Newspapers / The Carolina Indian Voice … / April 27, 1995, 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
II 1 ^ I t ^TaSyrJWLINA INDIAN VOWfe* Published each Thursday by First American Publications, Pembroke, PLUME 22 NUMBER 17 THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 1995 ?T\ IIMr. Joe Chavis, Lumbee Elder: Following Biblical I Principles to Make a Difference In Community When you come to the (unset of ?your life, the only thing that nutters h!s Whether you have made a difler f| ence, according to JoeChavis. Chavis I is SI-years-old and resides in the 1 rural, farming community of Phila m delphus. near Red Springs, NC I Chavis has been a farmer for many ? years and looks on his farm with 1 pleasure and pride. "I have enjoyed 1 forming the land," he said, "but 4 most or all I have tried to make a I difference in this community " And make a difference he has ( Recently, the Govemorofthe State of ' North Carolina, honored Chavis by including him in the Order of the > Long Leaf Pine This distinction was I made because of Chavis' long time dedication to the Democratic Party, his immediate community (Philadel phia Precinct) and the Stke of North Carolina. According to the plaque that recognized Chavis' dedication, ? he has provided "wisdom and integ rity" to the State of North Carolina The presentation of this award , was made recently by Representative Ron Sutton who is also a resident of the Philadelphia community "Joe Chavis is a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party," Rep. Sutton said. "Not only dedicated, but he provides wisdom and encouragement. These arc two very important ingredients when one is in public life.' Rep Sutton presented the plaque to Chavis at the Chavis home At tending were Glenn Maynor, High Sheriff ofRobeson County; and JoAnn Locklear. Clerk of Superior Court of Robeson County Having these pub lic officials gather St his bouse was not an unusual evetir The Chavis home has long been known as the "gathering place" for local and state politicians Chavis has been very ac tive in the politics in the area for many, many years. For him, how ever, being involved in politics is just a matter of doing what s right. He recalled moving to the form in the Philadelphia community in the foil of 1946 "We bought the form in 1945 and waited for the previous owners to gather their crops before moving. I remember well that the McNairs called this the Frog Pond Farm' because it was so wet. People really didn't want ustobuy it ." Chavis takes a great deal of pride in the fact that the 100-dfcre farm is today one of the best in the stale. "We worked hard, my wife and I Interest was 5% and we financed this place for five years. We were conservative, but not selfish and we had a dear deed to this farm in three years " Chavis married Alice Anderson, the daughter of Jim and Cattie J. Bryant Anderson in 1936. He was 23 and the bride was' three months shy of 16." They worked as tenant farm ers until they moved to the Chavis farm They have five surviving chil dren, Donnie and Roy, Elmer Ray who now does the farm work, Mergie and Joe Jr Their second child, Delton died at four months of age The family resided in a small house located across the road front their present home Chavis remembered when the In dians took control of the Philadel phus Precinct '' It took us two years to get enough people to attend a precinct meeting and vote for an Indian chair man," ne said "That was in 1968 Up until that time, there were no Indians involved on the precinct level. And that was not right. We lived there, voted there and were a vital part of the community It was the right thing to do to elect an Indian Precinct Chairman And we've had an Indian chairman every since." he said Chavis has seen many changes in tus 81 years His philosophy has been "We all need to help each other " And with this thought in mind, he has conducted the daily affairs of his life, his church and his community He is modest about his service on the Board of Directors of Tri County, the fore runner for the now well known Four County Community Services, Inc. He and the late Lester Bullard, he recalls, felt the need to assist with the pro gram to provide services for under and low income families of all race*. In the late 1960's Tri County was formed to help people with referrals and other assistance to AFDC, food stamps and other available programs that mral people didn't know how to access He recalls the organizers who were representative of the three races in Robeson County, including Paul Graham, Mr Scarborough, Rev. Joy Johnson and Rev. H.E. Edwards. "When there is need, race is not important The idea was to provide services to all people in need. The T n-County Board ofDirectors worked well together and identified needs and funding to provide services,'' he stated "When I think of the people who have been assisted in the four county region now served by Four County Community Services, Inc I am humbled and feel very privileged to have been a part of that beginning We must all live here together, " he said, "So we need to help each other and not be selfish." He reminisced about events sev eral years back when he served as Chairman of the committee to bring a canal through the area "The origi nal canals around here, '' he said were dug in 1928. By 1985 they needed to be cleaned out. The water was stand ing in our fields and we needed some relief " After the state cleaned out the canal, the formers had to sign a con tract to keep the canal cleaned The Government paid for 90% of the cost to clean the canal and the local farm ers had to paid the balance Chavis recalled some of the problems caused that the Oil aeHvefy truck couldn i make a delivery to the late James Henry Locklear He needed help, and we done what we could " What he could do was enough to have the Soil Conservation women present him with an award for his efforts toward the cleaning of the 18 miles of canal He is the only Indian, to his knowl edge, that has been so honored He is humbled by many of the opportunities he has had to help oth ers, and believes that Christian prin ciple and integrity should dictate whatever a person is doing The son of the late Dannie Chavis and Aarree Jacobs Chavis, he was born in the Cherokee community. He was saved in August 1925 at Cherokee Chapel Church at the age of 13. Later that S, he joined Prospect Methodist ness Church and has been a faith ful, dedicated worker since His mother died when he was ten. His father later married Cordelia Locklea r and Chavis remembers her as being a "mother to we children '' "I am not ashamed of my record." he said "1 have served the Lord, worked hard, and am dedicated to God, my family and community ." Of course, as with most Indians, family extends to the other members of the Lumbee Tribe This dedication to Prospect Church was evident in 1950 when the family was talking about building a house "1 remember attending Box Suppers at New PrtMpect Church," he said, "a week after purchasing the farm. I spent S150 to help the building fund... I wanted the church built before we built a new house We started raising money for the church in 1945. In 1951 we completed the church." In another eftjprt to help with the building of the new church, Chavis brought the old church and tore it down Some of the material from the old church he used in building his new home. We moved into our new home in the Spring of '52 Some of the sills hereon the porch are from the old church " Chavis has served in every posi tion at New Prospect Church exoept trustee and pastor For sixteen years he served as Superintendent and has been a class leader since 1939 One of the lessons people need to learn, Chavis said, is that you can't beat the Lord at giving." I have helped others whenl could and in turn, the Lord has blessed me " Relaxing on his porch on a Spring afternoon, Chavis renuiuacet about the changes be has seen in Ms life " I have seen a lot of thins in my time," he said. I remember when Indians didn't have any doctors or lawyers or any professional people, as a matter affect He recalled the move ment headed by Joe Brooks in 1934. "Joe Brooks brought a BlackJbot In dian out of Washington here to do a blood lest I was one of the people chosen to be tested from Philadelphus...Atthat time, we didn't have an Indian who could do the typing needed for that lest. We had to hire someone from Lumberton to do the typing. Now," he continued. " we have all kinds of profcsstooals including the High Sheriff who is Indian and the Clerk of Superior Court." Chavis sees these changes being right and proper. His strong Christian faith has convinced him over and over again that serving the Lord is the first priority tor anyone who seeks success. the B*b is 0*8," he sahLilttve seen * M fUled over and over again And God blenei those who give," he arid. "The secret is not only torivenmnay, just about anybody can do that. But you have to give of yourself The Lord has rewarded me over and over again' tor aay sacrifice t might have maaein my community ! have aaaa Indiana* come into their rightful place in the political arena and I am proud ofthaL Wc have always had the ability, but . we've not always had the opportu nity Now, thai* God, we not only have the opportunity but our people are in positions where they cau offer opportunities to others." ""When you're in the sunset of your life, the only thing that matters is whether you have awde a difference Joe Chavis. m evidenced my Ma life. McNeill Advances in National Professional Society Timothy L. McNeill, director of strategic planning at Southeastern Regional Medical Center, has advanced to Diploma te status in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) In order to achieve this status. McNeill successfully passed the ACHE Board of Gov ernors' examination in health care management He will receive formal recognition of his new status at the ACHE's 61st annual convocation to be held in August in San Francisco Founded in 1933. the College is a Chicago-based ? international professional society representing more than 27,000 health care executives With comprehensive programs in credcntialing. self assessment, education, career counseling, publications, research, and public policy, the ACHE works toward its goal of enhancing excellence in health care management McNeill, a native of Robeson County, joined SRMC in May of 1993. He holds an undergraduate degree from Pembroke State University and a master of health care administration from UNC- Chapel Hill. He joined ACHE as an Associate in 1993. First Elections Board Appointed Swearing in ceremony scheduled Saturday The Lumbce Tribal Council has appointed the first Elections Board as itquircdby the Lumbec Constitution The appointments were made out of a list of names nominated by Tribal Chairman. Dr Dalton Brooks The Tribal * Council made the appointments The duties of the elections board are defined in the Constitution. Article VII Among their duties will be the administration of tribal elections, the first one scheduled for August. 1995 The Elections Board will conduct all tribal elections, recall, initiative and referendum ' proceedings ? The first Elections Board is comprised of Virginia Jacobs of Lumberton. representing District I, Joe Brooks of Fairmont representing District 2; Larry Lock lea r ofPembroke representing District 3, Harbcrt Moore of Prospect representing District 4. and Gladys Hunt of Faycttevillc who will represent District 5 The members of the Elections Board will be installed at a ceremony on Saturday. April 29. at 9 a m in front of Old Main on the PSU campus The ; public is invited to attend this ceremony Vacancies at Pembroke Housing Pembroke-The Pembroke Housing Authority has vacancies available for low-income families Currently, two, three, and four bedroom apartments arc ?' available Applications are taken each Wednesday from 9 a m until 4 p m at . 606 Lumbec Street in Locklear Court Interested persons should contact Rhonda Locklear at (910) 321-9711 The Authority strives to maintain a drug free environment necessary for family living Therefore, all persons age sixteen years old and older who plan to reside in public housing are subject to a thorough review of their criminal history Lumbee Spring Pow Wow Planned for Mav 12-13 The Lumbee-Chcraw Pow Wow will be held May 12-13 at the Robe son County Fairgrounds in Lumber ton The two dav event will feature Indian arte, crafts, food, music and dance The event is being sponsored by Lumbee Regional Development Association General admission for the event will be $4 00 According to James Hardin. Ex ecutive Director of LRDA. the festi val will feature outstanding exhibits and demonstrations of Indian arts, crafts, music and dance It will pro vide some of the best authentic Ameri can Indian arts, crafts, music, and dance ia the eastern United States Hardin said, "We expect to have someaf the best dealers in Indian arts and crafts at this event Traders will be selling authentic American Indian arts and crafts, including Indian sil ver and turquoise jewelry, pottery, basketry, and paintings representing the arts and traditions of mam inbci" He laid American Indian aniians and craAsmcn who produce high qual ity crafts will be given preference in booth selection According to Hardin the pow wow is more than a festival It is a special event that showcases high quality Indian arts and crafts, distinctive In dian cultural values and pan-Indian ceremonies It helps to recogni/e and celebrate the unique history, culture, and contnbulionsof Indiana The pow wows have had a significant positive impact upon the Indian people in Robeson County The number of people attending the pow wow has grown tremendously since the first public pow wow was held back in 1970 by LROA Thou sands of people now attend the event The number of artists and craftsmen participating in the even has grown tremendously also Contact l.umbcc Regional Devel opment Association at (9|0) 521 1602 for more information An Update From the Cheraw Tribal Council by the Publicity Committee The Lumbee Tribal Council held their bi-monthly meeting on Mon day. April 17 at 7 p.m. in the Indian Education Resource Center The pub lic is invited to attend these meetings every first and third Monday night of each month The following items were taken care of at this meeting ?Presentation from Mr Camel I Locklear Mr Locklear will be travel ing to England in July or August The Tribal Council gave Mr Locklear a donation on his trip ?Tribal Council approved to buy a computer, monitor, copier, printer and fax for the tribal office ?Resolution 94-1 was passed lobe accepted into Tribal Law Anyone interested in knowing what this reso lution says should contact their tribal representative ?Personnel and nominating pro cedures for tribal administrator was passed by the Council ?A letter was sent to Mr ' Galashkibos who is president of the National Congress of American Indi ans. asking for membership to NCAJ > The Council will wait for a response I from Mr Galashkibos. ?Chairman Dal ton Brook* re ported that he will wort with the Economic Development Committee to establish some ideas on developing the rwonfmiy for Indian people Saturday. April 29. at 9 a m in front of Old Maui (PSU), the Elocttoo Board members will be (worn into office Everyone la invited to attend this momentous occasion ?A Public Relations Committee was put into piaoe to Aimiah news of tribal meetings to the madia ?A motion and second taaa made for Chairman Brooks to sand litters to funding sources and heads of atoll on the local, stale and federal level on behalf of the tribe and the Lamfeee Pet^Therewil lbs a meeting in Wash ?on May 3, 4, and 3 tor aoa ly rccoftiu/cd tribes Tribal members have been encouraged to attend these meetinaa ?June 9. at 10 a m is Raleigh will be the meeting of the North CaroHaa Commission of Indian Aflhire. Planes contact you tribal representative and make puuis to attend this mostly in support of your Tribal Council Lumbee to be named Miss Indian USA Natascha Wagoner will be crowned Miss Indian USA on May 4, 1993 at the Capitol in Washington. D C Ma Wagoner, a former Miaa Lumbce will become the Jim Lumbee to hold the utic of Mm Indian USA A but load of community ponoM will travel to Washington on Mey4th to witness the crowning They will leave at 10 a m and return later thai night Thoac interested in attending should con tact Hayes Loch tear at 32I-IISI or Patricia Brayboy at 32I-S731 Celebration Planned with Sheriff May nor A celebration with Sheriff Olaan May nor will be hold at the Union Chapel Community Building in the Burnt Swamp Precinct on Thai air J April27, from 6 pro until ? p at Hot docs. chicfcen bog. backed baaaa and cold drinks will be served Food is free Everyone ie encouraged to ooaae and meet the sheriff I ? ?' t Hagans Named PSU Chancellor's Scholar Julius K Hagans. a senior from Purncll Swett High School, has been named a Chancellor 's Scholar al Pem broke Stale University for the 1995 96 academic year Hasans is the son of Mr and Mrs AHon Hasans cfLumbcrtoa He plans lo major in biology Chancellor's Scaolarsal Pembroke Stale Unrvershyreceive 13.000a year io attend PSU This almost covers the foil expenses of s student living oa campus with a foli-mcal plan Chancellor's Scholars lake spe cial courses, do a Master's type the lit. Mid rrcci\ c special honorvat com mencement
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 27, 1995, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75