1 i CAROLINA INDIAN VOICE
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ilished each Thursday by First American Publications, Pembroke, NC
Lumbee Indians Make Pilgrimage
to Georgia Burial Grounds
Editor's Note: This article is one
in a series about the Robeson County
Indians uho migrated to the Claxton,
Georgia area in the late lHOO's.
Jby liar bar a Braveboy-Locklear
(Copyrighted 1996)
For more than 20 years Robeson
County Indians have been drawn to
the place.
They go to retrieve fragments of
their heritage.
Thcv go in tribute to their dead who
lie there.
Thcv go and cat fruitcake made
from a famous recipe and baked in a
neighboring town.
Thcy'don't go until cold weather
sends rattlesnakes into hiding.
They made their fourth pilgrimage
nine weeks ago.
Thirty-eight Lumbee "Croatan"'
Indians from three states converged
on Wircgrass Plantation near the
Georgia community of Adabcllc to
pay homage to their ancestors buried
in the Croatan Indian Memorial
Cemetery. For Lucy A. Locklcar. 76.
it is a return to her birthplace. The
daughter of Jasper and Luvcnia
Emanuel Locklcar.' she was born
September 14. 1919 on the Wiregrass
Plantation. Her parents returned to
Robeson County wjten she was an
infant.
Arriving at a hotel in Statcsboro at
10:30 p.m. onNovcmber 10. the group
checks in for a night's rest The
following day. a Saturday! after
donning work clothes and eating a
hardy buffet breakfast, they embark
on a 16- mile chartered bus drive to
cemetery situated on a hill framed by
'?JV -i.
scraggly pines. In tow arc
representatives of the news media,
including Tasha O.xcndinc. a fellow
Lumbee. who will cover the event for
TVChannell3inFlorcncc.SC Under
rain-threatening skies chatter flows
from workers, and resonant garden
tools fill moist air Therein thisdcsolatc
area nicmoncsarc resurrected: stones
exchanged:
In 1975. keeping a promise made
to his paternal grandfather. Mr. Jasper
Locklcar. Horace Locklcar drives the
octogenarian to visit the grave of his
beloved mother. Mrs. Manthv' 'Lady
Locklcar who is buried in the Croalan
Indian Cemetery. Also taking the trip
arc Horace's wife. Barbara, and their
three young children. Mrs. Eva Harris
Brayboy accompanies the Locklcars
on the trip made on a sultry August
Weekend.
After a half day 's investigative
search and travel over rural dirt roads,
the group locates the cemetery. A trek
through a soybean field leads them up
a hill to the overgrown burial site
where they discover six weathered
white stone markers bcanng the names
of Quince AlvicOxeiidiiic: Mary Lee
Jacobs. Janie Emanuel: Halticlcan
Bell: Elha Bell: and Mantliy Locklcar
Winds, rain and summer sun have
worn lour wooden markers. Fires,
started by fanners burning o(T the
surrounding field, have charred the
markers, obliterating anything thai
might reveal the dead's identity
Ground .indentations indicate
numerous unmarked graves 111 the
cemetery
The sacred Indian burial ground.
?? i m
neglected lor more than a half century
has. for some, become a dumping
ground for discarded household items.
Rusted bed springs lay on a toppled
headstone Fallen tree branches
undcrnunp others Wild brush make
passage around graves difficult.
A while after arriving at the site
sadness permeates the place and
becomes a sadness shared by
descendants this summer afternoon.
The dirt roads traveled that August
afternoon on the Wircgrass Plantation
arc the same roads that Granddaddy
Lock lea r travclcdas a young husband,
father and farmer in the early 1900'$.
For Mr Locklcar the absence of
familiar landmarks 111 the community
w here. 50 years earlier, several of his
children wcrcrirorn. schooled and
churched. brings heartfelt
disappointment "Things sure" can
change oyer.the years. They must
have tore down the church and
houses." <Mr. Locklcar laments
enroute hoinc to North Carolina the
next day.
It was to be lus first ..>>d only visit
to his mother's gra\c since leaving
the area in 1919 And it was his
last' .out to Georgic."
Fie died fiv c y cars later in his native
Robeson County. NC
Being the sage he w as. Granddaddy
Locklcar left stories about the
dauntless Indians from Robeson
County. North Carolina: who settled,
lived and died in Claxton. Georgia
sometime between the close of the
Cix il War and the 1920 s.
-TO HE CONTINUED
Celebrates 99th Birthday
Mrs. Yergie Hammonds Burnette of Lumberton, Robeson County,
celebrated her 99th birthday at Ryan's Steak House, Lumberton, NC on
January 20. Mrs. Burnette >vas born January 2-1, 1897. She is the mother of
seven living children. They are: Mrs. Yashtie Mott of Anaheim, California;
David S. Burnette of Muxton; Mrs. Josephine Lucente and Roosevelt
Burnette, both of Lumberton; Yurser Burnette of Pennsylvania; Mrs. Delois
Revels of Lumberton; CSM Roscoe Burnette of Raeford, NC; eighteen
grandchildren; 19great-grandchildren; andhvo great-great grandchildren.
The honoree is a faithful member of ten Mile Center Baptist Church.
The event tvas hosted by Mrs. Burnette's son, CSM Roscoe Burnette, aid
a delicious dinner which everyone enjoyed.
The invocation tvas given by Rev. John L. Locklear. Approximately 106
guests were in attendance. The honoree received many cards and beautiful
flowers.
(Photo and text by Tech. Sgt. William P. Revels)
vfl !
Local EMC
provides
assistance
with heating
There is just no way to get around
the fact that cold weather means high
electric bills and December and
January have provided both.
Unfortunately, for some co-op
inembcrscxpcricncing crises, they w ill
not be able to pay their electric bills,
and they will face having their
clcctricit> cut-off Anyone who lost
power during the January ice storm
knows that being without heat all
night is a very unpleasant experience.
While there is nothing any one can
do about ice storms. Lumbec River
EMC'smcmbcrs arc doing something
to help less fortunate neighbors stay
warn this winter. Through donations
made to the "Help a Needy Friend"
program, members have contributed
more than $ 15.000. These funds w ill
be made available in February to coop
members experiencing crises.
Applications for the funds will be
taken at LREMC offices Xront 9:00
i m ? ai p in. on the follow ing dales
Feb 6. Raclord. Feb 8. Lake Rim
Office in.Faycttcvillc. Feb. 113. Red
Springs: Feb. 15. Lumberton; and Feb
20. Launnburg. For more information,
members may call 738-7906.
Lumbec Raver is a member ow ncd.
non-profit, qlcctriccoopcralivcscrving
18.0(H) families arid businesses in
Robeson. Cumberland. Hoke and
Scotland counties.
, Millard Locklear
' Makes Associate
Area Director
Mr. Millard Lock Ira r of Pembroke
was recently recognized by New Image
International as Associate Director or
Marketing at its national conference
in Louisville. Kentucky January 11. 5
12 and 13. Over 3000 independent J
distributors from all over the United
States attended this annual event
* It was v ery encouraging to see so
many pcoplccomc logcthcrtocnhancc
their skills and knowledge through
the advanced training given during
the convention." said Dale Calvert.
Director of Marketing '
This appointment of Mr Locklcar
recognizes his abilities and yeais ol
experience and integrity as an
independent business person Mr
Locklcar has a proven success record
with New Image
New Image International is a
rapidly growing leader in the billion
dollar Network Marketing industrv
The company specializes in health
and weight loss products its flagship
product "New Image Plus' is sold
lluougn a network of independent
distributors throughout the United
States
Locklcar is married to the former
Sy Ivia Sanderson. He is the grandson
of Lizzie Locklcar of Pembroke.
Rev. Welt on Lowry speaks to group during worship service held during
recent pilgrimage to Croatan Indian Memorial Cemetery near Claxton. (IA.
Franklin Tecumseh Cox, 8, .great-great-great grandson oj M an thy
l.ocklear, participates in recent cleanup of C'roatun Indian Memorial
Cemetery.
James C. Dial, left, and Rev. Welton Dowry. right, talk with Dottie
Simmons, who along with her husband, Frank, owns Wiregrass Plantation.
Lucy A. Locklear, 76, stands at the gtuve of her paternal grandmother.
Local Eye Doctor Attends
Statewide Symposium
I.ocul optometrist, l)r. Sandra l.ocklcar, shown chatting with Dr. R.(i.
Martin of Southern Pines, recently attended t arolina Eye Associates Tenth
Annual Ocular Disorders Symposium in the Moore Reginonal Hospital
Conference Center in Pinehurst, North Carolina on Suturduy, January 20th. .
Optometristsfrom North and South Carolina attended the lectures and slide
shows which reviewed a wide variety ofeye disorders and complications, and
heard about the latest techniques in caring for these eye problems.
The Ophthalmology Update was presented by 12 surgical specialists of
Carolina Eye Associates. Presentors included i)r. Robert Hale Marin, Dr.
Michael Rartiss, Dr. Dan Messner, Dr. Neil Griffin and Dr. dreg Mincey of
Pinehurst, Dr. Joe Gunn and Dr. Todd Rrown of Charlotte,'Dr. Charles
Woods of Lurnberton, Dr. Frank Christensen of Chapel Hill, Dr. Florence
Rossi of Rocky Mount, Dr. Shawn Riley of Myrtle Reach and l)r. Paul
Fellenbaum of Raleigh.
Carolina Eye Associates is one of the largest eye centers in the United
States with 16 centers located across the Carolinas.
1 'Wffir ' '"t