Newspapers / The Carolina Indian Voice … / Aug. 9, 1990, edition 1 / Page 2
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
WHAT NEXT??? The recent action by Gov. Jim Martin was sur prising and very distressing to say the least. In the past we have seen Republican administrations which have become more sensitive to Indian issues and we had foreseen the possible growth of a real two party system, especially here in Robeson Coun ty. Although voter registration is overwhelmingly Democratic, many people are increasingly willing to cross over and vote for the best man or woman even if they happen to be Republican. But Jim Martin's recent action, of removing Mr. Lonnie Revels as chairman of the N.C. Commis sion of Indian Affairs, can do nothing to foster fur ther trust or goodwill, it might be hard to support someone like Lt. Gov. Jim Gardner on a good day, but with the actions and blunders of the Martin ad ministration, Gardner's chances among Indian voters looks even worse as we move toward '92. Again it appears some individuals have decided In dians need the guidance 6f a "great white father" rather than permit tribal self-determination. We find it very curious Gov. Martin would remove Mr. Revels as chairman of the N.C. Com mission of Indian Affairs. The commission was created to encourage and foster the fair and effec tive treatment of Indians and the issues impacting them. It would seem the commission's board would have been permitted to select its own chairperson. But apparently Mr. Martin does not trust Indians and has a problem with allowing Indians to choose their own leaders. But the problems extend even deeper. Gov. Martin did nothing to assist Lumbees in their effort to seek federal recognition. He did not write in support of this effort; he did not testify or speak publicly on behalf of the Lumbee bill. Gov. Jim Martin did nothing! But, when the future of the Indian Cultural Center was threatened by a golf course, Jim Martin jumped right in the fray and he was again, in our opinion, on the wrong side of the issue. Apparently me had a problem with Mr. Revels' strong support of the cultural center. There was a considerable amount of maneuvering behind the scenes as some individuals sought to develop the golf course and it appears Martin supported this ef fort at the expense of the cultural center. It was rumored Rep. DeVane had even lined up some in vestors who were interested in purchasing the land for development. So when Mr. Revels publicly sup ported the cultural center, Martin seemed to view this as disloyalty to the administration. And in the past Mr. Revels was apparently om the wrong side of another issue when he supported the appoint ment of Dexter Brooks to the newly created judgeship in Robeson County. Martin was heavily lobbied, by Joe Freeman Britt, to appoint Henry Ward Oxendine to the position and again Mr. Revels' public statements were viewed as being disloyal to the Martin administration. And that is where the governor is way off base. Mr. Revels had the duty and responsibility to repre sent the best interests of Indian people and not blindly follow the Martin administration's blunder ing. Did Gov. Martin really desire a front-man, a puppet who would speak only when it was supplied with "official words"? Is dependence to be dream and destiny of Indian people in North Carolina under tutelage and control of Gov. Jim Martin? Does he see himself as our new "great white father"? Perhaps we really do understand why Mr. Revels was fired. Gas prices have risen in Robeson County as they have throughout our nation. Sen. Terry Sanford is one among many lawmakers asking for an in vestigation of the recent gas price increases. It seems inconceivable to us that such price in creases can be legitimate since the gasoline now be ing used has long since been bought. But this is typical of some companies who put profit above all else. Have you ever wondered why most oil com panies chose to raise the price of gasoline by the same amount? Do you reckon they are talking with each other? We see the same happening almost everyday in some of our local grocery stores. Have you ever walked into the store and picked up an item only to see three or four different prices on that item? These stores are obviously following the lead of the bigger companies and seem not to hesitate to take advantage of the consumer. You know that the store's first price was based on the cost of that item and the first price insured the store a fair profit. Now what do you think that store is doing when it raises its price two or three times on something that was bought and paid for weeks if not months ago? Many apparently are not satisfied with a "fair" profit! In our opinion these actions are plain and simple "price gouging" and there can be no justification for such practices in our country. While many peo ple call for less and less governmental regulation and control, perhaps they should take a good long hard look at the current practices of some oil com panies and grocery store chains. If we cannot de pend on a company to be fair, then perhaps we can get that company's attention by going elsewhere to make our purchases. Only when consumers refuse to roll over and take it, only then will things change. So let your congressmen, senators, and local representatives know how you feel and de mand action. After all, election time is just around the corner so now is the perfect time to see who your representatives really represent! excuses about the recent results of the California Achievement Test. It was recently reported that the Moore County system "dramatically" improved its CAT scores while the Scotland County system's students scored well below other students in the region. And while school systems compare scores and brag or make excuses, the education of our children continues to suffer. Several school systems are seeking federal funds to create special programs for students which will "intervene" at an earlier age in the hope of "im proving test skills." This is dead wrong! We need to improve reading, math, and writing skills and the "testing skills" will naturally follow. In our opinion, the school systems were sold a bill of gbods when they implemented such tests as the California Achievement Test because ad ministrations naturally began to demand that teachers teach items related to the items which ap pear on the CAT. And so teachers had to follow ad ministration directives and devote valuable time and energy to preparing for these tests rather than educating our children. We have faith in our teacher's abilities and with the freedom and resources, coupled with the support and backing of the community and parents, teachers will get the job done. In our view there are too many "specialists" and not enough teachers who have the sole responsibility to teach our children. The CAT is not worthy of the financial costs or the long term educational costs we currently pay. The results are not systematically or effectively us ed to create or provide approaches to meet the defi ciencies of our children and so we feel the time, ef fort, and money spent on such tests would better be used if applied directly to activities which promote and support teachers and "teaching." Robesonians certainly got a shock when the tax, bills arrived. The surcharge for the landfill was not only exorbitant but we fed it has also been misap plied in many cases. We do not believe the county can truly manage its own waste given the current level of expertise. Politics still seem to dominate many county ac been confusion and controversy surrounding the Robeson County Water Department. Many 9 Robesonians fed this department is at best, ineffi cient and ineffective. Several individuals have ask ed for an investigation but nothing has happened. ] And now with the creation of a super-budget waste program, many fear our hard earned tax dollars are again going to be flushed down the drain with little of substance to show for the expen- I ditures, Robesonians deserve a full and complete ex planation and justification for such charges for waste disposal. Call your county commissioner and i ask for a written explanation. We would be in terested in the response you receive. Mobil Oil Corp., which still desires to drill ex ploratory gas wells 45 miles of the coast of Cape Hatteras, might be in for a shock. A recent bill with a provision to ban drilling off the coast of the Outer Banks for one year, has been forwarded to President Bush for his signature. The U.S. House passed the bill by a vote of 360 to 0 and the U.S. Senate voted 99-0 in favor of the bill. Now we await President Bush's signature and then, at least for a year, we can forget Mobile Oil! Some employer* apparently feel they are the saviors of our region. Recently President Marvin Johnson of the House of Raeford (a turkey pro cessing plant in Raeford, N.C.) stated he would continue operating the plant and keep the paychecks coming if the city would forget and forgive the plant's past violations of environmental laws. Mr. Johnson also refused to pay the $70,000 in fines the company had been assessed and stated he would not post the $100,000 bond the city was requiring. All realize the importance of jobs to our region, but we support the city of Raeford's past actions and encourage them to stand firm. Regardless of the money a company brings into our region, we must never give in to blackmail. We must never sell the health and well-being of our children's environ ment to the almighty dollar. If companies cannot operate responsibly then we should forcefully tell them to close up and move on?they should not be given the opportunity to make such threats. We warned you several months ago...and now school systems have begun to either boast or make ? -* A KMRW99 ? VA b a^fl ? ^Wm m ppH H NPPHP "Heeded?"! Part-Time Instructors! ForMejirttrtty f~ Handicapptd Adults College Degree in Special Education Experience Preferred Contact Literacy Program 738-7101, Ext. 186 HHEDffiSON 1 lw XXxOMMUHITYCOlJLBae Am Efiil Oppnrtiwity Institution . ? RCp/ Seiutng Robeson Ccuntit ^JpP ,DtV/lv Ove* 15 Vecvu I t Chiropractic SPEOAUZMGM 1 CENTER AUTOACCtOEIITINJURIES WBW ? MOST 'PMHWAHCf ACCEPTED "APPOINTMENT PLEASE'*^*-\ SSMW?inuSlfiMiii ^J I / OFFICE LETS TALK MATTRESS I TEjXSpJ SAVE I V 30%MORE NOW BUY A BIGGER MATTRESS AT OUR LOWEST PRICES! ITSYOURCHOtCE II C A FROM CHJR LARGF U 9 M INVENTORY OF fXXI PREMIUM QUALITY VVy BEDCHNG BYBEMCO SLEEP SETS HURRY .SKSV, WHILE SUPPLY LASTS' ? ?MIlMiMlMpa moods BsSBrifo WEgjkhA _ FURNITURE CO Cmylf Hem numlMhim Cmtar j j. ? j i by dr. stan knioc. director op the ALONG THE ROBESOW TTRA J l. psu native American resource ctr. Archaeological studies tell us that humans first entered North America by crossing the Bering Land Bridge from Asia into Alaska. This happened at least 20,000 years ago, though some researchers believe it happened 75,000 or more years ago. These migrations brought hunters into the Americas to become the first Paleo-Indians, and ancestors of the living Native Americans of today. At least that's the story according to science. But all traditional Native American cultures, from Alaska to the tip of South America, had (or still have) their own story of their origin. These myths and legends are the cultural traditions passed down by many generations of Native Americans as part of their oral history. One such story of origins comes from Luther Standing Bear, of the Lakota (more com monly known as Sioux) Nation, who recorded it in 1933: "Our legends tell us that it was hundreds and perhaps thousands of years ago since the first man sprang from the soil in the midst of the great plains. The story says that one morning long ago a lone man awoke, face to the sun, emerging from the soil. Only his head was visible, the rest of his body not yet be ing fashioned. "The man looked about, but saw no mountains, no rivers, no forests. There was nothing but soft and quaking mud, for the earth itself was still young. Up and up the man drew himself, until he freed his body from the clinging soil. At last he stood upon the earth, but it was not solid, and his first few steps were slow and halting. But the sun shone, ' and ever the man kept his face turned toward it. In time the rays of the sun hardened the face of the earth and strengthened the man and he bounded and leaped about, a free and joyous creature. From this man sprang the Lakota Nation and. so far as we know, our people have p been born and have died upon this plain; and no people have shared it with us until the com ing of the European. So this land of great plains is claimed by the Lakotas as their very own. We are of the Soil and the soil is of us." This legend, like other Native American legends about the origin of the tribe, shows us many things. The fact that there are so many origin legends, and that most are different from the next, shows us that they have been distinct cultures for a great many generations. So many origin legends also show us that it is indeed human nature to try to explain things. It seems to be especially important to human culture to explain where "we" came from; how "we" got here; and what makes "us" different from "them." This is often a vital part of the way "we" establish "our" identity. This tendency to explain things comes from the basic human desire to classify things, to make things around us knowaMe in terms we can understand. One of the first things a nor mal baby in any culture tries to do is to sort out what can be eaten from what can not; the easiest way is by experiment-by putting it up to the mouth to test how it is. Later on, children ask "what is this; what is that," and sometimes all to often "f3 is that?" But all human cultures want to have a widely acceptable story about their origin. If one story becomes unacceptable for some reason, another takes its place. And often, when dif ferent cultures come into contact, as when Europeans came to the Americas, after a time folks end up adopting the origin story from some other, formerly distant, culture. The practice of European colonial governments in the Americas has been to take advan tage of "origins." At first, they tried to make use of, or get rid of, Native Americans because J they were of different "origins." Then, they tried eveiy conceivable way to get Native Americans to forget about their "origins" and fit into mainstream society. And now, in one of the greatest ironies ever, agencies like the Bureau of Indian Affairs insist that in order for Indian tribes to be federally recognized they must be able to docament their "origins." So "origins" are important in many ways. But the Siouan origin legend quoted above also shows us the close relationship between traditional cultures and the land on which they lived. The people are said to have come literally from the land itself: "We are of the soil and the soil is of us." There is an interesting comparison between this Siouan legend and the Christian story of ] origin, in which the first human was also made from the soil (clay). This suggests yet another possible lesson from the study of legends and cultural traditions-that no matter how dif ferent they may seem on the surface, there are usually similarities in there somewhere. Each person has to decide, on the basis of available information, what the real story of Native American origin is. Some earlier Europeans believed that Native Americans must be the descendants of the "Lost Tribe of Israel." After examining all the evidence, yon decide. For more information, call or visit the Native American Resource Center in Old Main H. Mitchell Baker, III, P.A. ATTORNEY AT LAW Fighting for victims' rights is whst wo do .. .sndj^^n wo do. I Wrongful Death ? Serious Auto Accidents N? Chorg# For loviowlng Your Com 1 -800-542-2664 919-739-7518 I 4tM FiylHilm M. Lumbwton, N.C. r Phfrrmpgifj , ffov&Yu^ ? - CW?I M14? ^ ill d Dandruff and stress Itchy and embarrassing dandruff occun when , cells In the scalp "turn over" at a faster rate than usual, a condition whkh can be triggered by stress. 1 ! Anti-dandruff shampoos usually are effective, i J but must remain on the scalp for five or six minutes. j j Alternating brands, or leaving the shampoo on ? osccasionally for 30 minutes, covered by a shower 1 cap, can also help. < j For stubborn dandruff you may need a product *1 with stronger concentrations of active ingredients. Let us help. Remember... keeping you healthy is > our businessI The Carolina Indian Voice I Newspaper is Published Every Thursday Afternoon By THE CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE, INC. P.O. Box 1075 Pembroke, N.C. 20372 Phone (019)521-2120 EDITOR Connee Bray boy I OFFICE MANAGER.....Stephanie D. Locklear I And Many Friends A Volunteers SUBSCRIPTIONS / YEAR .....$12.00 (In /VC>| I YEAR ...$15.00 (Out of NC)l /'least Inquire For Advertising Rales 2nd Clam Post ape Paid at Pembroke Post Office
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 9, 1990, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75