I?TH#CAROLINA INDIAN VOIC T
"Building Communicative Bridy^f, iKjoi'S ?/ onflCfiAftl SWAM ?
I PEMBROKE. N.c m A Tri-racial Setting." ROPBBQM COON1
y VOLUME IS NUMBER 52 ' 26 CENTS J_77/L7iSQA J', rtmrfiL. .un ^ iy J
B||H???M
CONFERENCE OF
LUMBEEART
PLANNED
by Terrence Bmyboy
Hie Native American Resource Center is beginning
(reparation for a conference on Lumbee art, which will be held
luring the first week of July of 1988. The conference, to be
:alled the Lumbee Art Symposium will have several purposes.
The first goal is to recognize all Lumbee artists. Once these
individuals are recognized, their works will be put on display
at Old Main on the PSU campus. The display will begin July
1st and last through the last day of September, 1988.
The second goal is to discuss specifically "Lumbee" art.
What is unique about the art created by Lumbee Indians?
Some of the themes often used by Lumbee artists are: the
Robeson County landscape, the Lumber River, Old Main,
tobacco barns, and Henry Berry Lowry. One question the
^ conference will seek to answer is what do these themes say
about the Lumbee people, the Lumbee society and about the
Lumbee artist that paints them.
There are also many different forms of art created by
Lumbee Indians, such as pottery, wood carving, mask making,
and painting. The conference will specifically address fine art.
The third section of the conference will include a
presentation by a guest speaker from outside the community.
This person will hopefully provide new ideas and new methods
for Lumbee artists. ? ?
Finally there will be a section of the symposium devoted to
promotion and future recognition for artists. This section will
include a recognition of the young artists in the schools, the
founding of a guild especially for Lumbee artists, future
events, and several publications.
This event is the first of its kind ever conducted. While it
will seek to assit lumbee artists, it is important that it touch all
members of the Lumbee community.*A strong effort will be
made to encourage all individuals to visit Old Main to view the
art and to become personally involved with the success of the
project If you have any questions about the Lumbee Art
Symposium, know of a lurnbee artist, or would like to become
more involved yourself, please contact the Native American
Resource Center at 919 521 4214.
A
Spotlight on 'WMBEE INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS
Special To The Carolina Indian Voice Local Busings Persons
Barb ra Bmyboy-Locldear fl
Robeson County residents no longer must travel hundreds of
miles to buy authentic Native American arts and crafts.
Located on the outskirts of Pembroke is one of the County's ?
best-kept secrets in fine American Indian-made wares. The
co-owner and manager of Lumbee Indian Arts and Crafts is
Jane Chavis Oxendine, a retired American Indian school
teacher. - ?
Severe arthritis forced the 68-year-old grandmother to leave
the classroom in 1971, after 13 years of teaching English and
social studies in public schools.
A deep love and keen awareness of her Indian heritage
lured her to share her musical talents to local students in
'private kindergartens. "Right after I retired, I taught Indian
songs and dance to very young children. I did it for the love of
it," she says.
For two years, Oxendine gave freely of her time in' teaching
to the young students. During this time, she drew on her time
and energy to practice a craft she learned 56 years ago--bead
work.
Recognizing her talent and interest in Native American arts
and crafts, Lumbee Regional Development Association hired
her to direct a newly-formed program designed for American
Indian artisans"in the area. The program allowed the
participants an opportunity to gather, make and sell their
goods.
"Seeing my people having their crafts sold became a real
joy in my life," says Oxendine of the four years spent with the
program. "I was so proud of the local Indian people who were
sincerely interested in learning about their heritage."
Continually plagued by arthritis, Oxendine left the program
to under go numerous operations for the ailment The two
years spent while recovering from surgery made her realize
the need to carry on the practice of making Indian Crafts. She
began creating and marketing crafts through private
enterprise. She was bound to promoting her people's heritage
by selling her art and theirs, too.
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO....
N
MARYLAND "SHINE" CHANCE
pw tihhhmkm ? - - -
Af.L "S*tnc" Chance takes a break from refimthing
furniture in his uvrkshop.
Special To The Carolina Indian Voice
by
Barbra Braybvy-Locldear
Fifty years ago, Harnett County native Maryland L
"Shine" Chance brought his new bride to Robeson County for
a short stay and never returned to his home town.
"We came here to stay 90 days, and we haven't stayed the
90 days yet," he laughs while explaining the visit which has
lasted over half a century.
The story began when Chance was a young boy growing up
on a farm with four brothers and four sisters. When he became
the "running around" age, he visited relatives in Robeson
County. He rvlunctantly admits that he was "girl-hunting"
during those isits.
The week-end visits usually ended when he'd return to his
h6me 50 miles north of Lumberton. Some week-ends left him
hAme to attend church in his community. It was during
worship service ne Sunday that he noticed a young pretty
Indian woman visiting from Robeson County. "I saw her and
liked her looks. I couldn't get anybody to introduce me to
her," he remembers. "Not one to be outdone, 1 introduced
thyself to her."
He says K wasn't long after that meeting that he "conned"
ler into eating dinner with his family. A courtship developed,
tad the two American Indians were married six months later.
? During the first year of marriage, the couple left Harnett
V County to be near her father who had become ill in Robeson
Xpuoty. Chance took a liking to the area and its people.
^Oie black dirt down here in Robesoa County Jost seen to
grow on me. and I began farming in the Saddletree area."
bays the 74 yearold.
for a quarter of n Century he and his wile, the former XntHe
tnWewiMWL.. I. i * >
Mae Thomas, farmed the black dirt and raised six children. As
the children left home, Chance says he decided to give up the
farm because it no longer supported itself. In 1960 he sold his
farming equipment and moved into the eity of Lumberton.
Drawing on a lifetime of hard work and a keen sense for
business, he began efforts to establish his own business. His
first attempt at renting a building for a fish market went sour
when the owner decided not to rent to him.
"I'd always been an independant minded person, and
when the woman backed out of the deal, it kinda insulted me,"
he remembers. "I just went up the street about 100 feet and
rented another place." There he sold fresh fish, soft drinks
and groceries. "A man can do anything he wants to if he puts
enough effort into it," says the great grandfather of his
successful years in business.
When health began to fail him n 1973, Chance sold his
business to one of his four sons. Then went to his east 15th
street home in Lumberton and busied himself with more work
and hobbies than he has time to do.
From a workshop behind his home he refinishes antique
furniture. He says he learned the craft from watching a
professional near his home. 'Td observe him as he worked,
and it looked so good and was so pretty."
When he thought he knew enough, he began his own
refinishing. "I started on my own stuff, knowing if I made a
mess it would be alright, he comments. "Hie one thing that
thrills me most is to get a piece of furniture that others say
can't be fixed - and fix it"
He adds that refinishing furniture is a hobby and hot a
business for him. He does a piece once in a while and doesn't
go into it too heavily.
When he tires of the "refinishing" hobby, he turns his
energy to caring for the grounds surrounding his home. The
former fanner explains the presence of a farm plow in his
front yard.
"It's one my wife moved to town. She had so much country
in her, she needed something to remind her of the times I use
to stump my toes."
When not gardening. Chance chauffeurs some of his 19
grandchildren to various school-related events. 'Tm forever
doing little things with my grandchildren," he says. The
grandfather has been a familiar figure at P.T. A. meetings for
several decades.
Hie Robeson County transplant manages to return to his
native county about four times a year. There he visits with his
brothers who remained behind. He saysJie limits his stay to
daytime.
"My old lady (wife) is a nice person to travel with, but when
bedtime comes, Fd better have her home. There's no bed that
sleeps like hefs."
Then with a twinkle in his eye, he says of the woman he
married 51 years ago, "I wouldn't give her up for any two Fve
ever seen."
HOLIDAY DEADLINE
ANNOUNCED
The deadline for news and advertisement fer the Carolina
Indian Voice has been changed for the December 24,1957 and
the December 81. 1957 issues. These changes are made to
accomodate our subscribers and advertisers during the
Christmas holidays.
The
deadline for news and ads for the December 31st issue wfll be
.Monday, -December 28 at 5 p.m. Thank you for your
cdapemtfon and have a many Christmas and a prosperous
new year.
> .? v- 4
f ???
Jane C. Oxendine stands among art & cmfts in her store.
"I stayed with it because there were so many of our people
who were making good
things, and 1 felt they needed a chance to display them," she
says of her decision to open a business so local artisans could
sell their crafts.
Thus was born, Lumbee Indian Arts and Crafts. During the.
five years since opening her business to the public, the artisan!
has allowed others the joy of displaying, selling and trading
\ - *?*'? * -
"Many Indian craftsmen don't have funds to invest in
supplies,' says the store manager. 'I have no problem with
trading. They come in an trade their goods for supplies. 1 love
to see their interest in crafts grow, and I'm willing to work
with them."
Oxendine takes special interest in young artisans. "I'm
excited about young people who come by the store. It doesn't
matter much when the older people start learning about Indian
crafts, but I feel it's very important when the young people
start."
She encourages young artisans to come by and take part in
mini workshops she offers from time to time. The student
wishing to learn bead work pays for his lesson and supplies by
making an item for himself and one for the teacher/store
owner.
"Anytime anybody comes in and wants to know anything
about Indian arts and crafts, I try to teach them."
Oxendine is very strict about the items sold in the store.
Only Authenic Indian made items are placed. She and her
daughter, Hope Sheppard, do all the buying of items from
seven different American Indian tribes throughout the U.S.
Local transactions are mostly restricted to trading crafts
with Indian Artisans. Oxendine says she welcomes local
participation and currently displays the work of eight local
people.
In between teaching and making crafts and reading the
Indian literature in her store, Oxendine travels the Fast Coast
attending pow wows.
"I love the pow wows. Hope usually does the selling and
trading of crafts. I go along to see and visit," she comments.
Her commitment to the store allows no time for travel other
than attending Indian oriented events. It has become a family
practice to periodically gather at the store to visit, cook and
work together.
Last Christmas, instead of staying home to observe the day,
Oxendine and family members gathered at the store. There,
surrounded by shelves lined with arts and crafts, they sat am
took the day eating, singing and giving thanks for the year;
blessings.
One her strong commitment to promoting the art and talent
of her people. Oxendine says, "I could never retire to my
home. If I had. nobody would have taken over the store. And
this is one of my great loves in life."
Lumbee Indian Arte and Crafts it located SxA miles east o
Pembroke on U.S. Highway 74 and NC State Road It 1003
Business hours are Mon.-Satl 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
SEUXTTED AS MARSHALS ATUNOG
The following students have been named University
Marshals at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
for the 1987 88 y^ar.
To be selected as University Marshals, full time
undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 12
semester hours of course work. They also must have
completed 30 semester hours and have cumulative grade point
averages of at least 3.66 of a possible 4.0. Less than three
percent of UNCG students achieve the honor each year.
The primary function of University marshals is to serve as
ushers for UNCG's December convocation for graduates and
for the annual commencement program in May. They also
as student hosts for other campus events.
?n* students are Jennifer J. Hoffman and Margaret R
Williams, both of Lumberten, and Pamela L Brooks of
it
THE LASTING
IMPRESSIONS OF
WORLD WARU
World War n Remembered
by Sam Kerne .
Special to The Carolina Indian Voice
a _ _ a> i ? ? ? ma * /m a ? * . *mi
Last ween s arucie enaea wiui Mr. James uoawm soil on a
naval ship just off shore of the Japanese mainland,
approximately nine days after the atomic bombs were dropped
on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. On board the ship were about 400
young men who had fought some of the major battles in the
Pacific during World War A. The following is a description of
what James Godwin, then a 20 year old, saw when he went
ashore.
Hie first sights were of Nagasaki where the bomb killed
40,000 people and mained as many more. As they got off the
ship, they marched up the depot to transfer to Hiroshima,
which was his group's primary destination. When asked to
describe his first impression of the destruction he said: **t was
thinking that 1 never wanted to see anything like this happen
any place else and that if it were in my power to stop it from
happening, then it would not happen again."
He said that the whole group couid not believe their eyes.
As they marched to the depot, he describes T-iron bent and
twisted, and dirt that looked like you had burned large
quantities of it and nothing was left but the ashes. If one
picked up dirt and threw it intot he air it would drift away as
dust in the air. One large stone building was still standing and
one could walk up to it and poke one's finger in what was solid
stone. On the ground there were things laying around about
the size of a man's fist They were told that these were hearts
of people that had not been completely consumed. He said
that the men did not bother them.
In other places he observed what appeared to be shadows of
people and the men would walk up to them and touch them,
the shadow would crumble. He. describes one figure that
looked like it was walking and it was just frozen in place.
When they arrived at Hiroshima, Godwin observed five or
six canals which were rivers before the bomb was dropped.
to the left was a pool of water that looked like it had its source T)
from the rivers which had dried up. There were still a large r
number of dead bodies in the pool and a large number of
people who were still alive. They were badly burned and could
not see. The job of the soldiers was to assit the wounded n
survivors ana clean up the area. He stayed in Hiroshima from
August, 1945, until he became ill himself and went to the ,y
hospital in October, 1945.
Mr. Godwin stated that he was running a high fever and waf n.
nauseated, lie said the doctors diagnosed it as pneumonia/
Godwin said that it was not because it'was not cold over there
and his symptoms were not like pneumonia. He spent about
ten days in a hospital in Hiroshima. After he left the hospital
he went back to his outfit where they continued their cleanup
detail. Godwin was to become ill at least one more time before
shippng back to the states.
After he got well, he went hack to Yocahoma and went on
details collecting rifles and swords. All of them were piled up
in the drill field and each soldier was allowed to chose a rifle
and sword. Godwin still has his sword, but someone stole his
rifle.
'Hie next detail was rounding up Koreans and transporting
them back home in exchange for Japanese. Godwin became ill
one more time with the same symptoms, but soon was better.
They continued to round up people for exchange and at one
time their group got lost and wound up in Osaka, Japan.
Next week: the last days in Japan and some lasting health
pntblems faced by Mr. James Godwin and family.
SCHOOL NEWS
??
A total of 28 students from the Pembroke area have been
included in the 21st annual edition of WHO's WHO AMONG
AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, 1986-87.
WHO'S WHO, published by Educational Communications,
Inc., Lake Forest, Dlinois, is the largest high school
recognition publication in the country. Students are nominated
by high school principals and guidance counselors, national
youth groups, churches or by the publishing company based
upon students' performance in scholarship award contests or
extracurricular activities.
Final selection is determined on the basis of criteria which
include high achievement in academics and leadership in
school activities, athletics or community service. Traditionally,
99 percent of WHC? WHO students have a grade point
average of " B" or better and 97 percent are college bound.
The 21st edition of WHO'S WHO, published in 12 regional
volumes, features 550,000 students, or 5 percent of the
nations 12,000,000 high school students. They represer
18,000 o the 22,000 public, private and parochial high schoool ?
in the country. >
WHO'S WHO students also compete for over 165,000 in
scholarship awards and participate in the publication's annual
opinion poll of teen attitudes. The book is distributed to over
15,000 high schools, colleges, universities, and public libraries
throughout the country.
Local students selected for this year's volumes are:
Pembroke
Raymond Brayboy. Kimberly A Brocks, Royal Travi!
Bryant, Charlotte Chavis, Victoria Chavis, David Clark.
Anthony Collins, Wilton Dwayne Cummings, April Dial,
Shana Dial, Tina Huddleston, Dhristopher Dwayne Hunt,
Samuel Jacobs, Betsy Loekiear, Stephanie Lowry, Leslie ?
Caryn Maynor, Marcetla Oxendine, Sandra Rone ice Pipkin,
Eleanor Raaon, Sabrina Sanderson, Brian Woodeil. Bruce
Woodell, James C. Woods. Nkm Loekiear. FVod Woria*.
Roeford f
Robyn Hardin. Dale LoeUear, and Dean Jacobs.
JbuAmd
Rose Strickland, Cannon Doses, Amy Baker, and Deborah
Chavis.
Aennoo ^
^ .? ....