Thursday, October 21, 1976
UP FROM DUST AND DARKNESS
—By Lew Barton—
j
Chapter 2: INDIANS OF
NORTHCASOLINA [Coat.]
Legal technicalities and sub
tleties have created two di
stinct groups of American
Indians, one group “GI” and
the other not; and because of
this, a good many people are
and have always been sincere
ly confused as to who is an
Indian and who is not. Right
here inNorth Carolina, for
example, only one group, the
Cherokee of mountainous
western North Carolina are
federally recognized in the
sense that they are enumerat
ed by the Bureau of Indian
Affairs which holds in trust
their lands (which make up
their Federal Reservation.)
“Reservation Indians,” or
“federally-recognized In
dians,” have some advantages
that non-reservation Indians,
such as the Indians of Robeson
and surrounding counties _pf
North Carolina, have not.
For example, the Federal
Government, through HEW, is
responsible for their health
and education.
But not even the Bureau of
Indian Affairs in Washington,
D. C. would dare say there are
no Indians other than the
Cherokee in North Carolina. In
fact, here’s exactly what the
BIA DOES say about non
reservation Indians in the
State of North Carolina (as
borrowed from its book entitl
ed, Indians of North Carolina
tp.71.
OTHER INDIAN GROUPS
Indians other than the
Cherokee live in North Caro
lina but they are without a
special relationship to the Fed
eral Government. These inclu
de an estimated 31,000 Lum-
bee Indians who live in
Robeson and adjoining coun
ties, 2,000 Haliwa Indians in
Halifax and Warren Counties,
an estimated 2,000 Indians in
Waccamaw communities in
Columbus and Brunswick
Counties, and an estimated
3,000 Coharie Indians in Sam
pson and adjoining Counties.
Questions concerning these
groups should be addressed to
the Executive Director, North
Carolina Commission of Indian
Affairs, Lumbee Regional De
velopment Association, P. 0.
Box 637, Pembroke, North
Carolina 28372.
It is a strange and ironic
situation, is it not? The
“special relationship” spoken
of by the BIA, often hinges
upon whether or not a state of
war ever existed between a
particular Indian group and
the U. S. Government, for
example. Or it may be based
upon some special treaty be
tween the United States and
that particular tribe, signed in
an effort to stave off impend
ing war. Whatever the basis
for BIA recognition, however,
these were all individual
agreements between the Unit
ed States and one single
group, as a rule. There were
several thousand of these
treaties in all; and according to
U. S. Indian Gaims Commis
sioner Brantley Blue, every
single one of them has been
broken somewhere along the
line. So maybe in some ways,
we are better off because we
have no such treaty. At least
we are not under BIA domin
ation, and can do whatever we
please with our own lands,
those among us who are
fortunate enough to have
them. On the other hand,
there are those among us who
have no such lands; and they
could be expected to favor
reservation life. One hitch
there, according to the U. S.
Department of the Interior, is
that we have no lands suitable
for reservations.
In a very real sense, how
ever, the Lumbee Indians of
North Carolina ARE recogniz
ed by the Federal Government
and at a level even higher than
the U. S. Department of the
Interior and its Bureau of
Indian Affairs. We are recog
nized as Indians by both the
General Assembly of North
Carolina AND the Congress of
the United States. Such recog
nition as it is, that is.
In An Act Relating To The
Lumbee Indians of North
Carolina, passed by the Con
gress of the United States
June 7,-1956, the highest and
greatest lawmaking body in
the world lauds us and ap
plauds us for out splendid
history, oficially designates us
as Indians, but then quickly
speaks out of the other side of
its mouth, saying that “noth
ing in this act” is to be
construed as meaning that we
shall have any consideration
whatever “because of their
status as Indians.” Talk about
Indian-glvlng! Here is proba
bly the most wretched case of
it in American historyl In this
case, the Congress of the
United States not only practic
ed discrimination on the basis
of race, or more precisely, a
minute segment of a race, but
also made its discrimination
the law of the land. Should not
Congress also obey its own
laws, especially when it is
creating a new law? We don’t
even have the same rights as
other non-recognized tribes,
not if some department of the
Federal Goverment such as
ONAP really wanted to make
an issue of the matterl
This controberial law of the
land reads as follows:
Public Law 570-84th Congress
Chapter 375-2nd Session
H.R. 4656
An Act Relating to the Lumbee
Indians of North Carolina
Whereas many Indians now
living in Robeson and adjoin
ing counties are descendants
of that once large and pros
perous tribe which occupied
the lands along the Lumbee
River at the time of the earl
dest white set tiements in that
section; and
Whereas at the time of their
first contacts with the colonists
these Indians were a well-
established and distinctive
people living in European-type
houses in settled towns and
communities, owning slaves
and livestock, tilling the soil,
and practicing many of the arts
and crafts of European civili
zation; and
Whereas by reason of tribal
legend, coupled with a di
stinctive appearance and
manner of speech and the
frequent recurrence among
them of family names such as
Oxendine, Locklear, Chavis,
Drinkwater. Bullard, Lowery,
Sampson, and others, also
found on the roster of the
earliest English settlements,
these Indians may, with con
siderable show of reason, trace
their origin to an admixture of
colonial blood with certain
coastal tribes of Indians; and
Whereas these people are
naturally and understandably
proud of their heritage, and
desirous of establishing their
social status and preserving
their racial history: Now,
therefore.
Be It enacted by the Senate
and House of Representatives
of the United States of Ameri
ca in Congress assembled.
That the Indians now residing
in Robeson and adjoining
counties of North Carolina,
originally found by the first
white settlers on the Lumbee
River in Robeson County, and
claiming joint descent from
remnants of early American
colonists and certain tribes of
Indians originally inhabiting
the coastal regions of North
Carolina, shall, from and after
the ratification of this Act, be
known and designated as
Lumbee Indians of North
Carolina and shall continue to
enjoy all rights, privileges,
and immunities enjoyed by
them as citizens of the State of
North Carolina and of the
United States as they enjoyed
before the enactment of this
Act, and shall continue to be
subject to all the obligations
and duties of such citizens
under the laws of the State of
North Carolina and the United
States. Nothing In this Act
shall make such Indians eligi
ble for any services performed
by the United States for
Indians because of their status
as Indians, and none of the
statutes of the United States
which afiect Indians because
of their status as Indians shall
be applicable to the Lumbee
Indians.
Sec. 2. All laws and parts of
laws in conflict with this Act
are hereby repealed.
Approved June 7,1956.
What’s wrong with this law
specifically? one may ask. Is it
the name, Lumbee? The name
has nothing to do with it. The
following words are what’s
wrong with it: “Nothing in this
Act shall make such Indians
eligible for any services per
formed by the United States
for Indians because of their
status as Indians, and none of
,the statutes of the United
States which affect Indians
because of their status as
Indians shall he applicable to
the Lumbee Indians.”
I don’t like this law because
of that objectionable sentence,
that one sentence alone, which
reduces our status, on purely
legal grounds, below that of
any other Indian tribe in this or
any other state. The offensice,
discriminating words should
be stricken from the law by the
same august body, the United
States Congress, which put
them there. The results and
our status would be the same
under that law if the name was
Sioux, Cherokee, Tuscarora,
Metaponi, Navajo or any other
Indian name, no matter how
steeped in history, I wouldn’t
care if they called me a Biscuit
Indian or an Alfalfa Indians, so
long as they changed the
wording of that law to put us
on an equal footing with all
other non-reservation Indians.
We have tried to get it
changed. First there was the
Jordan Bill, and when he went
out of office and Charlie Rose
became our U. S, Congress
man, he tried to get it
changed, too. Do you know
why they haven’t succeeded in
getting it changed?
Our own people fought
against both attempts to chan
ge the bill. Our own blood
brothers, the Cherokee In
dians, fought us tooth and
nail. The Congress of Ameri
can Indians, which stood by us
so stalwartly during the Save
Old Main campaign, opposed
us in our attempt to gain
simple justice and non-dis
crimination for our people.
Why? The guess I would
venture is pure greed, which
also includes jealousy. We
can’t blame that on “the white
man,” nor “the Black man,”
either. We must lay that
monumental failure at the
doorstep of the Red Man.
Until the administration of
former President Richard M.
Nixon, Watergate notwith
standing, there were abso
lutely no benefits on the
Federal Government level for
any Indians other than the
federally-recognized Indians.
Say whatever else you feel
you must about him, he is the
only President to give the non-
reservation Indian a real sta
tus. He did so by establishing
the Office of Native American
Programs, or ONAP. Some
body won’t like me for saying
so. but the simple historical
. truth is, th$t Nixop did
j more for the Tfiheffcan Indian
than any other President in
history, bar none. He may
have wronged others. But he
blessed us. And honesty com
pels me to say so.
The enemies and ill-wishers
of the American Indians have
always used one sure-fire,
never-fail weapon or strategy
against us. And it has been
more deadly and more devas
tating, in a very real sense,
than even the alleged deliber
ate spreading of small pox
germs among us.-
That formula for our destruc
tion is and has always been
simply this: Set Indian Against
Indian.
The U. S. Department of the
Interior, through its Bureau of
Indian Affairs, the National
Congress of American Indians,
certain Cherokees and others,
has effectively brough that
Indian vs. Indian weapon into
play against us once more. The
Jordan-Rose Bill to rid the
Lumbees of racial discrimina
tion has been defeated to date.
And the law of the land,
PublicLaw570, 84th Congress,
Chapter 375, 2nd Session, H.
R. 4656, still continues to
mak racial discrimination
against the Indians of Robeson
and adjoining counties ofN. C.
not only legal but mandatory,
in its literal interpretation.
Continued next week
New Bethel
Plans
Homecoming
New Bethel Holiness Meth
odist Church, Route 3, Fair
mont, NC. We are celebrating
our seventy-third year as a
church: 1903-1976. You are
invited to come be with us.
Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.
and worship service at 11:00
a.m. Special music for the
morning will include: Ladies
Chorus and Adult Choir of
church, with the pastor deli
vering the morning sermon.
There will be a homecoming
dinner in the fellowship build
ing and on the grounds.
For the evening service we
will feature special music by
home church and invited cho
irs, quarters, ets. (16 groups).
The public is invited to attend
these services Sunday, Oct.
23, along with the members,
former members and former
pastors.
James H. Woods, Pastor
Business
Senninor
Planned
The Economic Development
Project of Lumbee Regional
Development Association, Inc.
will conduct a Business Semi
nar on Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m.
The seminar will be housed at
Pembroke Housing
Authority’s Locklear Court
Community Center-located ad
jacent to Lowery’s Ball Park in
Pembroke. Guest speaker for
this important occasion will be
Mr. Jerry Dodson, Executive
Director of North Carolina
Office of Minority Business
Enterprise.
According to Gary Deese, E.
D. Project Director, the piTrpose
of the seminar will be to
provide minority businessmen
with a spectrum of the many
services that OMBE provides.
OMBE was established to
assist minority owned busi
nesses. OMBE will initiate
programs of financial assis
tance, procurement assistance
and educational/information
services to minorities and
disadvantaged people in North
Carolina.
Mr. Dodson’s presentation
will thoroughly elaborate and
explain what programs OMBE
has in operation: 1) Technical
assistance (planning and re
ferral); Management I guidance
(education and training); 3)
Marker analyzation; 4) Ven
ture capita! (financing); 5)
Contract procurement (local,
state and federal).
In conclusion, all minority
businessmen in Robeson Co
unty are encouraged to attend.
The concepts learned from this
seminar will greatly assist, if
applied, each businessman in
the operation of his respective
business. Hope to see your
there.
Gospel
Page 7, The Carolina Indian Voice
Sing
The Disabled American Ve
terans of Robeson County will
sponsor an annual gospel sing
on Nov. 6, 1976 at the
Pembroke Elementary School.
The Scott Sisters will be
among the featured singers.
The singing begins at 7 p.m.
Admission is $1.50 with chil
dren under 12 and senior
citizens admitted free. Every
one is invited to attend.
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/, statutes or tne uniteOk ^more tor tne American Indian uuc is liivucu lo ancnu. ...» w
VOTE FOR CARNELL LOCKLEAR
ROBESON COUNTY BOARD ‘
OF EDUCATION
FOR THE CHILDREN
Dear Friends:
“The Board of Education is a very
important body because it helps shapes
our leaders of tomorrow. If we have a
strong Board, then we will have strong
leaders in the future. If we have weak
leaders, then our children in turn
become weak.
“I will not tell you I can bring heaven
to the Robeson County Board of
Education because I cannot do that. I
am not going to make promises that I
know I cannot deliver. The platform I
deliver to you I know I can deliver if
given co-operation among other board
members.
“I promise if elected I will work for all
children, all schools, all teachers, all
principals, not just one or two. I will
always be candid with everyone. I will
work very hard to run our schools in a
businesslike manner because our school
system is a business. The board handles
taxpayers’ money and to me. my
friends, that is the most important
factor, to be sure the money is used as it
is intended and nothing else.
“Here is part of my platform:
“(1) To fight for communication be-
tweeen the school board and the
communities because many people in
the comqiunities do not know anything
about their school board and how it
functions.
“(2) A strong affirmative action plan for
the staff and the administration.
(3) Have a good representatfbn of all
races in the department of Administra
tion within the Board of Education.
.”(4) A good qualified Indian Superin-
[tehdent because 60 percent of the
enrollment is Indian; twenty percent is
Black apd twenty percent is white.
”(5) Better utilization of the Indian
Education Act monies. Example: Speci
al programs for students with special
talents. In doing this we can help to
develop creative talents that our
children have.
”(6) Teach our youngsters about their
heritage. Example: Go to the state
board of education to fight to get our
heritage taught in our schools.
”(7) Be sure and fight to see that all
schools are accredited by proper
agencies.
”(8) Fight to see that all schools are on
the same standards.
”(9) I will visit each school, talk to the
children, principals and teachers to see
what kind of problems they are having.
If any problems occur, work to solve
them at the next meeting.
”(10) I will fight to have a good strong
readingprogram..alV through school. If a
child can read he can find a way to a
prosperous life, besides, he or she has
that RIGHT.
“Friends, these are some important
issues I want to help accomplish. And I
can with your help because they are fair
and simple. I think a person running for
Public office should have already
proven themselves to be responsive to
the needs of people. And the nt
education is concerned with people. I
have helped solve all kinds of problems
for people. The board has problems now
and with my leadership and my
platform many of the problems can and
will be solved.
“Please give me a chance. I am a
MAN OF ACTION. WU! you please
keep me in ACTION? I need your vote of
confidence on Tuesday, November 2,
1976. Thank you.”
Nov
2.
1976
HE HAS
BEEN RESPONSIVE!
o
o
o
o
PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT