North Carolina Newspapers

AS 1 SEE IT by Bruce Barton Decison on new search for superintendent calls for prayerful consideration I have learned to pray about tilings before speaking out of hand I guess that comes with being 60 now and in my dotage, and not as weeps as I once was I want to say up front that I disagreed with the recent decision by the Public Schools of Robeson Counts s board of education to form a search committee and look for another superintendent, probabls one not dark Is lined I like the one sse already have The vote ssas t> in favor. * against And some of the comments annoved me too A number of those 011 the ss inning side of the sote swore (hopefully not to God) that race had nothing to do ssitli it One White board member sslio had hardly ever \oted. to ins knoss ledge, for any item on the present superintendent's agenda, said he did not make up Ins mind until 30 minutes before the meeting Lmmmm1 Well, like I said earlier. I need to prayerfully consider this matter before I say something I might be sorry for saying later In the meantime, we all need to pray for Robeson Counts, truly a racial svasteland Indian basketball Book's publication date in sight... -As many of sou knoss. Tim Brayboy and I have been working on a hook about Indian basketball in Robeson Sc adjoining countie* for some time. And the end is in sight. We expect to present the book at the second annual meeting of the Indian Basketball Alumni Association. Ine at the Indian Education Resource Center (located in the old 'Indian" Pembroke High School building), nest door to the t'NC-Pembroke chancellor's residence, some time in December. There's our goal anyway! W'e can sas with absolute certainty that the second banquet will be held when we have completed the book. At the meeting we will also disclose our long range plans, and present our non-profit corporate status to Indian basketball adherents. More information will be forthcoming in the next few days and weeks. The name of the book is: PL4YI.XG BEFORE t.V OVER FLOW CROWD, The story of Indian basketball in Robeson & adjoining counties between 1939-1967. The book, now about 90% complete, is a history of "Indian" basketball in Robeson as we remember it. Information is scant, but it was a time of rank segregation although positive currents emanated from the unique social incubator and experiment. The book explores what happened, where it happened, when, how, who, and, most importantly, WHY? Also, what valuable lessons can be learnedfrom this special moment in time? TO RESERVE A COPY, fill in the blanks and send it to Indian Basketball Book, c/o Bruce Barton, Post Office Box 362, Pembroke, N.C. 28372. Or call 910-521-2054 for more information. .W'e also welcome old "Indian" basketball photographs and memories. Name Address UNCP hosts National Day of Prayer Vigil May 2 Pembroke, A'C-Fear. Hatred. Prejudice. War. Violence. Anger. Injustice. Anxiety. Each day news broadcasts bring dire news of home and abroad. We recognize the struggles in our communities and even on our own campus. After the tragic events of recent months. Americans are searching for answers and spiritual guidance. The National Day of Prayer (N DP) providesjust such an opportunity. The National Day of Praver Viuil for the UNCP campus is jWeduled for Thursday. May 2. 2002 from noon to I p.m. to coincide with the observations around the nation, fhe gathering will beat the new amphitheater water feature in front of Sampson-Livermore Library. The rain location is the University Center Lounge. "Many believe that the answer to our society's complex problems may be encapsulated in one word-prayer." savs Deana Johnson. NPD event organizer. "We have tried everything else. It is time for people to come together and ask God for His mercy and protection for America. The National Day of Prayer is a perfect time to do that." The National Day of Prayer is not a political event, but rather a time of seeking repentance and showing reverence for God. It belongs to no single political party, group or denomination but to all people who have faith in a sovereign God. fhe Baptist Student Union (BSU) and the BRAVES Organization w ill cosponsor the event, and the entire campus community is invited. Dana Recce. BStj president explains: "It is important for students to be aware of the problems in the world, outside the campus. No matter a person's faith, the National Day of Prayer is a ?iaylo unite different beliefs for the common good." Cyrus Birch. BRAVES vice-president adds: "Prayer is not just something done on a holy day but an integral pari of life, fhe National Day of Pray er allows all denominations and backgrounds to come together as one unified body in exultation to God." The National Day of Prayer, an annual event to take time to pray for our nation and its leaders, will be celebrated on May 2, 2002 by thousands of Americans. Last year's event saw 5,000 citizens flock to the Daytona National Speedway- not for a NASCAR race?but to pray, sing and read scripture. The 2000 and 1999 events saw crowds of 9.0000 and 10,000 in Lancaster, PA and Colorado Springs. CO. respectively. In fact, the National Day of Prayer mailing list had grown to an estimated 75.000 in 2001. North Carolina has had many NDP program around the state in recent years. Several local communities including Lumberton. Fayetteville. Laurinburg and Rockingham have celebrations planned this year. "We want UNCP to be part of such an important event.:" says Jackie Clark, vice chancellor for Enrollment Management. Ms. Clark, who is scheduled to led a prayer for the campus, goes on to explain that many communities around North Carolina observe the National Day of Prayer. "We want to offer UNC Pembroke students the chance to demonstrate their faith in a tangible way." National days of prayer started as early as 1775 with the First Continental Congress, and Abraham I .incoln also called for such a day in 1863. Later, the NDP was established by a joint resolution ofCongress in 1952 and signed into law by Henry Truman. In 1988. Ronald Reagan amended the law establishing the official date as the first Thursday of May each year The NPD Task Force, currently headed by Shirley Dobson. states its goals as publicly proclaiming dependence upon the God of the Bible, building unity among churches, encouraging a return to prayer in various cities and locales and most importantly, positively impacting individual communities. The entire campus community is invited, and students, faculty, staff, and administrators will be offering public prayers for our nation and our campus. There will also be times of silent, individual prayer and reflection. Campus members may come for a portion of the time or stay the entire hour as schedules permit. "We realize that this is a busy time for the campus since it is the final day of classes, yet I can think of no more important task to seek God's mercy and forgiveness through His son Jesus Christ. We need God's wisdom and guidance for this nation, and this is one way of asking Him for His blessings and protection." says Dcana Johnson. NDP event organizer. Contact the Rev. Ron Sanders at 521-9777 for more information about the campus program. The NDP task force also maintains a website at www.nationaldayof prayer.org that offers further details. Friends of the Library to sponsor book sale The friends of the Robeson County Public Library will sponsor a book sale, starting May 16th and ending May 18th. 2002. It will be held in the old Osterneck auditorium. 101 North Chestnut Street. I.umberton. NC. The book sale will open at 5 p.m. Thursday. May 16th and close at 9 p.m. It will continue at 9 a.m. on Friday. May 17th. and close at 6 p.m. on Saturday. May 18. the last day of the book sale, the sale will begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 2 p.m. All books on Saturday will sell for $ I per bag. l or information call the library at 738-4859. ' Religious poems sought from Pembroke area poets Good news for sincere poets! The Bards of Burbank is offering a SI.000 grand prize in their Religious Competition 2002. free to' evervone. I he deadline for entering is Ma\ 25.2002. To enter send one poem 21 lines of less: Free Poetr> Contest. P MB 250. 22IP W Olive Ave.. Burbank. CA PI506.. sou may also enter on-line at www.freecontest.com. We think religious poems can invite achievement, savs Dr. John Scribner. the organization's Contest Director. We're especialIv 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 from among the Pembroke area grassroots poets. Elections planned for IEA Parent Committee The Indian Education Project of the Public Schools of Robeson Counts will hold parent committee elections on April 25. 2002 at 7:00 p.m. at each of the Robeson Count> Public High Schools. All parents of Indian students are encouraged to attend. Filing Period Closes April 26 The Filing periodTor the vacant North Pembroke seat closes Friday. April 26.2002 at noon. Election to the Lumbee Tribal Council is limited to enrolled members of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina whose principal residence for the past year is in the North Pembroke district. Candidates will be required to have reached the age of 21 on or before June 29. 2002 and to pay a S1000 filing fee to offset election costs. The election will be held J une 29.2002. For the past four weeks, we have been traveling with John Lawson among the Native Americans of the Caroltnas early in the 1700s (in his book, A New Voyage to Carolina). Last week we saw that Native Americans in the Carolinas had a welldeveloped trading system which included exchange of plant materials (such as die highlyprized "Scarlet Root"). We also saw that there was inter-tribal conflict in some instances (especially between Carolina Nauve people and the Seneca), and diat die Tuscarora were a powerful force in trade (and in odier ways). As we continue in Lawson's "Account of the Indians of North Carolina," we come to a somewhat more personal description of the Ancestors: "Their Eyes are commonly full and manly, and dieir Gate sedate and majestick. They never walk backward and forward as we do, nor contemplate on the Affairs of Loss and Gain, the things which daily perplex us. They are dexterous and steady bodi as to their Hands and Feet.... They will walk over deep Brooks and Creeks on the smallest Poles, and that without any Fear or Concern.... In Running, Leaping, or any such odier Exercise, their Legs seldom miscarry, and give them a Fall; and as for letting any diing fall out of their Hands, I never yet knew one Example." Lawson gives us a picture of Native people which is characterized by strength and pride ? a people whose very act of walking he saw as dignified and regal ("dieir Gate sedate and majestick"). This description is especially powerful, given dial Lawson tells us elsewhere that by this time as many as eighty percent of coastal and Piedmont Indians had already been wiped out in epidemics. That diese Ancestors retained an obvious sense of dignity and composure in the face of such losses is a testament to the resilience of their sense of cultural identity and to the depth of their personal resolve. It is fascinating to me dial Lawson describes the Ancestors as never pacing back and forth, worrying about die filings which so commonly worried Europeans of die day ("They never walk backward and forward as we do. nor contemplate on file Affairs of Loss and Gain, the filings which daily perplex us"). It is difficult to believe that any human beings ? at any time, in any culture ? never worried about anything at all. However, it is quite believable dial die Ancestors were not as worried about business matters ("Affairs of Loss and Gain") as Lawson was, since they had an already-well-established trade and economic system (whereas Lawson was trying to make arrangements for setting up a new trading system). It is also possible that the Ancestors just didn' t demonstrate their concern in the way Lawson expected (i. e., by anxiously pacing back and forth). It is tempting to accept Lawson's description of the Ancestors' dexterity and apparent fearlessness at face value. It would not be surprising that they would cross a creek on a small pole "w ithout any Fear or Concern." since they had probably crossed those same creeks on those same felled trees hundreds of times (which might have been an entirely new experience for a veteran citydweller such as Lawson). However, Lawson may be imposing a stereotype on the Ancestors when he tells us that they never dropped anything ("as for letting any tiling fall out of their 1 lands, I never yet knew one Example"). 1 am not convinced that there ever existed a group of human beings who never dropped anything. But as with virtually all stereotypes, there must be some kernel of truth in what Lawson wrote: it is certainly possible that he never actually saw anything being dropped by the Ancestors. Perhaps some of the lessons to be learned in Lawson's writings maybe as much about the European worldview of the day as about the Native Americans he encountered. At the very least, we have to interpret what he wrote in light of what we . know to be true today. In the next segment of Along The Robeson Trail, we will continue our travels with John Lawson. For more information, visit the Native American Resource Center in historic Old Main Building, on the campus of The Uni versity of North Carolina at Pembroke (our Internet address is www.uncp.edu/ nativemuseum). James Earl Jones Highlights 2002-2003 Speaker Series The Student Activities Office of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke announced the 2002-2003 distinguished Speaker Series. The line-up includes James Earl Jones and Henry Winkler. Next year's season offers diverse speakers. Whether you are a fan of "Star Wars." "The Lion King," "West Side Story," or "Happy Days," there is something in the series for you. Over 5,000 people attended last year's series, and UNCP administrators are excited about the program. "Our students have enjoyed the opportunity to hear and ask questions of individuals on the cutting edge of many issues in our society," Chancellor Allen C. Meadors said. "This is also something that benefits the larger community surrounding our university," Chancellor Meadors said the community support has been exciting for the university. "Maya Angelou performed in front of an audience of almost 3.000. It was incredibly exciting and an indicator of how far we have come with the series," Chancellor Meadors said. "I wish even more people would take advantage of this service to our students and extended community." The news series is set to begin Tuesday, Sept. 24 with former CNN Headline News anchor Lynne Russell. Russell also co-hosted "The Week In Review." She is also a licensed private investigator. Russell is a first-degree block belt in Choi Kwang-Do, a bodyguard to visiting film stars and celebrities, and a Fulton County deputy sheriff in the reserve division. She is the author or "How to Win Friends, Kick Ass and Influence People." Continuing the series Tuesday. Nov. 12 is actor Henry Winkler, best known as "The Fonz" in the long-time hit show "Happy Days." Although Winkler's leather jacket is hanging in The Smithsonian and re-runs of the show continue to air on Nickelodeon's "Nick At Night" program, the actor continues to stay busy directing and producing TV shows. He even makes occasional appearances in movies like "The Waterboy" and "Little Nicky." which he did with friend Adam Sandler. He recently won an Emmy nominajion for his performance in ABC's "The Practice." James Earl Jones, the legendary actor with the unforgettable voice, is the third speaker in the series, appearing Tuesday. Feb. 18, 2003 (Homecoming week). Jones' voice gave character to the villainous Darth Vader in the renowned "Star Wars" Trilogy, but his resume does not stop there. He has appeared in several Tom Clancy thrillers, such as "Clear and Present Danger" and "Patriot Games." Ending the series March 11. 2003 is Rita Moreno, a regular in the hit HBO original series "Oz." Moreno is well known as the only female performer to have won an Oscar, a Tony, and a Grammy Award. She also starred in the classic motion picture "West Side Story." Abdul Ghaffar. director of Student Activities and coordinator of the series, said there may be one more speaker. "We are currently working to add one more speaker of local fame... A certain hoops coach who spent some time coaching basketball in the Final four this past weekend," Ghaffar said. "We don't have everything nailed down yet (he has been quite busy the last six months or so) so we must wait to announce "officially" at a later date." That speaker, of course, is Pefnbroke native Kelvin Sampson, a 1978 UNCP graduate and head basketball coach at Oklahoma University. Letters to the Editor Lumbee Logo reminds reader of 200 vear old writina DearConnee: The article on the front page of the March 22nd edition of the Robesonian got me to thinking. A color rendition is shown there of a circular red, yellow, white and black design, and we read in the caption with reference to the Lumbee Tribal Council that "This logo will decorate all tribal letterheads." This got me to thinking; it seemed that 1 had read something like that before. The passage is in a little book first published two hundred and seventy-tight years ago, in 1724, called The Present State of Virginia by one Hugh Jones. Chapter two of the book bears the title "Of The Government, Religion, Habit, war. Lives, Customs, etc. of the Indians ofNorth America, and of Christanna." Therein we read the following passage: "...When they are very fine, you may see t ome of them with their hair cut off on one side, and a long lock on the other. The crown being crested and bedaubed with red lead and oil; their forehead being painted white, and it may be their nose black, and a circle of blue round one ye, with the cheek red, and all the other side of the face yellow, or in some such fantastical manner. These colors, they buy of us, being persuaded to despise their own, which are common and finer." By "common" I think he means "widely available." Dyes gotten from plants in the woods do look better than the garish commercial aniline dyes. I had my face painted in the fashion described at one of the Coharie Pow wows some years ago. Yours truly, Wes Taukchiray Barton House Publishing Proudly Presents "Beside the Trickling Brook ! ' 1 A Collection of Selected Poems by Lew Barton To order your copy send the form below along with $15 98 (Which include 6 5% sales tax) for each copy to Barton House Publishing, Inc -P.O. Box 362-Pembroke. NC 28371 NAM I ADIWI ss ( IIV M All: /II"