Published each Thursday in Pembroke, N.C. H
Carolina Indian Voice
"Building Communicative Bridges In A Tri-Racial Setting" uncp -gLfBC_| lhrnfy \ (?>
?SAMPSON * Ll\/?R' ^ ' * uy \ ^|\
y?'ume "Numb"" Thursday, Sjpumier 14. !M0 Pembr?ke (J|g 25'
/ \
H. Dobbs Oxendine files for Tribal
Government Board, District 3
H. Dobbs Oxendine
H. Dobbs Oxendine announces
his candidacy for election in District
3 for a new Lumbee tribal
government seat. District 3 includes
all of the city of Lumberton, East
Howellsville and Wisharts.
Mr. Oxendine has been self-employed
since 1966 and is President
of Dobbs Enterprises Inc., which
includes several other businesses,
including the new Dobbs Travel
Center on West Fifth Street, which
includes a truck stop and Huddle
House.
Mr. Oxendine's businesses employ
over 60 persons in the county,
and his family was the first Indian
family to own major businesses in
the Lumberton area during 1945.
He is a businessman who feels that
his business experience can be an
asset to the advancement of a fullfledged
tribal government for the
Lumbee membership.
Oxendine is a past Chairman of the
Lumbee Federal Recognition Committee,
and served as its leader when
the tribe came within two votes of
passing the bill in Congress in 1991.
He wants to continue the fight for
federal recognition looking at new
options such as a lawsuit that may
advance the Lumbee cause.
Oxendine currently serves on the
North Carolina Commission of Indian
Affairs and the North Carolina
Indian Cultural Center Board. He has
a long history of service to the community,
being a charter member of the
"Strike at the Wind" Robeson County
Historical Drama Association board.
Oxendine holds a BA degree from
Pembroke State University (1963) and
has over 30 years experience as an
entrepreneur in Robeson County. In
addition to this, he is an active member
of the Democratic party and was
appointed by Congressman Mclntyre
in 1997 to the Small Business Advisory
Committee.
The Governor appointed him in
1985 to the Statewide North Carolina
Human Relations Commission in Raleigh.
He was also one of the original
founders of the West Lumberton
Kiwanis Club, a civic, community
organization.
Mr. Oxendine feels it would be
an honor to serve the Lumbee tribe
in this capacity to help create a
unified "one tribe and one government."
He stated that he wants to help
the tribe to develop a governing
system that will stand the test of
time for the sake of future generations.
"We don't need to pass on a
system of government that leads to
future divisiveness of our people,"
Oxendine said. "It needs to be done
right this time."
Housing services to the people
will be a priority, Oxendine said,, if
he is elected. "1 want to continue to
see that my district get its fair share
of the housing funding under any
future government," Oxendine
stated.
Oxendine strongly believes,
however, that the tribe cannot totally
depend on social programs for
funding. He will push for economic
development that will create flexible
revenue for the tribe and create
jobs for the tribal membership. The
new tribal government and its governing
document must also enhance
such diversity in an environment
that will promote creativity and
timely business decisions by the
elected body, Oxendine stated.
24th Annual Native American
Cultural Festival/Pow Wow
Greensboro?The Guilford Native
American Association is pleased to
announce that they will be celebrating
their annual Cultural Festival
and Pow Wow on September 15 - 17,
2000. The Cultural Festival/Pow
Wow is co-sponsored by Guilford
Native American Association and
Greensboro Country Park, a division
of the Greensboro Parks and Recreation
Department. The three-day
event will be held at Greensboro
Country Park, Greensboro, NC.
A Cultural Festival for K-6th graders
will kickoff the event on Friday,
September 15. The Cultural Festival
will begin ay 9:00 a.m. and conclude
at 1:30 p.m. School children from
throughout Guilford and surrounding
countries are invited to attend the
festival. Admission is $2.00 during
the festival only.
Activities to take place during the
festival include Native American
storytelling, pottery and beadwork
demonstrations, and traditional dancing.
Featured performers for the
festival will include the Ximalli Aztec
Dancers of Mexico. Native
American traders will also be selling
traditional arts and crafts.
The Pow Wow will officially begin
Friday, September 15 with the
Opening Ceremony at 7:00 p.m. and
will continue through Sunday, September
17 with various activities
including inter-tribal dancing, dance
" competition, drum competition, arts
and crafts competition, honoring ceremonies
and a gospel singing. The
Pow Wow will feature dancers representing
tribes from throughout the
United States and Canada. These
dancers, ranging from babies to our
elders, will compete for prize money
in several different dance categories.
Food vendors will be on hand selling
various foods, including traditional
Indian ffybread and tacos. General
admission is S5.00/day, senior citizens
SI.00, children 6-12 SI.00,
children 5 and under free.
Serving as Master of Ceremonies
will be Keith Colston of the Lumbee
tribe. Keith was bom and raised in
Fayetteville, NC but currently resides
in Baltimore Pow-Wow,
Metrolina Pow-Wow, NC Unity Conference
Pow-Wow, and many others
along the east coast.
We are honored to have Miss
North Carolina Loma McNeill performing
on Sunday. Ms. McNeill is
a member of the Lumbee Tribe and
the first Native American to hold this
title. She will be competing in the
Miss American Pageant on October
14, 2000 in Atlantic City.
Our Host Drum will be A-WOHA-LI
from Cherokee. Our Head
Dancers will be Rafeal Silva from the
Navajo/Pueblo Tribe and Brenda
Silva from the Haliwa-Saponi Tribe.
We are celebrating twenty five
years (25) years of Guilford Native
American Association's existenceSeptember
1975 was when we
incorporated. Please Note: Our theme
for this year's Cultural Festival/Pow
Wow is "Keeping Our Traditions
Through Centuries of Dancing".
For further information regarding
the Cultural Festival and Pow
Wow. Dlease call (336) 273-8686.
Family Health
and Fitness
Day Planned
The Robeson County Council on
Physical Fitness and Health will sponsor
"Family Health and Fitness Day"
on Saturday, September 23rd from
9:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at the Lumberton
Senior High School Track.
Scheduled events include a walk relay,
blind basketball free-throws, soccer
ball kick and many, many more.
You will not want to miss performances
by the WKML Bootscooters
and line-dancing by the Golden Ladies.
Get ready, set, go...to "Family
Health and Fitness Day," Saturday,
September 23rd from 9:30 a.m. until
12:00 p.m. Lumberton Senior High
School (Fayetteville Road, Lumberton).
Craig D.
McMillian
files for
District 10
Craig D. McMillian, of 57
McGougan Farm Rd. in Rennert, has
filed for the Nov. 7 Lumbee government
election. Mr. McMillian filed
for District 10, which includes St.
Pauls, Parkton, Shannon, Rennert
and Lumber Bridge.
McMillian, who earned his B.S.
in Business Administration from the
University of North Carolina at Pembroke,
works for Sumitomo Electric
Lightwave in Whiteville as Business
Unit Leader.
Mr. McMillian, father of two, currently
serves as President of the Rex
Rennert Youth Organization and counselor
for Troop 322's Boy Scouts of
America.
If elected, I will use my unbiased
beliefs to better unify our tribe on
issues that effect all of us, such as
healthcare, education and housing. 1
will work diligently, with my counterparts,
to make the best and most
informed decisions for our people.
I will represent and act as a voice
for the Lumbee tribe in all matters
including government related issues.
1 will support equality for all Lumbee
people, young and old. I believe
that we must protect our ancestors,
for they have gotten us this far, I also
believe that we must protect our youth
for they will take us farther.
Let your first and most important
vote be for Craig McMillian, the
candidate who understands, cares,
and is dedicated to the betterment of
the Lumbee Nation.
Lumbee Self Determination Commission
Continues Work on Nov. 7 Tribal Election
PEMBROKE-The Lumbee Self-Determination Commission continues to meet
and iron out procedural and legal difficulties as it works toward its November 7
tribal election.
At the September 9 (Saturday) meeting, it was announced that candidates
continue to file for the 23 tribal council seats and for tribal chair. As of Wednesday
(Sept. 13), 27 candidates had filed for the various council seats and tribal
chair. Three of the candidates have filed for tribal chairman, including Rev.
Jerry McNeill and Leroy Freeman, respectively chairman of the Lumbee Tribal
Council and LRDA. The only other candidate for chair is Harold "Iron Bear"
Collins, a national and state power lifting champion who has participated in
many national Strong Man competitions. He operates the Pembroke Power
House Gym in Pembroke.
The filing period for Lumbee Indians who wish to serve on the new tribal
government will run from August 23 until October 6. Local candidates can file
in person at the Lumbee Self Determination Office at 707 Union Chapel Road or
through the mail. The mailing address is P.O. Box 2709, Pembroke, N.C. 28372.
The office telephone # is 521 -7861.
At the meeting Saturday, Chairman Jim Lowry noted that the survey had
been validated by the Institute of Government on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus
and that the board of elections had been contacted to help conduct a workshop
for election workers and to also help in various other ways. It is expected
that the election sites will coincide with the board of election precincts where
possible, keeping in mind that the tribal election must be separate from the
regular election and that LSDC sites be at least fifty feet away from regular
polling places. The commission members made a number of recommendations
for election workers, and asked that those interested in working on election day
contact the commission office.
Chairman Jim Lowry applauded commission members for working together,
but did announce that the recent election of Mr. Marty Blanks to replace retiring
Adolph Blue had been rescinded because it would have upset the balance
between LRDA and tribal council. Lowry termed it "a mistake on the part of the
commission", and not Blanks
The election is part of a mandate established by Superior Court J udge Howard
Manning in which he set up the commission and procedures to assure Lufnbees
the right to determine what kind of tribal government they desired, if any, and
the mechanisms to carry it out. Manning intervened when the Lumbee Regional
Development association (LRDA) and the Lumbee Tribal Council legally
approached his court for legal remedies to establish which entity was the
rightful Lumbee government and authority.
The next meeting of the LSDC will be Sept. 30 beginning at 9 a.m. at the
Chavis Center on the UNC-Pembroke campus.
New Chairman off Cultural
Center to Make Presentation
to Indian Commission
Pembroke, /VC-On September 15th Mr. Gene A. Brayboy, Chairman of the
North Carolina Indian Cultural Center (NC1CC), Pembroke, NC, will be
presenting to the North Carolina Indian Commission at their meeting in Chapel
Hill. The meeting will be conducted in the State Dining Room of the Morehead
Planetarium starting at 10:00 A.M., on the campus of UNC. Mr. Brayboy says
his presentation features the reorganization ofthe NC1CC Board of Directors,
including innovative and imaginative strategies for future success of the
Center. The presentation is titled: An Extraordinary Venture: Shaping the
Future of the NC1CC. Mr. Brayboy says that the NC1CC is planning growth,
and the meeting has enormous significance to the future of the NCICC with
State and Congressional lawmakers. Growth plans include operating components
such as Business Ventures & Operations, Cultural and Programming
Operations, Finance & Resource Management, and Marketing & Public
Relations.
Mobility Program Continues to
Offer Assistance to Seniors
The "Seniros in Motion" program of North Carolina has already assisted
many people in this area and is continuing to make mobility equipment
availableto seniors and physically handicapped persons.
The "Seniros in Motion" program provides equipment usually at no cost
tothepatient. Someofthe equipment available in this programincldues: Motorized
wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs, three and four wheel scooters, and otehr
mobility equipment.
The requested item is delivered tot he senior's hoemandinstruction in
operation is given by your Icalrehab representative.
A "Senirso in Motion" rehab representative is in your are and waitignot assit
you with an in-home assessment andequipment fitting. There is help available.
Please cal 1-800-594-1225 for more information.
Religious Poems Sought From
Pembroke-Area Poets
Good news for sincere poets! The Bards of Burbank is offering a $1,000
grand prize in their Poetry Competition 2000, free to everyone. The deadline
for entering is October 2, 2000.
To enter, send one poem 21 lines of less: Free Poetry Contest, PMB250,
2219 W Olive Ave., Burbank, CA 91506, or enter online at www.ffiendly
poets.com.
" Wethink religiouspoemscam invite achievements," say Dr. John Scribner,
the organization's Contest Director. "We're especially keen on inspiring
amateur poets and we think this competition will achieve that. North Carolina
has made many wonderful poets over the years and I'd like to discover new ones
form among the Pembroke-area grass-roots poets."
Berea Baptist Observes
Paster Appreciation Day
Berea Baptist Church, Pembroke, NC observed Pastor and Wife
Appreciation Sunday, August 27. Rev. Bruce Swell and wife Mrs. Peggy
Swell received gifts andflowers.
Rev. Mike Cummlngs, Director of the Burnt Swamp Baptist
Association and President of the NC State Baptist Convention was the
guest speakerfor the occasion. Gifts were presented to Mike and Quae for
their continued dedication and support to Berea Baptist Church. A
covered dish dinner followed In the Church Fellowship Hall.
Fund established at Lumbee Bank
for Korea Veterans Memorial
A Committee comprised of Erwin jacobs, Fred Chavis and Rudy Locklear
of the Pembroke VFW have established a fluid to erect a memorial to Robeson
County veterans at the Post Head Quarters on Union Chapel Road, Pembroke.
The fund has been established at Lumbee Guaranty Bank. All donations for this
monument are tax deductible. All donations should be sent to Lumbee
Guaranty Bank, PO Box 908, Pembroke, NC 28372. Make checks payable to
Robeson County Veterans Memorial Fund Post #2843.
Area High School Students
View Civics Videotape
Contributed by UNCP
Thanks to the University of North
Carolina at Pembroke, any of the
nearly 30,000 high school students, as
well as cable television views and
public library patrons, in the Seventh
Congressional District to of North
Carolina will have the opportunity to
learn more about how the federal and
state courts systems work. They will
learn this from a civic, educational
videotape contributed to every public
and private high school, community
and junior colleges, cable television
stations, and some of the area chambers
of commerce and publiolibraries
by The University of North Carolina
at Pembroke and the Committee for
Citizen Awareness. The videotape
entitled" YourCourt System and You,"
features Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court Ruth Baden Ginsburg,
Dr. Allen C. Meadors, Chancellor of
the University of North Carolina at
Pembroke, and Representative Julian
Dixon. The video tape includes information
pertaining only to the 7th
Congressional District ofNorth Carolina.
D. Meadors said, "The University
of North Carolina at Pembroke became
involved with the public-service
project after learning that only 20
percent of Americans indicate they
understand how our court system
works. This videotape describes in
layman's terms the importance oft the
third branch of our democracy and the
basics of how our federal and state
courts systems are set up."
"We are confident that this videotape
will be well-received in the
community. It is similar in format, and
produced by the same non-profit organization,
as a videotape about the
legislative branch of government
which has been viewed by over 20
million people nationwide, and which
was recommended by 88 percent of
the students who viewed it."
The University of North Carolina
at Pembroke is providing this educational
videotape for our area as have
over 1,000 other corporations, universities
and organizations in other
locales across the country. Millions of
people will see this educational videotape,
the purpose of which is to
improve a citizen's understanding of
the judicial system and its vital role in
our democracy.
For more information, contact Kimberly
Matthews Fraser of the
Committee for Citizen Awareness at
(202) 393-8553.
Lumbee Elders to Hold Spritial
Gathering September 21-23
The Lumbee Tribal Elders will be holding their Spiritual Gathering at the
North Carolina Indian Cultural Center September 21, 22 and 23. This event
is held four times a year during the Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. The
gathering will feature the blessing of the grounds and the lighting of the
sacred fire and other cultural activities. Vendors may set up for $50 per day.
For further information call Beverly Collins at the North Carolina Indian
Cultural Center at 521-2433.