fthe
10
Native Americans speak out
Christina Haworth
Staff Writer
There are approximately 7 Na
tive Americans in our midst who
were raised on the Kuwala Indian
Boundary, otherwise known as the
Cherokee Indian Reservation, who
can give an inside perspective to
life on a reservation in 1992. Their
home is located in Cherokee, North
Carolina. All Native American
students that were asked said that
their lives would have been sig
nificantly different had they not
grown up there.
The Native American Cherokees
at Guilford are: seniors Tara
McCoy and Lori Parker, junior
Connie Huntsmen, second-semes
ter sophomore Sean Ross, and first
year students Shannon and Bran
don McMillan and Tyson
Sampson.
When Native Americans are
spoken of, even in today's culture,
some people still tend to associate
them with teepees and tomahawks.
B y talking with them, however it is
easy to see that their lives are not
like the movies.
"Cherokee has two sides to it,"
said Shannon McMillan. "One side
is a tourist town: the other is for
year-round residents. A lot of tra
ditional Indian things can be seen
What's in a name?
Alex Stoesen
Special to the Cullfordlan
Ever wonder about the origins
of the names of buildings around
campus? Take "Duke Memorial
Hall," for instance.
It seems only appropriate to ask
why we don't get rid of that name,
and place on it the name of the
person James B. and Benjamin N.
Duke intended to memorialize with
the building their sister, Mary
Elizabeth Lyon. (Her portrait,
strangely not vandalized and in
tact, is on the first floor across
from the elevator.)
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Brandon McMillan, Lori Parker, Tyson Sampson, Connie
Huntsman, Shannon McMillon, and Tara McCoy
in the tourist parts. For example,
when you first enter the res' you
can see teepees and sometimes ste
reotypical clothing such as head
dresses and moccasins being sold.
Although some people may think
it, I do not make spear heads for a
living. My town is in ways just like
many others. Many kids work at
McDonalds. We are not sheltered
form the rest of the world, and we
do not need passes to leave or
The structure should really have
been named Lyon Memorial Hall,
but, in its original version, only the
words "Memorial Hall" were
placed above the east entrance.
Perhaps it was too much in the gay
nineties to give Mary Elizabeth
that much recognition. Unfortu
nately, she didn't get any recogni
tion in the 1960's either, when, in
the forlorn hope for tapping fur
ther Duke :ss, the college ap
plied the current name to the reno
vated building.
(I' 11 never forget my am usemen t,
when, at the dedication, and in the
presence of some of the Duke de
Features
come and there are certainly no
border guards."
Shannon's twin brother, Bran
don McMillan, commented, "We
don't live in teepees. We live in a
brick house and have cars just like
any other American family."
The reservation is set up so that
the town of Cherokee is the center
of it all. and other smaller commu
nities branch off from it. "It's kind
of like a small city that has sub-
scendants, the Quaker luminary D,
Elton Trueblood recalled that the
original building had been known
once as the "ugliest building in the
stale." Actually, having once been
the dean of this college, Trueblood
knew better, since the original Cox
Hall was far uglier.)
In the 1890's, the Duke brothers
specifically forbade the use of their
name on the building fearing that
such publicity would only bring
more money-seekers to their doors.
They clearly intended it as a me
morial to their sister. Unfortu
nately, that is not what has hap
pened.
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Photo by Carl Beehlcr
urbs," said Shannon. Brandon re
marked, "There is a big sense of
community, a lot of bonds are
formed. It is pretty easy to tell who
are the natives and who are the
tourists because it's a small enough
place that basically everybody
knows everybody."
When Shannon graduated as
valedictorian of his class he was in
the town paper. "Not everybody
knew that I was going to Guilford,
but quite a few did. Cherokee is a
small place."
There are a lotof pride and bonds
rooted into the Cherokee commu
nity. "When I'm away from the
reservation I miss the closeness
that I share with my family and
friends. I think from living on the
reservation I formed a lotof strong
bonds and values," said Lori
Parker. "A lot of pride is focused
on sports. We are very proud of our
athletes," said Tara McCoy.
Some people believe that there
is a lot of drinking on reservations.
Brandon McMillan thoughtfully
responded, "The drinking problem
on the res' is no bigger than it is
anywhere else. It is just noticed
more for the simple reason that we
are Indians and a stereotype for
drunkenness is cast on us."
Shannon commented, "The
number of violent crimes is defi-
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Skcember 11 1992
nitely less on the res' than else
where."
Their native tongue, traditional
costumes, and dancing are still part
of the community. "It's not that big
of a deal, but some people, espe
cially the older folks, still go to
powwows and follow them nation
ally. There is a really big powwow
in New Mexico called The Gather
ing of The Nations. I've been to
some, and participated in a few
exhibitions for the public, but I've
never worn a feather in my hair.
Most of the Indian movies are set
in the 1800s', we are not like that
anymore," said Shannon.
"I am proud to be an Indian."
said Tyson Sampson. "I like to
greet people with the Indian Greet
ing, Shi-yo. I am a full-blooded
Indian. We are alive, we are noth
ing of the past, I have my culture
and my pride. My pride has been
formed by the older generation,
and the pride will live forever. I'm
in college for myself, and for my
people. They need me and what
ever I do with my life, I want to
glorify my people and hold them
up and in some form or fashion to
thank them for allowing me to be
who I am."
Shannon concluded, "I'm proud
to be an Indian but also proud to be
an American."