Editorial and Opinion Page I
Poetry by Purnell Swett High
Students of Yvonne Barnes Dial
Unquestionable Beauty
As 1 gaze into the deep blue sk> 1 sit and wonder, why do the thick white
clouds have to be disturbed w ith thunder'' As 1 stare into the ocean deep it has
always been mysterious to me. why do the waves come to and fro in beautiful
harmony continuously?
As I look into the bright sunset. 1 think of a silly question, why docs it
change from day to night with such a steady connection?
As I study a variety of animals and creatures that roam the earth, 1 am
constantly reminded of the importance of their wild and untamed birth
As I stare upon the stars in the sky and their appealing beauty I start to
wonder if they arc as parents wailing to watch over and guide me
As I look up to the tall trees that stand just beyond my door. 1 begin to stop
and have a crazy thought, why can't anyone naturally reach the top without
having to worry about a dangerous and tragic drop.
As I walk upon the beautiful green grass it's always amazing to me. how
beautiful it just grows and grows w ith such constant dignity, people steadily
walk over it with all their might, but it is not a bit frightened, it just grows
far beyond their sight
As 1 watch the four seasons change continuously I am grateful and start
to think, how wonderful it is for the weather to change, without our four
seasons everyday would be the same So as 1 review all of these amazing
things it is a constant reminder of nature, and 1 will alway s appreciate all of
the earth's pure beauty and all of the creations
By: Jasmin Ih'll
"/ Come From A
people..."
I come from a people who have
roamed the Earth free for generations.
My people were one with nature.
mother earth, and father sky.
We had one God. the Great Spirit
We traveled on foot until the hprsc
came, which helped us lolravcl faster.
Soon our world came crashing dow n,
and now we arc one no more. We
forgot mother earth and father sky.
and therefore we forgot me.
By: Marri Brooks \Death
As 1 lie in a field of sunflowers. I
gaze, up at the beautiful blue sk\ and
I begin to wonder what it will be like
when I leavclhisallbchind Will it be
like a dream that never ceased to
end? Or an on going journct without
a friend.
If 1 should happen to lake this
journey all by myself. I know that in
my heart I will notbcalonc. for I have
a God who has forgiven mcofall my
sins and promised to alway s accompany
ntc until the very end
By: Ashlfifflt Johnson
Life A fter Death
No one understands how you feel
inside. It's so dark and dismal. Life
feels like a bumpy ride. It never slops
to let you off. You have to slick it
through. Even though most of the
time you're feeling sad and blue nothingevcr
goes right Instead it all goes
wrong. You're life simply feels like a
sad. depressing song. Docs the tunc
get brighter as lime passes by? Even
if it docs still Ell never-understand
why my dad had to die.
.By: Natasha Lo\vry ,.
"ALONE"
Alone in the sombcrncss of the
night. I lie awake longing foryou and
your warm embrace. Memories of
you flooding my mind, taking me
back to another place, another lime.
Back to a time when we walked
joyously hand in hand, you whispering
softly in my ear, that you'll forcVcr
be my man.
Now those whisperings no longer
linger: you left me alone with the
snapping of her finger. Nev er again
will I feel the innocence of your
touch, the gentleness of your-lips. 1
yearn for so much.
My feelings for you 1 often resent:
I try to ignorcUhc reality: your, not
heaven sent. But no longer can 1
ignore, as I sec ybur feelings i Defeasing
for her more and more.
Suddenly I feel Ipsl and full of
pain, rcali/.ingthal w ilhouly ou. alone
is how I'll'forever remain.
Hy: Adrienne Chavis
r* a . itr w ' 'a
My People
I love my people. They arc the
gentle, the kind, the loving. 1 love my
people They are the brave, the courageous.
the strong 1 love my people
They arc the smart, the wise, the allknowing.
1 love my people. For they arc a
partof me. They have made me what
I ant. They have made me w hat I will
be .
When 1 see them. 1 see myself I
see the dark, flowing hair. 1 see the
deep, mysterious eyes. Isocthc tanned
skin, the smooth silhouette
But w hen I look in their ey es I see
more. 1 see the hardships they endured.
the struggles they overcame,
and the obstacles they bared.
Still yet. I see the blue crystal
waters of the island, the fresh greenery.
the tall lowering palms, lite
bright, hot sun. the clear blue skies,
the tropical chirping birds, the swimming
fish, the warm sands of the
beaches, the cold fresh rain, beating
steady 6n the rocks.
I love my people. 1 am them, they
arc me
Ity: Reynicu Casanova
"Life After Death "
"No one understands how y ou feel
inside to lose someone you love; it's
hard todcscribc. I t'sasifyour world
has fallen apart, and no one can
mend the pain inyourhcart. Nothing
ever goes right, instead, it all goes
wrong. Life simply feels like a sad
depressing song. Will the tunc ever
slopandgoaway orwillilgclbrighlcr
day? The answer to this question 1
may never know , but I must ask this,
grandpa why did you hn\c to go?
By: Crystal Strickland
Whyy -Pl
What makes ntc miss Iter so.
Maybe it's the way she smiled w hen
she said hello. It could have been the
smell of her sweet desserts. That
makes ntc love her so. 1 miss the way
we used to talk. When she'd say I
could do anything if I just got up to
walk Sometimes I wish I had her
back, anddrcam that she isjust somewhere
taking a nap Then 1 think of
the words she'd sometimes say.
"Time does pass thee like a breeze,
how swift it's moments fly "
In honor of my grcal-grand'mothcr.
By: Christina Bullard
All Mixed Up
I know who I am but I do not know
our heritage. The bloodlines flowing
inside of me arc as mixed upas what
is in a can of spam.
By: Nicole Mcduire
tm ?*. ?
DEAR AUN7
Dedicated to Janice Dine ( It avis
Every night that 1 see a star 1 wish
on it near and far I hope that it will
see that the vv ish I wish is not for nic
It is for my Aunt that is up above
looking down on me with much love
1 know I do wrong and I know 1 am
bad but 1 hope that you arc not mad
The wish I wish has not conic true but
when it docs I will end up finding
you 1 know you can hear me even
though you arc gone But nty heart
still beats for our love is strong I
never got the chance to tell you how
I feel so this one is for von Aunt Jan
I L.OVF. YOU still!!!! '
Dy: Melissa Dlue
Dedicated to: (ierta Hunt
Death
What color is death? Whom docs
it fear? Why must it come and take
those so dear?
Why docs it leave others behind'.'
Some claim that it's just not their
time.
But whv must death haunt us '
It has no color, it fears no one It
lakes the old. and even the young
When it comes to lake your loved
one away. It's only because the Great
Spirit, decided they couldn't stay.
Why must w e question? Why must
we fear? Someday we II meet the
ones once held so dear.
Dy: Tamaru Oxen dine
What is Love?
Love is an undy ing emotion lingering
forever like a slow, soft song
that is incessant. L.ovc is a heart-felt
feeling which holds no boundaries
and firmly embraces every beings
soul. Love allows a person to go
beyond the limitations of life and be
one with another being. Love is like
a rose blooming from a bud into a
mature flower because of the grow lit
of a person's love. Lov e is in words
the best feeling a human-would ev er
experience.
Dy: Ala t.ocklear
What is Heritage?
Is it a mountain, a trcd. or just
another species? Oh what can it be.
my eyes arc so blind to see All this
time I was wondering, it was right in
front of my eyes. It has no taste, it has
nocolor Itispridc.joy.honor.knowledge:
it is all the things you want it to
be For me I am all the things I want
to be. 1 am an American. I am a
Lumbcc It was passed down from
my ancestors to me. How I thank
them for all the goodness they have
brought to me
* Dy: Jaintee I.. Chavis
There's a Part
There's a part of you that is fearful
There's a part Of you that is
insecure. There's a part of you that
thinks loo much. And there's a part
of you that's brave and courageous.
Or that's what you think. Maybe
you're not the person you think you
arc. You could be ifyou only believed
in yourself and always hope for the
best in you life Then the person you
would want to be will shine through
you _
Dy: Richard Oxendine
My True Love
From the break of dawn to the
setting of the moon, my mind rests on
only you. For I blessed the stars and
the heaven above for having you for
my true love. For God gave me two
great things in life, one was life and
the other was you by mv side
Dy: Troy M. Revels
/> y
Along the Robeson Trail
by Dr. Stanley Knick <
^ Director, UNCP Native American Resource Center ^J,\
Lasi week we began discussion of i
die Luinbec in context, 'llie purpose ;
of this discussion is to move in the !
direction of a more full understanding i
of the Luinbec in the broadest possible i
context. But what docs it mean to say: i
"the Luinbec in context?" The i
Lnglish noun "context" originates
from the Latin verb coniexere, which
means "to weave together."
Nowadays die word is taken to mean
the background and environment of
a particular thing ? everything dial
surrounds and dius may help to define
a tiling. In language studies we may
speak, for example, of llie context of a
sentence ? the parts immediately
next to or near a specific word which
help to determine dial word's exact
meaning.
Take the written word which is
spelled 1-c-a-d. Is diis die word which
means "a soft gray metal element," or
is it the word which means "to show
the way by going before?" When the
word stands alone, its meaning may be
unclear. But when we see the word in
context by surrounding and
connecting it toother words and ideas,
the meaning becomes more apparent
(as in the sentence: "Joe was chosen as
the one who will lGad us into town to
buy lead pencils.")
So it is with human beings and
their cultures. We may know something
about die Scots, but we will
have a belter chance of understanding
diem by seeing them in the broader
context of die Irish, the Norsemen, the
English and the French. We may know
somcdiing about nineiccndi century
events, but we will better understand
them by seeing diem in the context of
eighteenth and twentieth century
events.
An attempt to situate the Luinbec
within a broad context requires
patience, jus(..as.,wcaving requires
patience. 11 necessitates sifting tlupugli:
ilrunds of evidence and interpretation,
searching for patterns in the weave.
Such a process should address several
questions relating to: die nature of
evidence and interpretation as means
to understanding; the possible .
consolidating role of an
anthropological or holistic view; die
specific evidence available froin
various sources relating to the
Lutnbee; and die interpretations which
can be drawn from the existing
evidence.
But what is evidence?
An elder gentleman from a
farming community walks into a
museum with a shoe box. From it he
draws an object wrapped in
newspaper and says; "I was poking
around in my back yard and I found an
ancient artifact. It's like nothing I've
cvcrscen.soitmustbevcryold. It was
made by Indians long ago. Sec, it has
arrows carved in it!"
The museum curator looks at the
object and instantly recognizes a
recent machine-made ceramic bowl.
1 i" V ,.
It is one of many Uiousands just like it
made in I long Kong or Singapore,
available in many tourist shops. I le
tells the gentleman that the bowl is
actually modern,^ despite its partial
covering of soil and its arrows around
the rim.
The elder doesn't believe iL He
says: "You must be mistaken. How
could it have been out there in.the dirt
in my garden if it were something
new? It must be ycry old. And scc
these arrows, who else but Indians
would put arrows on a bowl?"
The curator explains that the
method of manufacture is revealed by
(he mold-lines on the vessel He points
out llial other people besides Indians
use arrows, and have done so for many
centuries. He shows the elder some
i examples of authentic pre-Columnar
; ceramics from die rcgiop,- and talks
aboul llic differences in inciliod of
construction, surface treatment, color
and texture of llic clay. '
But the elder goes away believing
that lite curator simply doesn't know^
his subject. The bowl goes on the;
elder's mantel and he tells his
kinfolk that this ancient-artifact is
proof that Indians lived in his back
yard sometime long ago. The word
spreads. ,
The local newspaper hears about
the artifact. Anxious for human
interest stories, they run a story aboul
lite elder and his priz.c. The text tells of
llic exciting discovery of the bowl and
gives the elder's account of the bowl's
ancient origin.
A reader of llic newspaper sees
the photograph and the story and tells
his family about it over supper. Years
later a student doing late-night library
research about the community comes
across the newspaper story in
microfilm, and the "ancient artifact"
becomes an element in licrpapcrabout
the origins of the community.
In effect, the bowl has been
entered into the record. It has beep
seen by persons who accept it on face v.
value and who draw their owji*',
conclusions from it. It has been Uikci't-V
as something which rcveal^^
something which tends to prove or
provide grounds for a certain belief, hi
some sense, and to some people, it htjs
become the truth. It has bccontc
evidence. I
Butwhatjscvidcncc.rcally? What
constitutes evidence in scientific anil
historical inquiry? In other words,
what can we accept as evidence? J
In the next segment, we wijl
; continue discussion of the Lumbcc (n
i context. For more information, vitdt
1 the Native American Resource Center
: in historic Old Main Building, on ilk
i campus of The University of North
Death
Da> aflcr day Death is always at
the dock of the bay It follows us
everywhere we go. It just doesn't
understand the word. "No." It is
haunting us in the da\. It'slcrrifving
us in the night Death is always having
us in its sights
One day y on" re here, the next day
y ou re gone Only God know that you
will live for so long. Your first words
could be your last, and that w ill leave
your family and friends with nothing
but memories of the past
So be careful with what won do.
because death is always surrounding
you
By: Brandon Emanuel
Who I am
I am a Lumbcc Indian. Mvlribc is
made up of many proud men and
women. Seeing' discriminatioh
against us makes us sad Back in the
old days it could hardly be controlled
it was so bad. We fought for our right
to do as we please and vote. The
whites did not see this happening,
but we still sat back without a care
and on our homemade wooden cols
w ilh our smoke pipes, wcjust mcrrilv
smoke
By: Jessica Bell
Say Vou Read it in the Carolina Indian
Voice. To subscribe call 521-2826 J)
Pediatric Pointers I
By JOSEPH T. BELL, MD 1
y ,r y; ( |
One of the things that commonly
frighten us as pafcnls is choking
episodes in our children. 1 am seated
to death of balloons and rarely over
let my daughter play with one. The
following arc some suggestions to
help prevent choking in youngkids:
1. Do not allow young child to
play with small objects. Toys for
children younger than 3 years old
should be a minimum of I 1/4 inches
in diameter.
2. Whcnthcchild is about 2ycars
old. teach them not to hold objects in
their mouths.
3. A child's chewing skills develop
about the age of 4 years. Until
then, avoid giving them chcwablc
tablets or foods that arc hard and
smooth or round and'smddth that
require chewing. Common foods to
avoid include hard pieces of fruits
and vegetables, such as raw carrots,
pcmuits. popcorn, grapes, ad hot dogs.
If the child is younger than 3 years
old V6u or anolhcT'hdult should supervise
them while they cat
4 Do not give young children
coins as rewards or plav items
5. Help children to a\oid putting
large pieces of food in their mouths.
Cut or break the food into bile size
pieces and encourage them to chew
their food thoroughly.
6. Encourage children to sit without
lalkingwhilccatingfoodor candy.
Excitement or activity can predispose
a child to choking episodes.
7. Keep safety pins closed and
away from children.
8. Be awa re of s mal I objects around
the house that children can choke
on./ These include small toys, bolls,
screws, nails, earrings, and above
all. rubber balloons. Do not allow
yourchildtoblowupaballoon unless
.you or another adult is supervising
him/her. Once a balloon is popped,
discard it immediately.
9. Purchase only age appropriate
toys. The label on the ten s package
should help you determine if a particular
toy is safe for your child.
: Next week we will talk a litile bit
on how to treat a chokingchild if that
episode were looccur. Take care and
we will talk again next week
Spirit Voices of Bones:Poetry by MariJo Moore
A i " :* 1
. One pf the words l}ial immcdireading
a
pk^di.'Qr^lixf'bJ 'Mjiruo Moore is
leoffcrstous
in heir fittest coIlcclion"Spiril V6iccs
Of Bones" is jusi that: Satisfying!
This talented poetess has prepared a
feast for the soul, and one. can not
come away from ?hc table feeling
anything less than spiritually and
emotionally full.
Although Moore is an American
Indian (Eastern Cherokee and a native
of AshcviHp? NC) writer, this is
not necessarily a book of ethnic poetry.
As VincDcloriaJr: states on the
cover notes: "The crisp, clear and
evocative poetry of MariJo Moore is
leading the way in raising American
Indian poetry from merely ethnic;
reflections to a universal form of
emotional expression." I heartily
agree.
When I first opened this book, the
poem "She Trembles" offered its
deep wisdom and sharp realism Coincidcntally.
I had the pleasure of
hearing Moore read this particular
poem at an American Inaian Writers'
Conference in Greensboro, NC
this Spring where she and I were
tcachi ng creative writing workshops
I remember how moved I was when
r. ' J .
I heard her read:
- ShclrchiblcS and the trees growl
'( yCdtacOmbcd mystery-lined inrtards
. >
" "daritig machinery lo bite al her
memories
. You shall be punished Tor this!
She trembles and the oceans roll
with wet-tasting morsels sweetened
with thick oily poisons
Leave her be!
You've marked her eves
lorn hpr flesh, ale her intentions
and streaked her thighs
It's not only loo late - it's loo
demanding.
Scattering her memories once
^ honored now disgraced by progress
' Milking h'cr breasts with pumps
of steel
smearing her face with hardening
make-up building mounting erecting
her belly
with toys she with someday destroy.
You silly foolish ones
Who desire to capture the future
in signs.
There is no future for you
save retribution and in-kind contributions
from those you represent
She trembles nnd we nil (nil dow n
As I listened lot he sound of my
own voice rending this poem aloud
(and I do recommend her poetry be
read aloud to receive the healing the
words olTcr). I myself could not keep
frdm trembling. This experience of
relation isjust one of many I encountered
while reading this book of
deeply-moving, visceral, image-ridden
creations And although each
poem was satisfying. I could not help
wanting more
The i lit i macy of Moore' s poet ry is
delivered in such a way that identifying
with much of it is easy There arc
poems dealing with the digging up of
ancestral bones, the horrors of Vietnam.
fetal alcohol syndrome, the
necessity of continuing ceremonies
the importance of listening to animals
and birds, and the determination
of celebrating the wonders nnd
burdensofbeing American Indian in
a modern world that wants to stereotype
us to death. Many of these words
have been spoken throughout the
ages. It is the way Spirit has chosen
to speak through Moore that is so
refreshing This isa book that pleads
to be heard, while demanding to be
listened to at the same time
Included with the poem/prayer
"Solidarity in The Night" arc twelve
different American Indian translations.
giv ing credence to the beauty'
of native languages that still exist
lod:i> and as an expression of kinship
it is wonderful to see such
words of healing and lov e w ritten in
(lie languages of Nations such as
Eastern Cherokee. Saponi/Yesha.
Lakota. Navajo, and even Hawaiian
and Yup'ik Eskimo Andlhc"Nolcs"
section not only makes this book a
great teaching tool, it also offers
insight to Moore's inspirational pro-|
cess of creating poetry which is woven
from intuition, dreams, visions."
and the voices of the old ones
I came away from rending "Spirit
Voices Of Hones" realizing it will
always be with me. and wnntingolhcrs
to hear the words as I had It is.j
with great pleasure that I invite soil
to listen j
Robert Humphrey, of Western
Cherokee descent, is the author of
"Remembrances Of Walking The
Trail Of Tears Becoming Buffalo
Snake", and resides in Commerce.
Texas.
"Spirit Voices OfBoncs" isavailablc
at Books-A-Million in Faycttcvillc.
NC. or can be ordered from
publisher by calling 704*643-2959,
VINYL , TOO
Starling at 3.9"
Kitchen & Bath
UNION CHAPEL ROAD, P.O. BOX 1497
PEMBROKE, NC 28372 j
Kick-Off Rally
Sheriff Glenn Maynor
at Pembroke Middle School
Friday, July 1
BBQ or Chicken (Chicken Bog also)
Contributions $5.00 or more
11:00 a. m. until 7:30 p. m.
You may pay at the door
?a??i????1