TfljH CAROLINA INDIAN ^OICE
j : ed each Thursday by First American Publications, Pe
VOLUME 24 NUMB . ~ THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1997 ^ TWENTY-FIVE CENTS
r ^
Cong ional Redistricting Affects on Robeson
I 'IIBHiiiil A Report From Representative Ron Sutton, District 85
March was an active month in
the General Assembly. Last week
was especially busy and important
to Robeson County and all of District
85.
As you know. North Caroiina
was required by the U.S. Supreme
Court to re-draw U.S. Congressional
Districts afterdeclaring District
12 unconstitutional. The Federal
Court late last year gave the
General Assembly an April 1,1997
deadline to submit new districts or
the Court would draw their own
lines.
Realizing the unique situation
involving District 85 and the redistricting
process, our multi-cultural
population and Robeson County
being the home of Congressman
Mike Mclntyre of Lumberton, 1
requested and was appointed as a
....mber of the House Congressional
Redisricting Committee.
Most of the redistricting was done
through negotiations between the
N.C House. N C Senate and incumbent
Congress members in Washington.
Numerous proposals w ere made,
considered and rejected without formal
vote in Committee
For example, the original House
proposal split Robeson County almost
down the middle w ith approximately
half in District 8 )Congrcssman
Hefner's District) and the balance
in District 7 (Congressman
Mclntyre's District). 1 was opposed
to that plan for many reasons, but
expressly because it split the Indian
population down the middle The
plan was adopted in Committee over
my objection, but was later abandoned.
Several other plans were proposed
and during the week of Ma IT ft
17th the House adopted a second
plan that was more favorable to District
85 and kept Robeson County
almost in tact.
However, between the time of our
leaving Raleigh for the weekend on
Thursday March 20th and our return
on Monday, March 24th, significant
changes were proposed and made in
the Committee Adopted Plan. These
changes were reportedly based on
input from Washington. Upon my
learning of the changes, I immediately
let both he House and Senate
Chairmen know of my objections.
The revised plan took the former
North and South Smith Precincts,
now know as Prospect and Oxendine.
from thcMcIntyrc District and
placed them in the Hefner District
This severely diluted the Robeson
County Indian vote as this affected
over 2.100 registered Indian voters
By the time 1 learned of the changes,
they were already printed in a new
document and were soon tobebrought
before the House Redistricting Committee
for approval on Tuesday.
March 25th Not only was the substance
disturbing but he manner in
which it was handled was upsetting
to me
During the House Committee
hearing on the "revised" plan. I attempted
to amend the plan back to its
original form. My amendment lost
11 toJO. Although I lost in Commit-rteer-Pdidn't
give up
, I had the general Assembly legal
staff prepare a proposal to shift Prospect
and Oxendine Precincts back
with the rest of Robeson County and
give Congressman Hefner two precincts
in Cumberland County. These
precincts did not include Fort Bragg
I ran theplanbyCongressman Mclntyrc
and the Senate Redistricting
Chairman was to do likewise with
Congressman Hefner. Congressman
Mclntyrc did not object, as long as he
kept Fort Bragg as per the previous
plan. Congressman Hefner wouldn't
agree unless he received Fort Bragg
in Cumberland County from Congressman
Mclntyre's District. Without
further consultation. Senator
Cooper agreed with Congressman
Hefner and so informed me the next
day Although Congressman Mclntyre
wanted to keep Fort Bragg in
District 7, most proposals considered
throughout the process tentatively
transferred it to Congressman
Hefner in District 8
During the House floor debate on
the redistricting Bill, 1 again ran an
amendment to return Prospect and
Oxendine Precincts to District 7, with
the bulk of the rest ofRobeson County.
This time it passed with a vote of 117
to 0.
Incidentally, a local staff member
said that my amendment that changed
a redistricting bill was the first to
pass on the House Floor in this 20
years on the staff. All other amendments
during the House Floor debate
last week were defeated.
The House redistricting Bill was
passed in the House on Wednesday.
March 26th and went to the Senate.
After much debate and without further
amendment* the Senate passed
the House bill on Thursday and it
went to Governor Hunt for signature.
It must be submitted to the U.S.
Justice Department and to the three
Judge_Fedcral Court Panel by Tuesday,
April 1, 1997.
After all the work, planning,
strategizing and negotiating,"Robeson
County remained the same in the
final plan as it was before redisricting
began. Of course, all twelve Congressional
Districts had changes,
including our own Districts seven
and eight However, I believe the
plan to be reasonably fair, representative
of the population, and gives
every member of our Washington
Delegation an opportunity to be reelected
without undue harm to either
political party Readers are reminded
that only the 12th U.S. Congressional
District liens were being redrawn.
It will have no aflcct on any
other elections.
On a new subject, my bill to give
the N.C. Indian Cultural Center an
extension of time to complete fund
raising passed the House on Thursday,
March 27th with only one negative
vote. It is now in the N.C. Senate
and I have to move it through their
Committee system and have it voted
on and passed in the Senate before
the May 12th deadline, or all the
Cultural Center lands will revert to
the State of North Carolina and the
99 year lease becomes void. I will
give you the complete details of the
bill, including the requirement for
the reorganization of the Cultural
Center Board in my next report, after
it passes and becomes law.
Other significant items facing us
I
in the nearfbrthcr are the famous
"Hog" IssueBills,thcbudgel, teachers
and state employees raises, the
Governor's Excellent Schools Act
Bill and the Graduated Drivers
License Bill. On the Drivers License
Bill, you may recall on the
House Floor 1 successfully amended
it's night driving time to 10:00
p.m. from 9:00 p.m. However,
when the bill went to the Senate, in
response to the request of the bill
sponsors, they changed it back to
9.00 p.m. before they passed it.
Now a Conference Committee will
have to agree on a final time. I plan
to try and get it changed back to
10:00 p.m., but I'm not sure I can
get the votes in the Conference
Committee. While I question the
entire Bill as being too restrictive,
too harsh and extremely punitive,
I do plan to support it as something
must be done about the high accident
rate of our 16/17 year old
drivers.
We are all now in our permanent
office spaces for this term and
I remained in the Main Legislative
Building, Room 1317, My telephone
number is (919) 733-5782.
You may contact me at my Raleigh
office or in my District 85 office,
located in my Law Office, 208 j
Union Chapel Road, (910) 5214797
anytime between 8:30 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m. daily.
Miss Lumbee Attends
UNC-Greensboro Festival
Rebekah Revels, Miss Lumbec,
recently attended the Third Annual
UNC-Greensboro Native American
Cultural Festival. Master of Ceremonies
was mr. Ray Littleturtle. Traditional
flute music was performed by
Tony Littleturtle. Participants from
many areas enjoyedKatLittletuitle's
traditional storytelling.
Rebekah with Mr. Lonnie and
Ms, Ruth Revels.
Ray Littleturtle, Miss Lumbee,
Rebekah Revels, Kat Littleturtle.
Miss Lumbee, Rebekah with 1996
Miss Indian North CarolinaMillicient
Hunt
Rebekah wishes to thank ms. Jennifer
Revels-Baxter and Ms. Becky
Goins for the invitation and opportunity
to attend this wonderful event.
Scenes from the Indian Unity
Conference - March 13-15, 1997Fayetteville,
North Carolina.
Miss Lumbee and Jr. Miss Lumbee
proudly present the Lumbee Banner.
Miss Lumbee with Ms. Ruth Revels
and Mr. Ray Littlcturtle at the
banquet.
Miss Indian US A-Natascha Wagoner,
Jr. Miss Lumbee, Miss Lumbee,
Little Miss Lumbee.
Miss Lumbce-Rebckah Revels
with Mr. Monroe Chavis, Miss Lumbee
pageant coordinator at the Indian
Unity Conference breakfast.
Miss Lumbee, Rebckah Revels
with the new Miss Indian North Carolina-Melissa
Silver.
Miss Lumhee Rebekah Revels is shown with l.onnie Revels, Member
North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, and Ruth Revels, Chairman
of the Board of the North Carolina Indian Cultural Center.
Min l.umhee Rehekah Revels Ls shown with Ray and Cat l.ittleturtle of
Turtle vision. Inc..
Black History Month Observed
. Jcancttc LocHcar took first place
in the annual Black History Month
presentation in which students
.dressed up as an important person in
i
i
1
Dlack history and gave a speech on
that person's life. Jcancltc received a
fifty-dollar savings bond, courtesy of
Progressive Savings and Loan of
Pembroke
Miss Lumbee Rebekah Revels and James M. Chavis, Director of the
LRDA Tribal Enrollment Office.
Miss Lumbee Rebekah Revels and Junior Miss Lumbee Morgan ttunt
Ruth Revels, Ray l.ittleturtle and Rehekah Revels, Miss i.umnee
Pembroke High Class of '76 to be
Reunited June 14
The 1976 class of Pembroke High
School will hold their class reunion
on June 14,1997 For morcinforma
lion contact uollai Mm Oxcnainc at
422-8129, Ramona L Clark at 521 0577
or Iris Hunt Locklcar at 521 1179
Eva Sampson modeled at the Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon for
Hospice of Robeson
Sunshine House Fashion Show
Benefits Hospice of Robeson
Bright citrus colors, breezy spring
fabrics, and styles for women of all
ages dazzled more than 100 guests at
the first Spring Fashion Show and
Luncheon for Hospice of Robeson
held Tuesday at tne Kelly Green
Cafe. Mary Taylor of the Sunshine
House hosted the benefit with all
proceeds from the event' s ticket sales
going to the Hospice program of care
for terminally ill persons and their
families.
Before lunch, Miriam Edwards,
director of Hospice of Robeson, welcomed
the guests and thanked all the
people who made the event possible
At the top of the list was Taylor and
her Sunsninc House staff
"Some of my family have certainly
benefited from the Hospice
program," said Taylor. "My children,
Keith and Myra, arc active
each year with the Hospice Festival
of Trees so it was natural for me to
ofTcr to hold a fashion show when
Carolyn Clark was in the store one
day and mentioned Hospice fundraising
I can't think of any other
local organization that docs more for
the people of this community".
Edwards also thanked Hospice
Volunteers Carolyn Clark who coordinated
the event, Evelyn Smith for
procuring the door prizes, and Rosa
Jacobs who added her creative touch
to the table centerpieces Edwards
expressed appreciation to Ellen
McLean for printing the tickets and
to Lowe's of Lumberton for donating
flowers for centerpieces and door
prizes. Hospice staffers Lisa Parnell
and Anne Crain also lent their hard
work and creativity to make the fundraiser
successful. It raised more than
$1,600 for Hospice.
After a delicious lunch, the audience
delighted to a wide variety of
spring outfits selected for modeling
by Hazel Lesane. also a model herself.
A varied array of fashions, from
casual walking shorts to pastel suits
toblack and white full-length formal
gowns, was shown. Models were
Laura Britt, Laura Cave. Hazel
Lesane. Sheili Livcrmorc. Cynthia
Locklear, Brcnda Martin, Armilcc
McGeachy, Janet McLean. Lisa
Parnell, Adricnnc Oxendinc. Eva
Sampson. Kellcy Stanley. Mackic
Williams. Beth Williamson, and
Evelyn Williams Irene Stuart, was
the makeup artist
Mary Lou Andrews won recognition
and a prize for selling the most
tickets; Bcv Townscnd was awarded
the grand pri/e. a fashion outfit from
the Sunshine House located at 3021
Roberts Avenue
Hospice Volunteer Carolyn Clark
said that all tickets for the event were
sold out weeks prior to the event
"It's Just a shame that all 120 people \
who bought a ticket were not able to
attend," she said
Donations to Hospice in honor or
in memory of a loved one can be
made at any time by sending a gift to
Hospice of Robeson, 2300 N Pine
St . Lumbcrton For more information.
call 738-1905
Reunion to be held
ThcdcsccndantsofSionand Sarah
Wilkins, H T (Sonnic) and Rosclla
(Sis) Lowcry will rcunit on May 24,
1997 between 4 and 9 PM at Harpers
Ferry Baptist Church in Pembroke
Donations R.F.V P.. A S Af ?mk?
min. per person. Children under 10 $4
00 For more information contact
Hazel Strickland at (*>10) 521-3664
or contact John Lowery at (301) 5875434