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AROUND THE CAMPFIRE b'hy Dr. Dean Chaver* A way of life has almost died, and few have even noticed. This way o? life was a reaction to conditions which were oppressive, and which sought to make the conditions better. It was not a way of life with clear leadership, and consequently the leadership was easily bought off. Tfie way of life was the style of confrontation, militance. occupation of land and build ings, takeovers, and asser tiveness of the Indian move ment of the 1960 s. Social historians, in fifty years, will probably conclude that such a movement was inevitable. Given the frustration of the newly urbanized Indian pop ulations, the despair of the reservation Indians, and the fact that over 50 percent of both were unemployed, some thing was bound to happen. Compounding this situation was the long-standing govern ment policy of suppression of tribal governments, banning any practice of traditional Indian religions, forbidding the speaking of Indian langu ages, and similar acts. A totally repressed, largely landless, jobless, frustrated, and angry Indian population was ripe for a social move ment. And a social movement occurred. The first glimmer of this movement was the found ing of the National Indian Youth Council (NlYC)in 1961. Within five years, there were other, similar movements un derway all across the U.S. They were characterized by the idealism of their goals, the youth of their leadership, and the urbanization of most of their members. Some spread to Indian reservation areas, but most were restricted to off-reservation areas, such as college campuses, urban In dian centers, and social wel fare nonprofit agencies. These movements had real effects. They helped to bring about the reviving of tribal governments which had been largely dormant for several years. They inspired the rewriting of tribal constitu tions to brihg them up to date with modern times. They hastened the shift of operat. ing government programs for Indians from the federal bureaucracy to the tribal Governments. They stimu lated the formation of hun dreds of advisory boards, planning commissions, non profit agencies, national In dian organizations, and con sulting firms. They brought health servic es to urban Indian popula tions. They brought at least some Indian materials to the curricula of schools and col leges. They loosened a few of the bonds of colonialism that federal bureaucrats had wrap ped around Indian people securely. But mostly they bought dollars. Whether these dol lars were for job training programs, for supplemental education, for supplemental health programs, for meals for senior citizens, for rehabil itation for alcoholics, or for better opportunities for wo men, the dollars flowed. Straight out of Washington to the communities that were benefit from these dollars. And they brought frustra tion, Thousands of parents were disappointed that the education dollars--80 percent of them -went to pay the salaries of the teachers and project directors that were hired to supplement school programs. Most of the job training funds paid for teachers and classroom sup plies; the students benefited indirectly, from the education and skills training they receiv ed. But many of those trained for jobs are still unemployed; the job training programs could not address the attitud es of employers. But the movements could not bring about real change. THE DEATH ' OFA MOVEMENT Other than thq people em * ployed in the programs, there was little additional employ ment of Indians; the Bureau of Indian Affairs reported last year that somewhere between 31 and 46 percent of the Indian population was unem ployed. Peter McDonald lost his try for a fourth term as Chairman of the Navajo Tribal i Council largely because un employment on the reserva tion jumped from 39 percent to 72 percent in less than two years, after Reagan took office. They could not bring about the development of jobs on the reservations themselves. The number of successful enterprises on Indian lands today is abysmally low. It is almost impossible to begin new ventures under Indian control, because capital, trained workers, skilled man agement, transportation, and numerous other things are in short supply. And they could not bring about Indian control. The people who designed the federal programs-Congres sional staffers, federal bur eaucrats. consultants-had no interest in enabling Indian tribes to control their oifcn destiny. Their interest was in solving "Social problems." Some of them had the auda city to try to apply engineer ing skills and techniques to programs that were intended to apply to people. Without thinking, in many cases, because they had to work to live, the leaders and potential leaders of the move ments took jobs in these programs. Federal grant pro grams today probably employ at least 100,000 of the 300,000 employed Indians in the na tion. There are over 150 federal Indian programs, ac cording to the Senate Indian committee. Once employed, the leaders of the movement have to toe the line drawn by Washington. Criticism of Washington these days is . lard to find. Thus has the Indian leader thip been coopted by Wash ngton. Any criticism of poli ces or actionf is muted, because people are afraid :hey will lose their programs, ind thus their jobs. The idealism of the 1960's lias been replaced by the cynicism of the 1980's. "Red Power" has ben replaced by "Green Power." "Economic Development" has replaced the searcii for justice and Freedom. The militant Indian movement of the 1960's has been killed by its own suc cess. if success is defined as getting Washington to throw dollars at problems. And since the movement has not been recognized as 1 dead yet, there has not emerged a recognition of the need for an idealogy and a way of life to replace it. When this recognition comes, the ideology is likely to be based on spirituality, not on political power, or on economic power, or on the power of education. But the basic spirituality of Indian people is due for a renaissance, something that occurs in cycles. When the time is right, the new Indian spiritual leaders will emerge. It is only a matter of time. NEW AND EXCITING DIMENSIONS IN VOLUNTEERISM t Gertrude Brewington, 1 through her development of | the YVA program, has j brought a new and exciting < dimension of voluntarism to , young volunteers who are engaged, not only in Indian Affairs, but also in everything > from working in the sheriff's i office to assisting at the VA ( "tospital. In doing so she has sroken down old barriers and mproved community relation ships throughout her wide region of activity. She's one When Gertrude Brewington vas a young girl growing up n Cumberland County, North "arolina. there was no high t' school for Indian children, the nearest one being 50 miles away. No matter the distance, she and her sister were determined they would at tend. So their father scrimped and saved and bought a car of sorts. To help defray its cost, the parents of six other Indian families contributed a month ly fee for transportation. And so, daily. Gertie and her sister and friends made a %-mile round trip to earn their high school diplomas. From child hood Gertie knew she was going to be involved in helping her people, most of whom lived on the cold edge of poverty. And through her long association with the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, she has done just that. A year ago she became the director of the Young Volun teers in ACTION program in Raleigh. Today, with 481 volunteers between the ages of 14-22. her YVA projects serve Indian needs in 13 counties. Most of the volun teers are from Indian families, and they know better than anyone the kind of problems to be found in remote Indian villages where shanties line the dirt road, a muddy well supplies water for a half dozen families whose children are semi-literate-far behind their class in reading and writing. Gertie hud spent a great deal of time: as a literacy tutor for India i youngsters, and this was one area of volunteer uJ.ning on which she concentrated. She knew it was essential to get past the obstacle of the isolated world in which so many of the children lived, not just behind the closed door of a shanty but behind the closed door of the mind. With the aid of her volunteers and their adult coordinators, she organized weekly meetings where the young people could gather to socialize, learn crafts and 1 dances and develop a sense of | pride in tbier heritage. i As she describes it. "Where once there were kids I who would not lift their heads. . ?V) now take part." As for I tutoring, just recently an \ Indian mother whose daugh ter was judged to be three ) years behind the class receiv | ed a tetter from the daugh (ter's teacher saying, "I don't I know what you're doing to 1 improve Donna's renting ??<* writing but her ffijpdae is > We want you to wake up ! ! feeling so good it shows! | RMHi) iM.B:Mi4..Mf7T^^M < f Their s nothing like a FY?t<uY|>edic | morning?that great get-up-andgo ' reeling that conies from famous P<>s | turepedic support Designed in <o ' operation with leading orthopedic ksurgeons for comfortable firmness ? Choose ypux kind of comfort -Extra rFirm or Gently Firm Try it...and | start feeling so good it shows! home furnishings^*' ? TEl?VI5ION5 ? APPLIANCES | t IJ PEMBROKE FURNITURE I | COMPANY. INC. | I j MEETING County Board Education The Robeson County Board >f Education met on Tuesday svening in regular session to Uscuss and act upon a 21 item igenda. Among the action taken was the approval of the Jarbage Contract to kmer Sanitation, low bidder. Upon recommendation of Supt. Purnell Swett, the 7th. ind 8th grades will be moved From Oxendine School and these students will attend Prospect School beginning this fall. Kelly Sanderson, issistant principal at Pem broke Elementary School, was named principal of Oxendine School. Bill James Brewing ton, assistant principal of Pembroke Senior High School was named principal of Pem broke Junior High. Barry Hardin, principal of Pem broke Middle School, was named principal of Green Grove. Thomas Earl Locklear, Principal of Pembroke Junior High was named Principal of Pembroke Middle'School. ? r __ A NORTH CAROLINA ?55 farmI?J BUREAU ? Jnsuranc^ FOR FARM BUREAU MEMBERS ASK ABOUT OUR 22.5% DISCOUNT ON FIRE INSURANCE, HOMEOWNERS AND FARMOWNERS. ?10% Dlaceant on Anto ?Ail-American Life 'Inland Marine ?Comprehensive Insurance "Tax Sheltered Annuities ?Family Security Program "Retirement Planning Systems Ken Fimmb, Agent East 22nd Street - P.O. Bo* 699 Lumberton, N.C. 28358 J Plant researchers may have found the solution for space scientists who have been un able to grow algae with more complex plants for use in space stations. In research funded by NASA, it has been learned that algae releases several volatile components, including ammonia, when grown in enclosed chambers. Students Honored for i i> ? * ' $ v n-lai&BI Perfect Attendance Three students were honor ed with plaques during grad uation exercises at Magnolia High School on June 3 for having perfect attendance for all 12 years of school. This is an outstanding accomplishment and the pa rents are to be commended along with the students. The students are (pictured left to right|: Lorte Locklear, daughter of Mr. ft Mr*. Royce Locklear; Glenn Bell, grand son of Mr*. Roaie M. Chaviai and Bruce Bell, con of Mr. ft Mr*. Luther Bell. Honored by US Academy The United States Achie vement Academy announced that Felecia D. Barnhill has been named a 1983 United States National Award winner in Mathematics. This award is a prestigious honor very few students can ever hope to attain. The Academy recog nizes less than 10 percent of all American high school Students. Felecia. who attends St. Pauls High School, was nominated for this National Award by Miss Susan Beam, a mathematics teacher at the school. Felecia's biography will appear in the United States Achievement Academy Official Yearbook. Felecia is the duaghter of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Barn hill. The grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Prentice Blanks and Mr. and Mrs. James Barnhill. all of St. Pauls. Holds Pizza Party On May 23, the students of Marianne Jarvieg' fourth and fifth grade health ciaaa eq)oy ed a homemade plaza party. The students helped cook the pizza, salad, vegetables and dessert. Each class was responsible for fixing its own table and place setting. Mn. Wallace's fifth grade students took first place for the prettiest taMe setting., Ms. Jarvies' fourth grade class took second place and Ms. Rebecca Lowry's fourth grade took third place. A good time waa enjoyed by all. HOW YOU CAN STOP YOUR COOUNG DOUARSFROMGOMG THROUGH THE ROOT. "*? *- _ Up to23%of the cooling l?)OJ pay for could be going through the roof because of a poorly insulated attic. So, if you're looking for a way to save energy your attic is a good placeto start. And, if you need to borrow some money tor insulation, CP&L is a good place to gcx. ^ V\?ll loan you up to$600at just 6% interest for attic or floor insulation, for storm windows and doors, or for other energy improvements ; Improvements that can help make any home more energy effident from top to bottom. For details about a 6% Home Energy Loan, just contact Carolina Fbwer & Light. V\? can help you put a lid on wasted energy hqj&hyou nvst be a CKl rvsxjertd customer wth elearr *eot ;oe*ng
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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June 16, 1983, edition 1
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