1 p
This Special Homecomin^ _..i. "c "
is Dedicated to the Memor^^Jo^eph J. Brooks
^ t'uHished each TlHtcsJ.lv in Kcml'ivkoTxC-^!
Carolina Indian Voice
"Building Communicative Bridges In A Tri - Racial Setting \ ?
Volume 27 Number 26 Thursday, June 29, 2000 Y ^ 25?
Joseph J. Brooks: A Man of Distinction
by Cynthia L. Hun.
This edition of The Carolina
Indian Voice is dedicated to Mr.
Joseph J. Brooks, tribal leader who so
graciously gave of his time for the
betterment of his people, the Lumbee
tribe. Mr. Brooks was born January
6,1905 to Sandv and Effie Brooks. He
was one of 11 children bom to the
marriage. He had seven brothers and
four sisters: Andrew, John, Raymond,
Peter. Sandy, Ed, Ol'in, Mary. Margie.
Betty and Melinoy. Mr, Joseph
attended school in the Pembroke
community and w.;s a graduate of
the Normal School. He was married
to Sally Margaret lohnson. There
were five children bom to the
marriage: Cynthia Patricia, Joseph
Hariam, Sherman and Tony. He
spent time in Detroit working during
the 1920s. Brooks also had a military
career serving in the US Navy.
While farming in the Red Banks
community, he woud become involved
in tribal politics. His first
effort was in the early 1930s and
involved having legislation passed
by the federal government to have
the tribe recognized as the Cherokee
Indians of Robeson County. A bill
was introduced on May 9, 1932 to
have the tribe recognized as Cherokee.
However, the bill did not pass.
The tribe .would again seek to
have legislation inti duced the following
year. A letter writing
campaign to Sena. ?r Josiah W.
Bailey was launched Brooks quickly
became the spokesm t for the group.
This time the tribe would seek
legislation to be -ecognized as
Cheraw. Brooks wo. id be the one to
lead this effort among the tribe. He
spent a considerable amount of time
in DC researching the history of the
tribe. Brooks would appear at a
hearing along with B.G. Graham and
Senator Bailey in support of the
legislation to have the tribe recognized
as the Cheraw Indian tr.be.
However, a dispute among tribal
members over the iamc Che aw
would surface and eventually lead to
the demise of the legislation.
Brooks immediately developed a
positive report with officials of the
Indian Affairs office. His strong
relationship with these officials, as
well as the NC Congressiona. delegation
would later prove to be a great
benefit to the tribe.
It was also during this period of
time that Brooks and Graham organized
the Siouan Lodge. As a result
of the controversy over ti e name
Cheraw or Cherokee, a DC official
recommended that the tribe organize
as the Siouan Indians. The efforts of
Brooks to organize tribal members in
favor of the Siouan name change,
and his work in DC would be
responsible for the passage of the bill
from the House Committee on Indian
Affairs on May 23, 1934. However,
the action was meaningless because
Senator Bailey had withdrawn his
support and the bill died in the
Senate as a result of the internal
fighting over the matter.
The defeat of the Siouan bill did
not bring to an end the efforts of
Joseph Brooks to gain federal recognition.
His efforts would soon turn to
organizing the tribe under the Indian
Reorganization Act (IRA) passed
June 18, 1934. This legislation
permitted tribes to reorganize under a
federally granted charter. Soon after
the passage of the legislation,
Brooks began to correspond with
Continued on Page 4
Joseph Brooks
Teen Miss / Miss Lumbee Pageant set
for June 30, 7 p.m. at UNC - Pembroke
fv
Miss Teen Lumbee Contestants
Jessica LaHope Oxendlne
? Parents: Calhoun Jr. and Joycie M.
Oxendlne
Morgan Brittany Hunt
Parents: Johnny R. and Demetrius
L.Hunt
Tabalha Leshelle Hunt
Parents: James L. Hunt and Janice
Lock tear
II Ji ?
Terica Brooke l.owry
Parents: Denis P. and Wanda A.
Ricard
Jamee Atkins Hunt
Parents: Paul Jr. and Elizabeth C.
HW
Clarissa Sue Locklear
Parent: Rodney and Lori A.
Locklear
I Asa Martina Lowry
Parents: Marlon R. and Delois L.
Bobbl Ann Sanderson
Parents: Franklin J. Sanderson
and Bobble Myers
^^rRonnle Lowry^^^
Prospect Precinct
He is married to Endoria Lowry i
'and they have two children. He is
the son of Praford and Lendora
Lowry. He graduated from West
_Robeson'High School, UNCP and
UNC School of Dentistry. A partner
with Dr. Jeff Collins. He is a
? urlu Khonda
Falrdoth
Miss Lumbee Contestants
The Miss Lumbee and Teen Miss
pageant will be held June 30, at the
Givens Preforming Arts Center on
the campus of the University ofNorth
Carolina at Pembroke.
This will be the first showing of
the Teen Miss for competition. Nine
pulchritude, intelligent young ladies
will vie for the title of Teen Miss
Lumbee.
Teen Miss contestants will include
Terica Brooke Lowry, daughter
of Denis P. & Wanda A. Ricard;
Clarrisa Sue Locklear, daughter of
Rodney & Lori A. Locklear; Asa
Martina Lowry, daughter of Marion
B. & Doloris L. Lowry; Jessica
LaHope Oxendine daughter of
Calhoun Jr. & Joyce M. Oxendine;
Morgan Brittany Hunt daughter of
Johnny R. & Demetrius L. Hunt;
Tabatha Leshelle Hunt, daughter of
James L. Hunt & Janice Locklear;
Bobbi Ann Sanderson, daughter of
Franklin J. & Bobbi Myers; Amanda
Dawn Faircloth, daughter of John &
Rhonda Faircloth; Jamee Atkins
I- ? -. - a .^--l
Hunt, daughter of Paul & Elizabeth
C. Hunt.
Competing for the Miss Lumbee
title are Jammi Lynn Lowry, daughter
of Harvey& Linda Lowry; Summer
Leigh Chavis, daughter of Robert &
Jane Chavis; Kari Maria Dial, daughter
of William & Minnie Dial; Eryn
Kelli Sanderson, daughter of Leslie
Sanderson Jr. & Peggy Hunt; Rebecca
Chalena Mickey, daughter of
Richard & Angela Chavis-Mickey;
Ja Dell Dial, daughter of Maurica &
Linda Dial; Shelly Ronita Strickland,
daughter of Ronald & Sandra
Strickland.
The reigning Miss Lumbee 19992000
is Misty Henderson.
The pageant will begin at 7:00
pm. Admission is $ 10.00 per person,
and tickets will be on sale at the
Givens Center Box Office June 19,
2000. Tickets will be sold 1 (one)
hour prior to performance. You may
purchase your tickets with Visa Master
Card - American Express.
Reserved Seating Only!
I 3
Ja Dell Dial '
Parents: Maurice and Linda Dial?
i
Rebecca Chalena Mickey
Parents: Richard and Angela
Chavls-Mickey
t i : i l : i
Shelly Ronlta Strickland
Parents: Ronald and Sandra
Strickland
1 *BL_J
Jammi Lynn Lowry
Parents: Harvey and Linda Lowry 1
?
Eryn Kelll Sanderson
Parents: Leslie Sunderson, Jr. and
Pegg)' Hunt
Karl Maria Dial
Parents: William and Minnie Dial
Summer Leigh Chavls '*
Parents: Robert and Jane Chavls*
*<
J*
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