Newspapers / The Carolina Indian Voice … / Aug. 11, 1988, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
1 a mi PUBLISHED EACH THURSDAY ^? y folium 0\R<OGI2SKV IK0DIi?sl 1PQDXC3E 1 1 "Building Cmnmunicafciue Bridges y ,' | Pembroke? isr.c. In A Cri-Racial getting" ? e robeson county VOLUME 16 NUMBER Si 25$ THURSDAY, AUGL '//, <a&s ART COLLECTOR AND PREPARES TO RETURN TO NATIVE ROBESON COUNTY Art Collector Riley Oxendine relaxes during a recent visit to his native Pembroke, NC] by Barbara Brave boy-Locklear Special to THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE As sure as the leaves fall come October, Riley Oxendine will hang up his work hat which he has worn for 30 years with International Telephone and Telegraph. Hie Lumbee Indian's hat won't be the only thing he'll have to hang. There will be dozens of art pieces to hang as well. The Robeson native has been a serious art collector since 1955. Until he was 18 years old, Oxendine collected dreams. One of 11 children bom to the late Colon and Eva Jacobs Oxendine, he says he had a lot of time to dream while cropping tobacco and chopping cotton in the fields his parents farmed outside Pembroke. When school was in session, he drew on studies in history and geography to dream of places and their landmarks. As a young student at Pembroke Graded School he read of the Eiffel Tower in France, the Great Wall of China, the Niagara Falls in New York and Yankee Stadium. He envisioned one-day visiting them. "During the late 1940's and early 50's, these were places the average Indian could dream about, read about, but never see," recalls the 53-year-old bachelor. Oxendine continued to dream into high school at Pembroke. And he took the advice of his father and read everything he could get his hands on. He says he became increasingly relunctant to share his dreams with his siblings and friends because they teased him and told him he dreamed too much and that he'd never live to realize any of the dreams. ; When he turned 18 years of age, Oxendine figured he'd dreamed long enough. "I knew Td never make enough money in Robeson County to see all the places I wanted to," he remembers. "I figured if I got in the Army and was assigned to the right outfit, I could see them free of charge." On a cold, dreary day in January, 1953, he was preparing to leave his family to enter military service. "It was a day Til never forget," he comments. "My dad came into my bedroom and gave me three dollars and some advice." "He said 'Son, you're going out into the world. Strive to do the best you can be. Treat the other guy the way you ' want to be treated, and you're be okay.'" The tenth-grader says he dropped out of school because he wanted to see the world. He began his journey when he reported to Ft. Jackson, SC for basic training. He was later transferred to Newport News, Va., and shortly * thereafter transported to duty in France. It was during his three-year stay in that country that he was formally introduced to art galleries and fine art "During my off-duty days, I'd visit art galleries. And when I wasn't doing that I was always visiting with the many sidewalks artists in the cities," he says. ; It was in France that OxBndine purchased his first piece of art On a $140.00 -a- month pay check, he was limited to how much he could invest in something he knew so Uttle about He paid $80.00 for the painting.' Drawing on $4 haunting advice of his father to learn all he could about everything, Oxendine sought to learn more about fine art and the artists whtf produced it Later when an offer of $800.00 came on his first pieee of art investment ;ia? took it two years after his initial purchase. > In 1967, after completing his military commitment .Onendine chose to end his Army career. He says he got ooi because of financial reasons. TTw pay was too little. -I -The ex-Army rifleman's thoughts turned towards his Hbrture. He'd visited parts of the world, yet had nevef fodlly visited his native eountry-the U.S. Just a few days -before his honorable discharge from a Louisiana base, ho -ffsfit to the poet* library and began research on states' ladbme per capital. He ruled out several, NC included, < because they ranked at the bottom in 1987. He found that :*trv York, Michigan, California and Alaska ranked Aghast Some Arfty buddies had chosen Alaska, but the Lpmbee Indian had to be sure he'd seen the U.S. before -fettling into one place. The dreamer traveled to Florida where he boarded a pasesngsr train. He ended up in Maine. Once there, he ? ? ? *? .? 4 spent a few days, then boarded another train, riis destination - Seattle, Washington. "I saw America up and down and across," he says. A short stay in Seattle netted him his first major art purchase in the U.S. Having toured the country, he went in search of employment in Alaska. He says upon seeing the high standard of living there, he decided it was a land of financial promise for a formerly poor farm boy. Oxendine had completed high school studies in the military and felt confident he'd land a job with ITT located at a radar sight on Barter Island. He began work in the transportation department two weeks later after convincing the conservative Republican personnel director he was supporting Nixon for President. "At the time I wasn't even registered to vote," a liberal Democrat Oxendine laughs. "Until this day, the man thinks I'm a conservative Republican." Oxendine says he fell in love with Alaska's climate, wind and sun. He also fell in jove with art - all mediums of it. Until 1963, he often-times sold art acquisitions. After then, he says he quit selling the art he collected because he became too attached to it. He says he has bought art primarily for pleasure than for investment value. "The investment becomes the bonus of a piece of work after you've bought it and enjoyed it" "If you go into an art gallery and see something you like, buy it! Listen to no one who discourages the purchase. For nine out of ten times, someone else is going to enjoy looking at it, too, over the years," he adds. "I'd rather buy a good piece of art by an artist who is unknown than to buy a poor piece by a known artist," he says. "If you can afford it, buy two pieces of the artist's work. If financial needs develop, you can always sell one and have one to keep," he advises. Oxendine especially likes original prints and lithographs. Among his extensive collection are works by Salvador Dalis. For the past 30 years, Oxendine has maintained close ties with his family and friends in his beloved native county. "When you' re young, you want to get away, but as you get older, you want to come back home," he admits. It was during a return visit to Robeson County five weeks ago that Oxendine was invited to attend the annual Strike At The Wind art auction dinner at Ramada Inn in Lumberton. On the last Tuesday in June he took a seat beside family members in the far back of a crowd-filled banquet room. He went un-noticed until bidding began on a four by five-foot commissioned painting of Henry Berry Lowrie. The 300 guest supporters who had paid $25.00 each to attend the fundraising event all took notice when the gavel struck a final tap at a top bid of $10,100., for artist Tara Lowery's "The Spirit of A People." Riley Oxendine had bought another jem to add to his collection. He says he bought the piece of art for two reasons. He liked it - the man, the face. "Henry Berry Lowrie is my hero. He was brave and showed great strength in doing what he did back then." He further adds, "I bought it to help Strike At The Wind which I feel is a very worthwhile program." The art collector says he plans to leave the Lowery painting on loan to Pembroke State University's Native American Resource Center as long as Adojph L Dial allows his " Rhoda" to hang in the museum which houses American Indian artifacts. "The two pieces of work of man and wife look nice together," he says. He says he believes in promoting local artists and feels more people will see the work at the Resource Center rather than in a private home. Oxendine eagerly awaits October for with it comes his season of retirement. "I've been away from Robeson County for 30 years, but everyday of the 30 years, I've been reminded of home when I heard or saw something that reminded me of my native county," he comments. "You can take an Indian away from his homeland, let him travel the world and work among other races of people, but you can never change his race. If I could be anything else in the world, I wouldn't want to be anything* but a Lumbee Indian." SAY YOU READ IX IN THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE SCHOOL NEWS jdsnflHHHHHI - FUTURE DIPLOMATS: Ctrl G. William* of Bethune-Cookman College, Dayton* Beach, Florida; Kelvin P. McClinton of the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia; and Paul Locklear of Pembroke State University, Pembroke, N.C., chat informally with James A. McGinley, Deputy Associate Director for Management, United States Information Agency (USBA), Washington, DC., while taking part in USLA's Foreign Service Orientation Program for Minority Student*. The students wen among if from 16 colleges in 14 states chosen to participate in the UHA program which was geared to encourage minority students to seek careers in ? the diplomatic service. * ? ?* O It i ? WHAT NEXT??? >!? 3 Z3 o ? Next week the Republicans have the opportunity to grab their share of the national spotlight. The Republican National Convention will be held in New Orleans with George Bush as the standard bearer. The Republicans will attempt to match the excitement of the Democratic convention and George Bush holds the cards for creating this excitement His best chance of doing this is by waiting until the last possible minute to name a qualified running mate and by selecting a person that had eluded the attention and speculation of the national media. So far we have heard mention of Baker. Kemp, and both Doles as possible running mates. In addition, several current governors are under considera tion for the number two spot. The excitement builds as we all wait to hear the name of Bush's choice --- well maybe its not excitement, just curiosity. Oh, by the way, when you hear on television the words, "I'm just looking for a Busch", remember that is a beer and not a political commercial! In several newspapers we have seen an advertisement which says, "Ollie and Betsy North Need Your Help Now!" The ad asks for your contribution to assist Oliver North by helping "defray legal costs and to assure that his family is properly guarded and that no harm comes to them". The ad goes on to paint a picture of a patriotic American whom the government is out get. If North had had faith in the American people and in our form of government, he would not have acted outside the framework of our constitutional government. When an individual or group of individuals make important national policy decisions and act vithout the knnuiedge of the President of the United States or the consent of Congress, they in effect set themselves up as a de facto government. This is not the American way! We did not elect Oliver North or his cohorts! Consequently, North would not now be in such a mess if he had let the elected, constitutional system of government work. North has no one to blame for his current situation other than himself. In our opinion, if you have money to donate, donate it to your church and let Oliver North take care of the mess he created. As you probably noticed, a couple of our "lame duck" county commissioners have decided they wish to attend a convention in California. This will be at the county's expense of coprse. Both commissioners. Taylor and Morgan, stated they felt this would help them better contribute to Robeson County in spite of the fact they will no longer be commissioners. Seems if Taylor and Morgan really wished to contribute to the county, they would pay their own way to this convention. We feel the rationale of these commissioners is pretty lame, but since there is no policy against such waste of taxpayer's money, we can only gripe about the waste. We feel one of the first items of husines ? "r n commissioners need to address is the T? ? X , cn C "lame duck" commissioners (h^oppo; cr " ? * at taxpayer's expense. This policy sh * I and a new one written which allc S, ? ' commissioners the opportunity to Z' Z ! important conventions so they can b r> . I preparing for their role as county c<1 " ? county should spent its dollars where ? the most benefit. Common sense wnul ! that spending money on outgoing rati : commissioners is wasteful. In addition to correcting the travel policy for outgoing commissioners, our newly elected county commissioners need to insure that outgoing (i.e. "lame duck"! commissioners never again set the budget for our county. Some change needs to be made to insure that elected officials, who are defeated, cannot make binding decisions (ex. dismantling the recreation department, guaranteeing life insurance for commissioners with eight years of service) that will haunt the citizens of Robeson County for an indeterminant period of time. All actions by outgoing commissioners should be subject to the review and approval of the newly elected county commissioners. We desire true representation not mindless retribution by some defeated politicians. Ry designing a framework whereby the power of "lame duck" commissioners is held in check, the citiz.ens of Robeson County will be assured of better representation and more responsible decision making. Why are companies the last to know? 'Die workers of the House of Raefonl recently went on strike over several issues including poor pay. The management was obviously taken by surprise and after a couple of days it succeeded in having its employees return to work. Now there is talk of organizing a union to represent workers at the House of Raefonl. Too many times it seems employers fail to recognize the humanity of its workers. Rome employers ignore legitimate complaints. Rome exploit their workforce. Rut, for some reason, employers are taken by surprise when the workers stand up and demand their fair share. We realize the important role a non union climate plays in the successful location of many industries to North Carolina and to Robeson County. The South has traditionally rejected unions. Roulherners have felt that if they work, the employer will do right by them. Radly, this is not always the case and the non-union Southerner#1 gradually waking up to the fact that labor problems can often be laid at the door of management. As a subtle reminder to those industries that exploit people; if you persist with your current policy, many people just might decide that, union is no longer a four letter word! Our advice: be guided by the old saying, "you reap what you sow!" Town of Pembroke Named After Railroad Official Where did the Town of Pembroke and subsequently Pembroke State University get its name? It was derived from Pembroke Jones, Sr., a prominent citizen of Wilmington, N.C., which is a couple of hours drive from Pembroke. Jones "was principal stock holder in the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad," according to the New Hanover County Public library in Wilming ton. Ill rough the research of Harry Warren of the New Hanover Mu seum of the Lower Cape Fear, a reference was made not only to Pembroke Jones, Sr., but the Town of Pembroke in the 1968 edition of the North Carolina Gazetteer, pub lished in Chapel Hill. The article said that the Town of Pembroke was "named for Pem broke Jones (1825-1910), an official of the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad which intersected the Wil mington, Charlotte and Rutherford Railroad here (at Pembroke)." The article also said the Town of Pembroke was "originally called Campbell's Mill on Waterhole Swamp; later, Scuffletown, after Scoville Town in England " This ties in with the Lumbee Indians' claim of being descendants of the English colony -at Roanoke Island'in North Carolina. The North Carolina Gazetteer item also says, "Today, it is the center of Lumbee Indian business and social life." It adds, and "Home tff Pembroke State College (now Pem broke State University)." As Warren noted, the "Chronicles of the Cape Fear," written by James Spnmt and published in 1916, also refers to Pembroke Jones, describing him as a Naval officer of the Confederacy. The publication states: "J. Pembroke Jones, a prominent officer in the U.S. Navy, resigned his commission and Joined the Confede rate Navy. He was first lieutenant commanding on the Iron-dad sloop of-war, Raleigh, which carried four guns and which attacked and broke the (Union's) Cape Pear blockade. He seised with distinction in several * ^ departments of the Confederate Navy and after the war was employed by the Argentine Republic upon important military defenses." Pembroke Jones, Sr., had a son, Pembroke Jones, Jr. (1858-1919), who was not only a prominent businessman but the owner of the most famous estates in the Wilming ton area--"Airlie" and Pembroke Park. This was according to informa tion in the "Land of the Golden River," by Lewis Phillip Hall, published in 1975. The publication also states of Pembroke Jones, Jr.: "Mr. Jones was a man of wide business connections and was at one time the president of the Cape Fear Rice Milling Company in this city (Wil -mington). He also controlled a number of mills in Loiuisiana and Texas. During World War L he was vice president and director of the Carolina Shipbuilding Company..." "Airlie" is still a beautiful tourist attraction in southeastern North Carolina, famous for its gardens, especially at N.C. Azalea Festival time. . y There i& also a Pembroke Jones Park in Wilmington today. And so from the honored name of Pembroke Jones of Wilmington came the name of both the Town of Pembroke and Pembroke State Uni versity. The Coach's Corner H'$ Seen A Good Sanmir Highlights of course is the satis faction I get from seeing nineteen kids learning to swim in my backyard pool. Also the Saturday morning teenagers now developing their tennis and swimming skills. We work on fundamentals of serving, both the slice and top spin serves, top spin forehands and backhands. Oat fore hands and backhands, net play with baekspins on both sides. Two of my Uds are the daughters of my former No. 1 player, A1 Fisher who is now confined to his wheel chair with multiple sclrosis. His elder daughter Jennifer is trying out for the Fairmont tennis team. I sure hope she makes it. My golf game stays the same- no improvement but fun to play. Kids are thinking of going back to school now the size of the groups are diminishing. Families are taking to the beach for their last fling. It's kind of empty at the PSU tennis courts and the back yard p&ol, even my Converse five, some is missing three players. Memory Lost My wife's mental condition of benign decensis is about the same, no worse but no better. She enjoys eating out and we do alot of that. It's a tough condition to see since she was a brilliant piano player, typist and I don't think she ever taught a music class at PSU without a typed lesson plan. But life goes on and everyone does the best they can. I hope you all had a good summer. Ken Johnson WOK AT THATFISH!!! Aim McMiOim of ftwtwh it tkoMM with tko 10lh pound oat flak ho caught at Pinoloko Hark iu }\mbmho. Aim onjayt/khiag hi Ml ijmrv Kmc. Ho it the ton of Loftto md Cherry McMiOim.
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 11, 1988, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75