Along the Robeson Trail
by Dr. Stanley Knick
,A Director, US'CP Native American Resource Center !
In recent segments, we have started
along the road toward understanding
the Lumbee in context. We have
observed that different types of
information and various ways of
thinking about evidence and
interpretation are necessary for the
journey. This week we return to
discussion of the prehistoric part of
Lumbee context, and particularly to
the diverse cultures of the Woodland
division of prehistory.
One of the ways in which the
Woodland ancestors of the Lumbee
were diverse was in the languages they
spoke. It is now widely accepted that
here in eastern North Carolina there
were three Indian language families:
Algonkian, Iroquoian and Eastern
Siouan. But what is a language
family?
Just as an ordinary human family
is a collection of closely related but
distinct individuals, a language family
is a group of closely related but
distinct languages. To use a familiar
modem example, the English language
is a part of the West Germanic
language family, which also includes
Low German, Flemish and Afrikaans
(the while South African language).
We can get a glimpse of how closely
related these languages are by
comparing the simple English
sentence, "I can," to its German
equivalent, "Ich kann." It is pretty
easy to see that these two sentences
are related linguistically. But if we
move beyond this simple level of
communication to more complex
words and phrases, it becomes
increasingly difficult to see the
relatedncss of these two distinct
languages. Despite the fact that their
languages are closely related, most
English speakers do not understand
German.
So it was with the languages which
made up eastern North Carolina's
original language families. We don't
really know how many separate
languages there were in the
Algonkian, Iroquoian and Eastern
Siouan language families because
some of these languages disappeared
in early colonial times before they
could be adequately documented in
writing. But the descriptions by
Thomas Harriot in the late 1500s and
John Lawson in the early 1700s give
the impression that there was
considerable linguistic diversity
among the Native Americans of the
eastern Carolinas.
? The homeland of the Algonkian
languages of this region was the outer
coastal plain, north of the Neuse River
drainage (and extending north along
the coast all the way into Canada).
Most of the Native people
encountered by Barlowe, Lane,
Grenville, White and Harriot at what
would come to be called "the lost
colony" of the 1580s spoke Algonkian
languages. Powell included Pamlico
and Nanticoke in this southern range
of the Algonkian language family, to
which should possibly be added
Roanoke and/or Hattcras and others.
If it is true, as many believe, that some
survivors of the "lost colony"
intermarried with Native Americans,
it seems most likely that those Indian
people would have been speakers of
an Algonkian language. Oral tradition
suggests that some of their
descendants were among the
ancestors of some segments of the
modem Lumbee population.
The homeland of the eastern
Carolina Iroquoian languages was the
inner coastal plain and piedmont rim,
between the Neuse and Roanoke River
drainages (Cherokee, in western North
Carolina, is also an Iroquoian
language). The best known of these
languages was/is Tuscarora, to which
Powell added Chowanoc and
Nottaway. John Lawson provided
perhaps the best colonial description
of the Tuscarora, although he was
eventually killed by them near the
beginning of theTuscarora War (171113).
Oral tradition and some
documentary evidence indicate that
some Tuscarora people were also
among the ancestors of some
segments of the modem Lumbee
population.
In the next segment we will look
at the third language family of these
Woodland ancestors, Eastern Siouan,
and at how such a rich linguistic
diversity may have influenced later
life among the Lumbee. For more
information, visit the Native
American Resource Center in historic
Old Main Building, on the campus of
The University of North Carolina at
Pembroke.
The Church at the Forks
/Yov.v from West Robeson United Methodist Church
bv Em-in Jacobs
li has been a few months si nee
1 last wrote about West Robeson
United Methodist Church, but it is
still going strong There have been
several tnlcrcslingcvcuts that have
taken place since by last article
A trip to the Columbia Zoo was
enjoycd b> all a while water rafting
trip near Cherokee an old
lime bos supper to raise funds for
the church, a successful car wash
by the south, an auction by the
Church Ladies Club were among
the interesting activities
There was a vers moving \ isil
b> Mr John MeGiri recently with
a vers challenging message bout
his life with the Dallas Cow Boys
and the accident that almost took
his lire up north The doctors said
lie would be paralyzed the rest of
his life but through faith he can
now get around on braces.
Last but not least, the 14th of
September the church celebrated
its tenth anniversary with Sunday
School, preaching, lunch in the
fellowship hall and at 2 p m what
a singing! And the Spirit really
mov ed as sev eral different groups
lifted their voices on high There
was a very good turnout low itness
lhi? event
Wc do hope and extend a very
warm welcome to am one who
needs a place to go and feels welcomed
1 remember when I first
came back here to live in 1W)
Rex Jerry Low r> was the pastor I
attended several other churches,
but 1 felt more welcome at West
Robeson God is working in this
little church I hope soon we will be
filled to capacity and have to expand
The youth has good leaders and
arc involved in different projects
Wc have two choirs The Youth
Choir meets on Thursday sand the
older choir meets on Saturdays
Wc would love to have someone
who is gifted with musical instruments
to come and join us Or
perhaps you lov e to sing Wc could
also use you in our choirs
Reverend^ Marshall Locklcar
and Mrs Lucille Locklcar arc doing
a wonderful service at the
church and hopefully one day we
can have a nice barbecue plate salens
we previously enjoyed
Wc arc located approximately
six miles cast ofMa.xlon. on Highway
74. and the Forks of Harpers
Ferry Road. Come and visit with
us. Our Sunday School begins at *)
a nt Sunday worship at 11 a nt
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Attrorneys Committed to Your Interests
203 SOUTH VANCE STREET - PEMBROKE, N.C.
521-3413
1 MAYNOR FOR SHERIFF
1 Golf Tournament
| September 26, 1997
| The tournament fee will be $50.00 per person. The field will be limited to the
^ first 116 paid applicants.
) Proceeds will go to the Committee to Re - Elect Glenn Maynor for Sheriff.
[ There will be prizes for the longest drive in each player category (A, B, C, D).
[This will include both men and women. Prizes will be awarded for closest to - the - pin
ion all par threes. ]
Trophies and gift certificates will be awarded to the top three teams in this!
[tournament. I
[ Refreshments will be available during the tournament and a meal will follow the^
[tournament. \
THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE HELD AT THE CLIFFWOOD GOLp|
COURSE SEPTEMBER 26, 1997 AT 12:30 P.M. '
I
CONTACT: Ricky Harris 521 -0337
Larry McNeill 521 -9730
Rory McKeithan 738 - 9917
I'aiil for hy Committee to Re-Meet Ciena Maynor Sheriff-Clayton Maynor, Treasurer
Lumbee Guaranty Bank's Stock Sold Out
Lumbee Guaranty Bank has just completed a $3 Million Common Stock offering
to the Public. Mr. Larry Chavis, the Bank President, stated, "We would like to thank all
those who have placed confidence in our institution...the response from all the
communities we serve was tremendous". All available stock was completely sold out.
From the Directors, Officers, and Staff of Lumbee Guaranty Bank we
THANK YOU
for your support, together We can make a difference in our communities
Lumbee Guaranty Bank is a $85 Million Community Bank dedicated to meeting
the financial needs of the markets we serve.
Member FD1C > ' v-/ ;
VOTERS OF MAXTON
Let Us Continue To Love Lillian
Our Commissioner for NC
Lillian McKoy has two (2) more years
.
as commissioner.
VOTE AND ELECT
. - . '
CLARENCE WOODS
FOR MAYO
Tuesday, November 4,1997
Paid for hy Clarence Woods
V
I VOTEFOR
I AND ELECT
I CLESTER LOCKLEAR
I to the
I LREMC Board of Directors
I at-large
I October 7, 1997
I Performing Arts Center, UNC-P
"Consider what I say and the Lord give the understanding in all things. "