when sleeping, according to the
N.C. Back to Sleep Campaign.
Babies who sleep on their stomachs
are five times more likely to
die of SIDS, the leading cause of
infant death from I month to 1 year
of age. In 1998. six infants died of
SIDS in North Carolina while being
cared for outside the home, either
in a child care setting or with
a private sitter. Nationwide, 20 percent
of all SIDS deaths occur in
child care settings, according to a
recent study.
This month, the Back to Sleep
Campaign working with the N.C.
Outdoor Advertising Association,
will sponsor 60 billboards across
the state to call attention to the
"Stomach to Play ...Back to Sleep"
message. The billboards will appear
in counties'with some of the
highest SIDS rates, including
Brunswick, Cleveland,
Cumberland, Forsyth, Guilford,
Johnston, Mecklenburg,
McDowell, Scotland, and Wake.
"All care givers- child care providers,
grandparents, baby-sittersshould
be aware that putting infants
to sleep on their backs for naps and
at night significantly reduces the
rusk of SIDS," Christine O'Meara,
campaign coordinator, said. "Parents
who use this safe sleep practice
at home must ensure that infants
are consistently placed on
their backs to sleep when they are
away from home."
Recent studies show that the risk
for SIDS increases 18 to 20 times
when infants, accustomed to sleeping
on their backs at home, are
placed on their stomachs to sleep
in other child care settings. Research
reported in Pediatrics, the
Academy of Pediatrics journal, also
found that the majority of SIDS
deaths outside the home occurred
when infants were sleeping on their
stomachs, although they were accustomed
to sleeping .on their
backs.
Nearjy 100 babies die of SIDS each
year in North Carolina. In addition
to sleep position, O'Meara said a
smoke-free environment, a firm
crib mattress, and a crib without
pillows, soft blankets or toys also
can help reduce the risk of SIDS.
The Back to Sleep Campaign is
coordinated by the N.C. Healthy
Start Foundation in conjunction
with the N.C. Division of Public
Health, Women's and Children's
Health Section. More information
about reducing the risk of SIDS is
available by calling the bilingual
N.C. Family Health Resource Line
at 1 -800-FOR-BABY ( 1-800-3672229)
or visiting
www.nchealthystart.org
In the
Armed
Forces
Army Master Sgt. Stephen Gibbs
has retired from the U.S. Army after
20 years of military service
Prior to retiring, Gibbs was assigned
to the 512th Quartermaster
?Sa,GHaUmerArmyA,rrielCt
Gibbs is the son of Christine Gibbs
of Mayberry Lane, Shannon, N.C.
i 1nomarricd ,0 Mitzi E- Gibbs.
In 1981 he graduated from Magnolia
High School, Lumberton,
N.c. He received a degree in 1990
from Central Texas College,
Killeen, Texas.
Amy Pvt. Clifton C. Oxendine has
graduated from basic combat trainmg
at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
.ring the training, the soldier received
instruction and practice in
drill and ceremony, marching, rifle
marksmanship, armed and unarmed
combat, map reading, field
acnes, military courtesy, military
Physical fitness, first aid,
and Army history and traditions.
nfViV?e son of Edwinna Jacobs
of41 ]I Preston Road, Maxton, N.C
XSIm * iS a?2000 8raduate of
brX N C ^ Sch001' PemProspect
Kindergraden
Registration
scheduled
Prospect School Kindergarten registration
will be held on Tuesday,
April 3, 2001. The hours will be
from g.OOam. to 12:30 p.m. in the
Media Center. Parents need to
bring a certified birth certificate,
original shot records and Social
Security number to the school.
Native American Students should
also have their Tribal registration
information. Your child should be
5 years old by October 16.
Applications will also be available
for Pre-K registration.
Parents are not required to bring
their children.
Lumberton Junior
High PTO to meet
at Open House
Lumberton Junior High P.T.O. will
meet at 7:00 P.M.. Monday, March
26th. OPEN HOUSE will be held
from 7:30- 8::30 P.M.. All parents
are urged to attend
gMvmwiviaiairMftt
FREE DIABETIC
SUPPLIES!
tYtmrrou ooutrr mJKTiHsuuHi
1-888-808^8774
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Lumberton Junior
Advisory Council to
meet March 28
Lumberton Junior High School's
Advisory Council meeting will be
held on Monday, March 26th at
5:00 P.M.