? > .;.1 - <1, ,, v-'
! Riders and Traditionalist^
? Comer
w ' - V
by W D. "Wii" Lucklear
well, we got us two Indians, a
Black, and a couple ofWhites wanting
to be Sheriff, Miss Connee. I d sure
like to see one of our people git the
job. The way I figure it. MissConnee.
if we're half as good at keeping the
law as breaking it, we ought to do a
mighty fine job in the Sheriffs office
Now. one of these White men
running for the Sheriffs office is
named Lum, Miss Connee I wanted
to bring that up cause the people might
git the idea that he's one of us. but he
ain't. He can't fool ol Wiz. Miss
Connee. 1 might not know a whole lot.
but one thing I know is a White man
when I sees him
You know we got us an Indian
woman running for the Clerk of the
Court. Now, ol Wiz is mighty partial
toward Miss Jo Ann Locklear and tlie
women folk in general When you
look around, its the women amongst
us that have kept things going, doing
the work for our people, and so forth
We got us a woman running our Indian
paper, a woman leading us in
Washington on our recognition, and
most of our delegates writing our
constitution are womenfolk Now. if I
were them, and Miss Jo Ann. I'd
watch out for some of us men We
Indian men have a bad name tor
coming in when the works being laid
ciut and tearing up things that's good
for the people. Its a shame to say it. but
) I ain't never knowed a woman to tear
up something that the people put
| together It'ss always a man He's
? usually full of pride and self
importance. Now . not all men are like
thai. Miss Connee. We have got us
some mighty fine men in our
community working our land, building
all these bouses going up, and just
working to take care of their families
But I tell my boys. Miss Connee.
to stand behind their womenfolk cause
the older I git. the more I hold to the
notion they got more sense about
certain things than a whole lot of the
men I know The only time we need to
stand in front of them is when we have
to protect them Otherwise, we need
to leave them alone so they can go on
taking care of the rest of us
Now. about the LRDA. Miss
Connee You know I told you that me
and the boys at the store had figured
where our delegates could put them in
our constitution It won't do. Miss
C oiuiee. to put them over the people
cause you can't have a private
corporation with no members running
a tribe foil of Indians And. you know
them corporations can go broke on
you. like the FCX did some years
back And. cause they 're private and
all of tliai. tliey ain't going to be
telling you u hat they re up to
So. me and the boys figured that
seeing how you can't put a private
- corporationoveratnbefollof Indians,
that maybe our delegates could put
the tribe over them I'm told. Miss
Coiuiee. Dial this is the way it works
with al I these other tribes, and 1 reckon
its time that we start acting here like
a tribe if we 're to git our recognition
Course, you know, if the LRDA is
standing for the people, it'll see that
this here is what needs to be done
early Native Americans
Utilized Medicinal Herbs
I
I by Ronald H. Lowry
; Virginia Beach, VA.
Medicinal Herbs
? Medicinal concoctions are derived
Jfom the roots, leaves, barks, flowers,
find fruits of certain plants in nature
we call herbs. In the early 17thcentury.
when the European immigrants came
lo America, they brought along their
herbs for culinary and flavoring
variety ofdSPSfcTThe early seWteR
biscovered that the Native people had
h vast knowledge of the medicinal use
pf native plants They passed along
much of what they knew to some of
"the new arrivals to their land In the
late 17th century some early American
physicians in the Philadelphia area
pecame interested in Indian herbal
cures They brought official medical
recognition to several Indian liealmg
herbs by including them in official
Urug compendia of the United States
? The following is only a small
sampling of Indian medicinal herbs
? I ndian Tobacco. not to be contused
with thetype containing nicotine, was
used as an expectorant, emetic, and a
treatment for asthma
J Indian Pink, also known as
wormweed. was used to expel
Intestinal worms The C'herokees
'drank a tea made ffom Indian root tor
backaches, and the Shaw nees used it
,10 treat gas pains and coughs
? The fruit of the Mayapple. also
lenown as Indian Apple, was eaten for
5ts laxative effects The rest of this
plant is toxic, and was used as an
jtnsecnciae. a tea made trom the leaves
;and flowers of Indian Sage was used
4o treat fever ffom colds, influenza
and malaria. This herb was listed in
The National Formulary of official
drugs ffom 1926-1950. It is different
;from garden sage, an aromatic
;perennial gown in home gardens tot
?culinary use s a flavoring agent
Native Americans used Sassatfas
|root bark to treat fevers, rheumatism.
;ind as a diuretic. For a time sassatfas
- was a major colonial export to Europe.
! second only to tobacco
J The inner back of Indian Elhi
; vroduced a gummy substance used to
treat skin problems Surgeons used it
during the Revolutionary War to treat
gunshot wounds Indian midwives
used tlie sap as a lubricant to ease
labor Teas brewed from the inner
bark and leaves of the white willow
tree were used for its fever-reducing,
anti-inflammatory, and pain killing
properties in the 1830s researchers
isolated the acti v e ingredieiit. Saiicuij
.rsphin. wtiieli became!
the world's first wonder drug
In December I7UU if the
physicians attending George
Washington had utilized American
Indian herbal medicine to treat his
sore throat, chills, and fever, he may
have survived a few more years They
drew out several pints of his blood,
dosed h int w ith mercury and antimony,
gave him cathartic enemas, and
applied blistering heat to his feet The
father of our country was dead within
24 hours alter the commencement of
his medical treatment The people
w ho com medical terms have giv en us
a name fortius t vpe medical treatment
They call it tatrogenesis. which is tlie
creation of additional problems and
complications resulting from the
treatment of patients by physicians
Indian medicines and their immune
systems were not effective against the
infectious diseases the Europeans
brought to their land Many died from
diphtheria, measles, tuberculosis,
typhoid fever, and smallpox On the
other hand. Indian teas and lierbal
concoctions made from the abundant
supply ot native plants were uuite
effective against a disease which
affected the white settlers Scurvy, a
disease of the connective tissues of
the hutnan body. was prevalent among
the settlers but rarely affected the
Native Americans Later it was
discovered that the Vitamin C in the
Indian diet of fresh fruits, vegetables,
and herbal teas prevented scurvy
The white man came up with a
scheme to make some money off
Indian medicine by putting it in a
bottle to sell as patent medicine The
frontiers of America were flooded
with quack remedies and bottled cure
alls Original Indian medicinal
formulas were altered and they added
a new ingredient of 50 proof alcohol.
Before laws were enforced to coutrol
the distribution of drugs, traveling
medicine shows were common across
the land claiming their medicines
purified the blood, and was a cure for
almost any tvp4d>m??f' m hs^s
are still good medicine today Valerian
root and chamomile are two good
sedatives to promote sleep An extract
from saw palmetto berries is currently
being promoted to prevent enlarged
prostate glands in males over 40.
Serenoa Serrulata from the berries is
said to counteract the decrease in body
produced testosterone in males. Some
health care people tell us that a
decrease in testosterone in males will
cause the prostate to increase in size
producing undesired symptoms. Most
of the studies confirming the use of
Serenoa Serrulata for preventing
enlarged prostates were done in
Europe American Indian medicine
men in the southeastern United States
were promoting the use of berries
from the saw palmetto trees to their
male population as an aphrodisiac
long before the Europeans arrived. As
the result of our know ledge today, the
aphrodisiac effect was due to the fact
that the active ingredient ofthe berries
decreased the size of the prostates of
these original Americans I don 't know
if the medicinal use of the berries of
the palmetto tree played a pari in the
decision ofthe state of South Carolina
to choose it as the state tree
Today the active ingredients of
the common medicinal herbs have
been extracted and formulated into
the right dosage for human
consumption. Some pharmacies.
Itealth food stores, and mail order
companies have abundant supplies of
these formulations for sale Caution
should be utilized before consuming
herbal medicines, as related to
allergies and interactions with ones
normal drug usage Today there seems
to be a resurgence of interest in herbs,
and most libraries have good reference
sources.
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P CATALYTIC CONVERTERS B
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I ?.22"6 00 1010 W. 5TH ST.. LUM6EHTON I
P' f'^??N?TESFROMM?5__iy
On The Pow .
Wow Circuit^
The following list of upcoming powwows is not intended to be a
complete list Anyone hav ing information about upcoming powwows
not listed is encouraged to send them to Wild Turkey. P O Box 1075.
Pembroke. NC 28372 or fax to (9101 52I-W75
'February 12. IW4. Native American Powwow The North Carolina
SchoolofScienceand Mathematics.Charles R Elber Physical Education
Center. Durham. NC Joe Liles. ">19-286-3366
* March 18-20 Pow-Wow Greenville. NC (4101788-0689. (919(257
1720
* March 25-26. 1994-Annual Festival of the Four Holes Indian
Organization (The Natchez KussoTnbei Call (803i 871-2126
* April 1-2 NC State University Pow-Wow. Reggie Oxendine (9191
839-2214
* April 9. Duke University Pow-Wow. DanaChavis<9|9i 613-1942
' April 15-P Haliwa-iaponi Pow-Wow. Hollister. NC <9191586
4017
* April 7-9 Raleigh. NC Pow-Wuw <4101788-0689. (919(257-1720
* Apnl 29-5/1 Harrisbuig. PA i4IO< ?'88-0689 or i919?257-1720
* Ma> 7- Hoke County Schools Indian Education Pow Wow South
Hoke Elementary School Gym Info <9101 875-4106
?May 13-15 Lumbee Cheraw Spring Pow Wow. Robeson C ounty
Fairgrounds. Lumberton. N( For info. (9101521-8602
* May 21-22 Richmond Community College <9|9| 582-7071
* June 16. 17. 18. A 19. Rebinh of the Traditional Spiritual
Gatherings, a Tribute to the Great Spirit. Father of all Indian nations.
North (arolina Indian C ultural ( enter ( all Spotted Turtle |9ll)i 521
4178. Painted Turtle <9101 521-0020 ?ir Wild Turkey <9|9> *2l-282o
* June 24-25 Allentown PA. IViw-Wow <4IOi,8M>68v
'Julv 15-17 Howard County MD (4101788-0689. (9|9? 257-1720
' July 29-31 Virginia Beach. i4I0i 788-0689 or (919) 257-1720
* August 26-28 Baltimore American lndianCenterPow-Wow(4IOi
675-3535
* September 15-17 Guiltord Native American Associations 19)273
8686
* November 7-1.1 Gieat American Indian txpo (4101 788-0689
* November 21-2" Natiu American Pow-Wow. Baltimore. MD
?4IOi 675-3535
Traditionally Speaking
A TIME FOR HEALING AS
WELL AS DEVELOPING
CI!LTV HAL PRIDE
i Reccnilv Uaswaiclungiek-wiion
and saw a show that was dealing with
"While Supremacy Group*' and
I iouad their comments humorous
Theae peraoos were teaching hate and
staled thai ail the minorities should
return to the land thev came from
became the meat United States of
America iaa whisc out?ay Ocduianlv
I would not validate a ludicrous point
of view such a* this by commenting
on it. but in this article I want to
discuss the necessity of developing
cultural pride without demeaning the
cuhurai pride of other groups
We can leant \ aluable lessons from
these mostly under-educated European
Americans (white people) who
comprise these groups and in the
tollowintt paragraphs I will discuss
M>nie ofthese lessons First, ifa group
of individuals can only gaut self esteem
by advocating the hatred of another
group or groups solely because thev
are different, then the self esteem that
is gained ta really hollow All tlte
various groups that are a part of the
United States citizenry have many
reasons to be proud of their heritage
and should focus on these positive
aspects of their cultural heritage This
is the point our own NATIVE
AMERICAN ELDERS are advising
us to develop as we promote our
cultural heritage We as NATIVE
AMERICANS have many reasons to
be proud of our heritage and that does
not include the destruction of anuthei
people s culture So. I sav to vou be
ptood of vourNATIVE AMERICAN
cultural heritage but respect the
heritage of otaiK vou would have
them reaped yours Id ike words of
ike wiae one* negativity begets
negativity Aisa.w# should be positive
lowaid all . ulluics bcvaUSt wea?sl!
children of the CREATOR
Additionally, when agroup promotes
bate toward another group, other
groups tend to mm against these
groups. Second, through the spirit of
cooperation nugor accomplishments
cast be achieved that will benefit ail of
us. Ifwedevetopapositiveattitude in
our interact ions with other people, we
will be a pan of the healing process
that is needed to make this world a
better place m which to live We
Mi advocate tolerance toward
people of different cultures while at
the tame time retaining a pride m our
own NATIVE AMERICAN culture
Some scholars are of the opHuan that
cultural pride of one group w ill always
promote prejudice toward other
groups. I disagree with this premise,
nirough a new spirit of cooperation
we can begin to change some of the
negative changes that society has
brought on Mother Earth
Some of our elders feel that we
must teach other groups our way of
living in halance with the natural
environment if the planet earth is lo
survive As NATIVE AMERICANS
we should share our concents that
respect all living beings ana things
and at the same time learn from other
cultures that also respect MOTHER
EARTH
Today is the day to begin sharing
and caring tor each other as NATIVE
AMERICANS as well as people ot
different vultures
~m| -? ^ ,
MISS LULA WAS AN ANGEL
I have known very few people in
my life whom I thought were close to
the angels Miss Lula Lockee was
one of them. She was one of the most
positive, clean-living, good-hearted
people I have ever met
She and her husband Mister
Archie were neighbqfs of my
grandparents for many years Their
son married mv aunt And while they
and my grandparents fell out with
each oilier. I never lost my respect tor
Miss Lula
She always tried to steer us
children on the right course She knew
the difference between right and
wrong, and tried to teach it to every
child m the neighborhood, it seemed
to me
But she did not do it in an
obnoxious way. as some people did.
and assome people still do She was
genuinely interested in us as
individuals Many times I have set
across hum her at her kitchen table
and discussed my life, my school
work.my farm woirk. my home work,
and even mv girl friends AihI she
would actually listen to what I had to
say
Listening is a rare qualm in
people. I think I went throughal least
40 years of life w ithout knowing how
to listen I was not interested in
listening There weren't thai main
I '
? people who had something to say. I
thought
I mark that kind of thinking now
up to arrogance, to some innate
hostility, to some great insensitivitv
to others I had to try to train myself
not to be obnoxious, to he an active
listener That is one hard
transformation, as many of you gentle
readers all agree
Miss Lula never seemed to have
this problem Site would remember
what we children had to say. and not
just for a few days She would
remember it tor years Once in a
while she would remind us. at 15
years of age. of something we had
said in her Sunday School class when
we were 10
We used to help them w ith farm
worktomakespenduigmoney Mister
Archie was always gone during the
dav.sowe worked forher We shucked
cum. plowed, picked cotton, and
pulled weeds When we were kids, all
Iter children were away in college, or
long gone from home
Ine only one I can remember
being at home is her baby. C laudette.
But we heard many stories about the
two oldest sons. Archie Stanton and
Enle. both ot whom were war heroes
and career military men Archwasan
Air l-otce pilot, and brile was Navy
I believe both of them made Colonel
tor Captain in the Nav y i belore thev
?
?Wllltt'l I jIMjIUilllil- > HI t'l
. * ?>? " .
retired
All three boyMnd all three girls
were over-achivers They Kill are
Joyce was always my favorite. I
thought she was the most like her
mother All three girls. Georgia.
Joyce, and Claudette. live in Fort
Worth. Texas now
Miss Lula was the one who
convinced me that I had to be saved
This was at about the age of ten. She
came to me crying, in cnurch. and at
first I thought I had done something
wrong. But she was worried about my
soul
Later I learned that she had done
the same thing with almost all the
boystuid girls of First Baptist Church
She took it upon herself to try to save
the souls of all of us The ones she
couldn't get to. should have been
gotten to. Some of us did not turn out
very well But the ones she got to and
saved, without exception, turned out
all right
Most of all. Miss Lula was a
personal witness She triad. I am
totally convinced, to live her life as
purely as slie could As is the case
with most of us. I am sure she had
some bad thoughts along the way
But I am just as sure that she probably
could suppress them better than
anvone I have ever known She was
not a perfect angel, but she was very
close
I
Rebirth of the Traditional
Spiritual
GATHERINGS
A Tribute to the Great Spirit, Father of all Indian Nations
June 16, 17, 18, 19, 1994
(All day and all night Thursday; Friday, Saturday, Sunday until avanlng)
North Carolina Indian Cultural Center
?No Admission
?No Prizes
?No Competition
I /
?
Sponsored in part by Titie V, IEA Frapram,
Intertribal Caumil af Elders and the Caralina
Indian vake.
Far mare injarmatian. call Spatted Turtle
(?10) 521-4171, Fainted Turtle (bib) 521-0020ar
Wild Turkey, % CaraUam Indian Vaice (?10) 32 b
it2k
p