Pa:
The Carolina Indian Vance
EDITOR’S NOTE: The fol
lowing news article was re
cently printed in the Detroit
News. The article provoked
the ire of many of the Lambee
Indians now residing in the
Michigan area. Many of them
complained Mlterly to the
Detroit News newspaper and
WWJ-TV Staddai both owned
by the same edipioratlon.
Detroit Mews Article Provokes Ire
of Lumbee Indians
does not exist. She misses the
whole point that Lumbee Indi
ans are proud and progressive
folk and that they have clung
to their heritage against in
surmountable odds.”
Many were concerned abont
the fate of Uie Indian yonth
mentioned in the article, and
many were bitter at the over
simpllflcation and poor charac
terization of {.imibee Indians
in general.
Indian boy, 10, needs
a lot of catching up
In an interview with Ruth
Carlton, who wrote the article,
she intimated that the Detroit
News was not familiar with
Lumbee Indians although
thousands of them live in the
Detroit area, and throughout
Michigan.
heritage or racial mixture as
you call it. I happen to be a
Lumbee Indian and feel your
article is a slap in the face
about my people. We are not a
small number of people in the
South, and a racial mixture of
Negro, White and Indian as
you imply. We are a proud
people of Indian ancestry.
Many others have written
and called about the plight of
Tom. What will happen to
him? Will he be adopted by an
Indian family? A white family?
A Black family? At the mo
ment Tom’s fate is uncertain.
Here is the article as It
appeared recently In the De
troit News.
A child
IS
waiting
TOM HAS been
waiting all of his 10
years to be some
body's special son.
The third grader
wos taken from his
parents at age 6 be
cause of neglect. He
responds to atten
tion ond enjoys sing
ing.
Ms. Carlton said, “1 guess
this would be an apology of
sorts...! should have done
more research before 1 wrote
the article.” Later she added,
“I am sorry that anyone was
offended by the article.” She
also noted that she had done
considerable research on Lum
bee Indians after she wrote the
article. According to the re
porter most of her information
was based on data supplied by
Sue Schroen of the Spaulding
for Children agency.
Do you have to be a govern
ment ward or tribe to be
identified as an Indian? It
seems to me you are ignorant
of the facts of Indi.ans and have
everyone stereo-typed as re
servation Indians. If you would
check the records you would
find the Lumbee Indians to be
the most progressive Indians
any place in the U.S.A.
Tom needs you desperately.
As for the boy having
emotional problems because of
his race, 1 have raised four
children in Michigan and have
always taught them to be proud
of their race as Lumbee Indians
and they don’t have emotional
problems.
After a number of Lumbee
Indians complained about her
unfair characterization of Lum
bee Indians, Ms.Carlton called
the Bureau of Indian Affairs
and discovered, alas, that they
do not recognize Lumbee
Indians as Federally recogniz
ed Indians.
1 am greatly insulted by your
article and you have insulted
all Lumbee Indians and you
should do more research be
fore you write such damaging
articles.
By RUTH CARLTON
NonSrKWWrittr
Tom is a 10-year-old Lumbee Indian
who was so badly deprived in early
childhood that it is impossible to pre
dict whether be can catch up.
This is his third year in school, and
his reading and math abilities are stiU
at kindergarten level.
Tom was 6 when he was taken away
from his parents because of neglect —
not a propitious time to start school.
Psychological tests indicate Tom has
perceptual and emotional problems.
“He has a lot of problems in bis own
head around race,” the social worker
says. Lumbee Indians exist in one
small area of the South. They are not a
tribe and do not have a language.
Seemin^y a mixture of black, white
and In^an, they are so intermarried
that no one can define the racial mix.
craves attention,” the social worker
comments, "and will do anything to
get it.” Unfortunately, his tries for
attention — acting silly or teasing —
turn other kids off. He gets along bet
ter with 7-yearilds than witii children
The foster mother says, "He’s good
company. He will sit and talk with you
like an old man.”
TOM IS a handsome, very appealing
child who responds quickly to affec
tion. The foster mot^r says he is a
nice boy to have around.
He enjoys singing. For a Christmas
program last year, he was the little
drummer boy, and the song remains
his favorite.
“He's a little kid who desperately
SUE SCHROEN of Spaulding for
Children is seeking a home for Tom.
“It doesn’t matter particularly what
race the adopting parents are," she
says. “What is important is that they
be able to help Tom accept his own
mixed racial heritage with pride.”
If you would like to adopt Tom, call
Miss Schroen at 1-47S-2S00 or write her
at Spaulding for Children, 3660 Wal-
trous, Chelsea 48118. Spaulding is a pri
vate agency devoted solely to finding
homes for “hard-toi>lace ^ildren” —
those over 12 or having physical or
mental handicaps.
A Child Is Waiting appears regularly
in die Accent on Living section of The
Sunday News and every Monday on
News 4, WWJ-TV, at 12:30 p.m.
*****•*«••««««««««««•*••«•
Adolph Dial, professor at
Pembroke State University,
was quick to respond to the
article as were other Lumbee
Indians in the Detroit area,
and in other parts of the
country.
This reporter did inform her
that more than half the Indians
in North America had no
affiliation with the BIA since
they are concerned primarily
with Indian tribes with Treaty
relationships or Indians who
live on reservations. I added,
"Thank God! Lumbee Indians
fit neither category. We are
free and progressive and
proud of our heritage and
accomplishments.”
Sincerely.
Mr. and Mrs.
Gerald D. Locklear”
Mrs. Frances Pogers of De
troit, Michigan objected stre-
nously and wrote:
“Dear Bruce.
Pembroke
Fire
Dept.
Responds
to Fires
Dial, a Lumbee Indian him
self, and chairman of the
American Indian Studies De
partment at PSU called the
adoption area and discovered a
complete lack of knowledge as
to what a Lumbee Indian is.
According to Dial, the lady at
Spaulding for Children had not
contacted a single Lumbee
Indian before arriving at her
erroneous conclusions.
The editor of the Detroit
News said, “You don’t sound
like an Indian...” And I
responded painfully, ‘‘How
the H... is an Indian supposed
to sound?” He didn’t know.
Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Lock
lear of Lincoln Park, Michigan
wrote the social worker, the
newspaper and radio station.
“I'm sending you something
I want you to read. You may
have already received a copy, 1
read it and it made me sick,
also my family. I don’t know if
you can reprint it or not. 1 just
want it to be seen down there.
I’m very proud of my race of
people. If you can’t reprint it
please let everyone you see
read it. We have been in
Detroit for 23 years. But we
stilt love our home town. Me
and my husband both are from
Pembroke. Everyone I talk to
about this is upset. Thank you.
Pembroke Fire Department
responded to two fires yes
terday. First was at 1:00 a.m.
at the residence of Robert Earl
Lee of Rt. 1. Pembroke in the
Moss Neck community.
A short in the heater was the
cause of the fire, The trailer
home was a total loss.
Mr, Lee received minor burns
while escaping the fire.
Here is their letter.
Mrs. Frances Rogers
6709 Seminole
Detroit, Mich. 48213”
The second fire was reported
at 11:20 p.m. at the residence
of Mr. W.O. Sampson of Rt, I,
Pembroke on Union Chapel
Road.
Dial, also a member of the
American Indian Policy Re
view Commission, expressed
dismay at the seeming in
sensitivity of the social worker.
Said Dial, “All of our blood
runs red. Purity of race, and
that includes whites, simply
Jan. 10. 1977
Sir, Madam,
“I’m responding to the arti
cle on A Child is Waiting, ‘The
Indian Boy’ Who Needs a
Home. I feel I should respond
to your article about his racial
The editor of the Detroit
News did say that the news
paper had carried some of the
dissenting letters of the Lum
bee Indian community and
invited this reporter to write
an article about Lumbee Indi
ans and submit it for publi-
No one was injured.
PSU Fl(') Tieconiiiii
vV’eek Activities
Scheduled
by Gene Warren
Wayne Bailey, new alumni director of
PSU, says he is hoping for a large
Pembroke- Six days of exciting activities turnout of alumni. “Tickets covering all
ranging from three musical specialties- events are S12.50 per person. They pay
to a bonfire—to a big homecoming for the alumni dance, alumni dinner,
parade through downtown Pembroke, reception and basketball game,” said
are scheduled as part of Homecoming 'Bailey- These tickets can be purchased at
Week Jan. 24-29 at Pembroke State the alumni office in PSU’s Sampson
Reflections by Alto Dxendine
CONFERENCE ON HUNGER
University.
Hall Administration Building.
Alumni and students are invited to
participate in alt events scheduled for
them in making this 1977 homecoming
the most gala in the history of the
institution. •
Climaxing the week Saturday, Jan.
29, will be the crowning of the home
coming queen during halftime of the
PSU-Atiantic Christian basketball game
which is on tap at 8 p.m. in PSU’s Jones
Physical Education Center.
At the alumni banquet the class
having the most returning alumni is
always cited. This year’s banquet has
been moved from the student cafeteria
to the student center to provide a more
affable setting.
Wading in ice water,
sliding in slush, sharing a
room with an interesting Spar
tanburg lady (originally from
Long Island). These were a
few of my experiences last
week on the campus of Sacred
Heart College at Belmont, on
the other side of Charlotte.
though we had talked of
visiting Cousins Max and Cora
Lee at Christmastime, our
colds kept us at home. So I
checked with Mary on how
they were doing!
of us are engrossed in the
accumulation of things.
communities to do something
constructive about the causes
and results of hunger.
I saw ministers from my own
denomination whom I had not
seen for years. And one of the
Methodist women I met turned
out to be the sister-in-law of
the best friend of my father’s
cousin’s wife- if you can figure
'that one out- from the Western
part of North Carolina. Al-
The conference included per
sons from a number of diffe
rent denominations and faiths.
A Presbyterian couple- former
missionaries to Zaire, Africa,
described the simple life style
in that country, where their
only furniture was a bed. And
Flo told me about using the
Laubach method to teach
persons there to read in their
native language. It was a real
culture shock for them to come
back to the States, where most
One of the many "beautiful
people” whom 1 met was an
unassuming num dressed
comfortably in a feminine
green and white pantsuit. She
told us of the soul- searching
she was fored to do when
wearing the “habit” became
optional and she decided to
stop hiding behind a particular
form of dress.
Twenty coeds, all sponsored by
various organizations on campus, are
competing for "Miss Homecoming.”
They are as follows: Charlene Averitt,
■Raeford ; JoAnne Britt, Orrumi Wanda
'The Tavern" of PSU
But we were all at the
conference to study the prob
lem of hunger, overseas and
here at home, and to look for a
variety of ways to attack the
problem. We were challenged
to come back to our local
One way the Church and
Community Center has found
to provide emergency food in
crisis situations is to give out
canned food donated by Cen
ter staff members and others
concerned about people.
Russell McDonald is now-
providing boxes for churches
and other groups who wish to
donate cans of food. The
Center's expenditure on food
for emergency use has come to
around $1,000.00 a month
when the pantry shelves were
empty.
If you have other sugges
tions for fighting hunger in our
area, please call us at 738-5204
or call me at 521-4619.
by Gene Warren
Pembroke"“The Tavern,” which is a
Prior to the game a reception for
alumni will be held at 5 p.m. in the PSU
Student Center with music provided by
A cast of 14 from the National Players
will bring to life what has b^en
described as an uproarious combination
Bums. Pembroke: Betty Coe. Winston- salute by the National Players of of 19th century melodrama and 20th
Salem; Dehaeva Drake, Lumberton; Washington, DC, to America’s famous century farce.
Debbie Hammonds, Raeford; Tanuel song-and-dance man. George M. Cohan
Hunt, Pembroke; Donna Johnson, w'H be presented Thursday, Jan. 27, at Written by Cohan, “The Tavern”
the PSU “Singers and Swingers.” The Evergreen; MarthaKivett, Fayetteville; Pembroke State University as part of directed by Leo Brady. The National
alumni annual Homecomino Oinner will riAKi-Q t r A—t. the university’s Lyceum Series '
alumni annual Homecoming Dinner will
follow at 5 p.m. in the Student Center
during which new officers will be
installed.
The list of events for the week as
currently scheduled includes:
MONDAY-“The Bluegrass Experience”
in concert.
Debra Lamm, Pembroke; Patricia Lock
lear, Laurinburg; Linda Lovell, Fayette
ville; Debbie Lowry, Parkton; Agnes
Marie Mayo, Ft. Bragg; Diana Nelson,
Fayetteville; Pamela Pait. Bladenboro;
Gwenn Strickland, Pembroke; faith
Wallace, St. Pauls; Daffinette Whit
tington, Maxton; and Zoe Ann Woodell,
Pembroke.
This comedy-melodrama will take
place in PSU’s Performing Arts Center
with curtain time being 8 p.m.
Admission is $2 for adults and 75 cents
for children under 12. PSU students
with I. D. cards will be admitted free.
players are an extension of the famous
Drama Department of Catholic Univer
sity of America in Washington. The
university has been the source of many
Broadway hits and actors.
TUESDAY- Wrestling match, Barber-
Scotia at PSU at 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY- Student bonfire and
pep rally at 6 p.m.; basketball game.
Coastal Carolina at PSU at 7:45 p.m.
President of N.C.
Joycees to be
Keynote Speaker
In their 28th consecutive year of
touring the nation, the National Players
have played to over three million
persons in addition to thousands of
troops overseas. The company has just
finished a tour which took it to the Far
East, the Mediterranean area, England
and Germany,
THURSDAY- Voting all day for home
coming queen. Float- building for
Saturday’s parade. National Players of
Washington, D. C.
Tavern” at 8 p.m
Performing Arts Center.
Joe Hollowell, 40th President of the
North Carolina Jaycees, is to be
the keynote speaker at the Pembroke
Jaycees’ eleventh Annual Awards Ban-
will present “The quet this Friday Night. January 21, at
the PSU 7:00 P.M. held in the Jaycees’
Clubhouse.
FRIDAY- Voting for homecoming queen
continues. Semi-formal homecoming
dance in ballroom of Red Springs’
Robeson County Day School (Vardall
Hall) featuring “Cracker,” from 9 p.m.
to 1 a. m. Cost: S2.50 per couple.
President Hollowell set many records
as a national director and is continuing
to set them as President of the North
Carolina Jaycees.
SATURDAY-'Homecoming parade at 11
a.m. through downtown Pembroke.
Reception for alumni at 5 p.m. in PSU
Student Center, featuring the PSU
“Singers and Swingers.” Alumni ban
quet at 6 p.m. in PSU Student Center
with new officers being installed.
Homecokir.g basketball game with
Atlantic Christian at 8 p.m. in PSU’s
Jones Physical .Education Center with
homecoming queen being crowned at
halftime. Student dance at 10 p.m. in
PSU Student Center. Alumni “Victory
Party” at 10 p.m. in Pembroke Jaycee
Hut.
For his performance he was recogniz
ed at the Jaycees’ State Convention as
the Number One National in North
Carolina and was the recipient of the Ed
Ellis Award. At the National Convention
in Indiannapolis, he was one of the top
ten National Directors in the nation and
received the Clint Dunagan Award.
Joe resides with his wife Lynda and
their three children, Joseph. 10; Mark,
8; and Kerry Lynn, 6 mos., at Morgan
Park in Edenton. He is a 1963 graduate
of North Carolina State University and a
farmer by profession. He believes in
performance and his records show him
to be a performer.
“The Tavern” was adapted by Cohan
from a play entitled “The Choice of a
Super-man” by Cora Dick Gantt,
written in the 1920s. Cohan agreed to
produce this play for Miss Gantt, a
stenographer, if she would permit him
to do anything he wanted with it. She
finally agreed, and Cohan gave it his
treatment, turning it into a mixture of
melodrama and farce. The last act is
said vagabond in subsequent revivals of
the play, including one in 1930.
In recent years other productions
have sought to portray the vagabond as
Cohan played him. A television produc
tion in which Richard Chamberlain is
supposed to star is to be announced this
season, the latest in the tributes to
“The Tavern.”
Joe Hollowell, President,
N. C. Jaycees
The play seems to be the epitome of
19th century American melodramas that
audiences once took seriously’and now
love to laugh at and with. It is the ideal
vehicle for the National Players, who
seek to bring theatre wherever it can to
be a proving ground for aspiring actors.
Alan Share [standing on the tabiej Is the
vagabond, and Brian Corrigan Is the
tavern keeper In the National Players
production of "The Tavern,” to be
presented Thursday night, Jan. 27, at
Pembroke State University's Perform
ing Arts Center. The play was written
by George M. Cohan, America’s famous
song-and-dance man.
Attend the Church
of your choice this Sunday.
I'hursday. January j
Drodshow, N.C,
Secretary
of Tronsportotion
Anyone concerned about the
plight of Tom should contact
Sue Schroen of Spaulding for
Children, 3660 Walfrous.
Chelsea. Michigan 48118 or
call 1-313-475-2500.
Many callers have suggested
that Odom’s Children Home
(formerly an all Indian or
phanage) would be a suitable
home for Tom until parents
could be found for him.
Certainly, Odom Home would
be a welcome respite from his
now uncertain fate. Odom
Home is now administered by
the N.C. State Baptist Con
ference and is located in
Pembroke, North Carolina, the
economic and spiritual capifol
of the Lumbee Indian com
munity.
Thomas W. Bradshaw, Jr.
Former Raleigh Mayor Tho
mas W. Bradshaw, Jr. was
sworn in as Secretary of
Transportation on January 10,
1977.
While he is the youngest
chief executive in the Trans
portation Department’s his
tory, Bradshaw is no stranger
to Raleigh or the workings of
government.
Bradshaw, 38, is a lifelong
resident of Raleigh. He grad
uated from the Needham B.
Broughton High School, serv
ed on the Raleigh City Council
from 1969 to 1973. and in 1971
became the youngest mayor in
Raleigh’s recent history. He
helped form the Triangle J.
Council of Government and
served as its Chairman for
three years. In 1972-73 he also
served on the Board of Direc
tors of the National League of
Cities and the Transportation
Committee of the U.S. Con
ference of Mayors.
Bradshaw is an ac
ber and Elder of tl
Memorial pre
Church and has a Ic
of involvement and
civic organizations,
and present affilia
civic groups includt
ship in many org;
including the Ralei
ber of Commerce
Home Builders A
Raleigh Board of
United Fund, YMC
Towers. North Cart
phony. North Caro
School of Design F
Parks & Recreation
Commission and ma
Bradshaw, who
Raleigh Jaycees’ ‘
of the Year” aw
and again in 19"
named one of five
ing Young mei
Carolina” in 1972,
was named by thi
“Boss of the Year,
is married to the
Mac Davis of R,
have four childrei
Educational View
By Dr. Do Iron Drool
A fault in the construction of
the chimney is believed to be
the cause of the fire. An
estimated damage of $10,000
was placed on the Sampson
home.
Many of the decisions that
school administrators make for
improved school planning de
pends on decisions made in
Washington and Raleigh. The
question is, could an ob
server predict, with some
accuracy, what will take place
in the next four years; if so,
what planning could be done
to make significant change in
the total effectiveness of our
schools.
resulting in the dev
of achievement tes
third part would ci
ganizations throug)
state for parent parti
HOW MUCHMO;
Both Federal an
monies will increase!
ing for the Robeson
School 'UnitS'. Proje
proximations are:
At the Federal level, Presi
dent Carter is suggesting the
elimination of categorical
grants with more emphasis on
non-categorical monies. It
means that more money will
be appropriated to local edu-
catonal agencies to remedy an
educational need at the local
level. This suggests that the
County will have more money
to spend in area’s like 1)
Special Education, 2) Early
Childhood Education, 3) the
physical handicapped, 4) gift
ed and talented, 5) remedial
programs, 6) compensatory
education, 7) Migrant Educa
tion, and 8) Indian Education
monies.
S2,000,(XK)-Title I
$200,(X)0-Title IV
$1,000,0(X)-1EA
$1,(X)0,0(K)-Govemor
Program
With these increas
budget for elementi
secondary educatioD
County could swell
million in four years,
WHAT CAN BE DO
Governor Hunt’s public
school program has three
parts. One would provide
money for additional aides and
materials to improve reading
instruction. Another part of
the program would require the
student to pass a minimum
competency test before gra
duating from Hipt’ .School,
Programs can be ini|
The criteria for impw
should be based on la
scores on Achievenw
Aptitude Tests. SAT
should definitely imps
entering Freshmen at il
leges and Universititi
competency and perso:
fessional development
show significant impnw
Parents will participalt.
ously, in the decisions,
school-questioping b
programs, and any i
operations.
Request for Quotoi
Licensed Electric;
Contractor & .4ii
Conditioning Instal
LUMBEE RIVER ELECTRIC MEMDE
CORP. will hold a Meeting, Jonuc
1977 of 7 p.m. of the Red Springs
to discuss instollofion of
Radio-Controlled Switches
Residential Hot Woterheoters
Central Air Conditioning unit.
Quotations will only be accept'
Licensed Electrical Contractor
Qualified Air Conditioning In;
who meet L.R.E.M.C. Spcificotior
Contractors must meet oil Staff
County Electric Codes and
SocificQtions
R.
ost for
vi!! ■sent to .QLiali
C('»nrr:ictor' after
ni'cri 1 ' of .fanuarv