1. American Indian Alumni Reunion
2. The Tribal Leadership Workshop Series
3. The Welcome Back Extravaganza
4. Perdue Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
5. External Advisory Committee
6. American Indian Heritage Month
7. Alumni Profile: Susan Leading Fox
8. Native American Foods
9. Research in Indian Communities
10. Visiting Scholars in American Indian Studies & Research
11. Upcoming Events – Spring 09

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Message from the Director

As fall moves swiftly toward winter, the American Indian Center continues to develop new programs and looks forward to repeating previous ones. We held our first tribal leadership workshop in late June of 2008, after the end of the 2007-2008 academic year, and before we knew it we were welcoming students and faculty back to campus for the 2008-2009 academic year. Our Welcome Back Extravaganza drew an audience of about 200 people, including colleagues from the Center for the Study of the American South, the Diversity and Multicultural Affairs office, and the Office of Student Academic Counseling. November, National American Indian Heritage Month, was busy with various events/teacher training workshops, panel discussions, keynote speeches and the American Indian Heritage Celebration at the North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh.

The spring semester's events will include our Elder-in-Residence program. This year Ms. LaDonna Harris, nationally known and respected Comanche elder and director of the Americans for Indian Opportunity program in Albuquerque, N.M., will spend the week of March 16-20 with us. The annual student powwow will be held on campus in Fetzer Gymnasium March 21, and this year it will be preceded by an alumni reunion banquet and dance on the evening of March 20.

The generally gloomy budget outlook for the state of North Carolina and the country in general has led to budget cuts for the center. Although we have enthusiastic supporters, we will be working diligently on external fundraising efforts as well as the events we will be sponsoring on campus and for the Indian communities in the state. We may be stretched to do more with less during the rest of this academic year, but we hope we can count on your support.

Clara Sue Kidwell
Director

American Indian Alumni Reunion

The American Indian Center is planning an American Indian Reunion (AIR) dinner and dance on the evening of March 20, 2009. It is timed to coincide with the Carolina Indian Circle’s Annual Powwow on March 21 in hopes that alumni will attend all weekend activities. The Reunion event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Chancellor’s Ballroom of the Carolina Inn with cocktails followed by dinner and dancing, live entertainment by Charly Lowry and the BAND, and a silent auction.

The General Alumni Association will assist the Center with planning and logistics, marketing efforts, and host the event registration website. Tickets and registration for the event will be available for purchase through their website on February 2, 2009. Members of the General Alumni Association will be able to purchase tickets to the reunion at a reduced rate.

The Center is more than a year and a half old, and in that time it has become the visible symbol of the American Indian presence on campus for faculty, students and staff. It is now working toward becoming the place where American Indian alumni can come together to reminisce and to plan future events. Last year the Center hosted an alumni brunch for members of Alpha Pi Omega sorority, and this year it held an open house for alumni in conjunction with the fall homecoming football game on November 8.

The Alumni Reunion weekend will also be an opportunity for interested individuals to discuss the possibilities of developing an American Indian Alumni Association. The Center will be hosting a brunch on Saturday morning, March 21, in the Student Union at 9 a.m. as an occasion for an informal discussion of ways in which American Indian alumni can give back to Carolina.

A small group of alumni have agreed to serve as an ad hoc committee to support the Center’s efforts including the reunion. Christina Morrow ’99, Edward Brooks ’96, Jamie Goins ’95, Derek Oxendine ’05, Chese’Qua Evans ’01, and Tonia Jacobs ’03 are the current members of the committee, and we hope to expand it in the future. The committee will take the lead in formulating ideas for future development and future events. The Center looks forward to the active involvement of alumni in its future growth and programs.

The Tribal Leadership Workshop Series

The Tribal Leadership Workshop Series is focused on specific issues and strategic planning for future action. Future workshop topics will include health, cultural tourism and economic development, and we expect each workshop will generate ideas for other follow-up sessions.

North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs

The American Indian Center inaugurated its Tribal Leadership Workshop Series with a day-and-a-half session for the senior staff and committee chairs of the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs. The workshop was held June 25 and 26 at the Friday Center near the UNC Chapel Hill campus. Participants reviewed the Commission’s fifteen-year strategic plan, its mission and the current structure of its committee system.

Since all the tribes have nonprofit corporations to handle financial matters, Dr. Margaret Henderson, research associate in the Public Intersection Project in the School of Government at Carolina, gave a presentation on the role of nonprofit corporations in providing services in the larger communities of which they are a part.

Participants enjoyed the opportunity for face-to-face dialogue during the workshop. Much of the Commission’s work is done by telephone, and committee meetings are held as conference calls. The workshop allowed Commission staff and members to step back from their day-to-day work and reflect thoughtfully on ways that they can work together more efficiently to carry out their mission and advance their strategic plans for the future.

Title VII Indian Education Directors’ Workshop

The American Indian Center teamed with staff of the state Department of Public Instruction (DPI); Ms. Priscilla Maynor, Indian education liaison; and Ms. Benita Tipton, state high school science consultant, to hold a workshop for the 17 directors of Title VII programs and the superintendents of the local school districts that have these programs. Title VII is the section of the national No Child Left Behind school act that deals with American Indian students. The federal government gives grants to local educational agencies, i.e., public school districts, to fund special enrichment activities for American Indian students.

The workshop was held October 16 and 17 at the Center for School Leadership and Development. Dr. Carol Tresolini, associate provost for educational initiatives at UNC Chapel Hill, greeted the participants. Dr. June Atkinson, state superintendent of public instruction, gave a special presentation on DPI’s initiative to increase the graduation rate of high school students in the state. American Indian students graduate at the second lowest rate of all high school students in North Carolina, 55.9 percent. Superintendent Atkinson invited Mr. Greg Richardson, executive director of the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs, and Dr. Clara Sue Kidwell, director of the Center, to sign an accord committing to promote a statewide effort to increase the graduation rates of all high school students.

Dr. Grayson Noley, associate professor and chair of the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies department at the University of Oklahoma College of Education, gave the keynote speech. He stressed that much research focuses on Indian dropout rates, but people need to look at what contributes to Indian graduation rates. He noted that dropout rates are highest in the seventh and eighth grades, not in the senior year. He said schools need teachers who teach a curriculum that validates the experiences of Indian students.

Melissa Thibault, director of LEARN NC, the UNC system’s online resource for K-12 teachers, introduced the audience to the use of the LEARN NC Web site and encouraged teachers to post lesson plans and learning resources on the site.

Ms. Rita Locklear, director of the Title VII program in the Robeson County School District (which has the largest Title VII program in the country, with over 11,000 American Indian students), described the National Indian Education Association (NIEA), the main Indian education lobbying association in the country. Individuals and organizations can join NIEA, which informs members of the U.S. Congress and federal Cabinet members about Indian education issues.

In the final wrap-up session of the day, participants singled out LEARN NC as the most important resource they had learned about, and said that they realized they needed to start working more closely with seventh and eight graders to prevent dropouts.

The second morning was devoted to small group discussions that resulted in recommendations for more active communication with parents, development of a Web site within the DPI to focus on Indian education and Title VII activities, and creation of an organization that could meet quarterly in different parts of the state.

The Welcome Back Extravaganza

The American Indian Center hosted a “welcome back to campus” extravaganza for the American Indian community and friends on August 21, 2008. The lawn of Abernethy Hall provided the outdoor venue for the gathering. Some 300 people enjoyed a barbecue dinner and entertainment provided by John Oxendine, John Scott-Richardson and Bo Goins.

Several current and former students took part in the dancing while John Oxendine described the various styles they performed. Tonia Jacobs (master’s in social work, 2008, Waccamaw-Siouan) did a jingle dress dance; Erica Scott (master’s student in anthropology, Delaware) demonstrated a ladies straight dance.

Noted Lumbee composer and singer Willie Lowry performed several of his songs, including the ever-popular “Proud to be a Lumbee.” He sang especially for his 1-year-old daughter, Lydia, who was in the audience. Ms. Rebekah Revels, former Miss North Carolina, also sang for the audience.

The event included special greetings by Dr. Clara Sue Kidwell, center director; Terri Houston, director of student recruitment and multicultural affairs; Dr. Theda Perdue, professor of history and American Indian studies; Dr. Sandra Hoeflich, associate dean of the Graduate School; Marcus Collins, assistant dean of student advising; Carolyn Cannon, associate dean of academic advising; and Benita Tipton, a representative of the Communities Ties program sponsored by the Office of Student Academic Counseling.

The extravaganza also showcased student activities on campus. Representatives of student organizations gave brief descriptions of their activities. They included Ms. Rachel Ensing (Alpha Pi Omega Sorority), Ms. Ashley Hammonds (American Indian Science and Engineering Society), Mr. Tyler Thomas (Carolina Indian Circle), Mr. Damon Jacobs (First Nations Graduate Circle), Ms. Danielle McLean (Native American Law Students Association) and Mr. Cameron Trevor Locklear (Phi Sigma Nu Fraternity).

The event drew an enthusiastic response from audience members. Ricky Jackson (UNC class of 2009) said, “The Welcome Back Extravaganza was a wonderful event. We were able to come together in fellowship to enjoy good people, good food and good entertainment. This event is one I wish to see continued for years to come!”

The extravaganza was an educational experience for many of the non-Indian people in the audience. The explanation of tribal dances was very interesting for them. For new students, the range of student organizations was impressive. Most of all, as Jacobs explained, “It was wonderful to see students and alumni, both native and non-native, at the Welcome Back Extravaganza. It is always good to fellowship while sharing our culture on campus. I was surprised at the large number of students that attended. This event was evidence of how the American Indian Center has successfully united the native community both at UNC and the Triangle area as a whole. I hope this becomes an annual event!”

Perdue Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Dr. Theda Perdue, professor of history at UNC Chapel Hill, won the annual Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Scholars, at the annual meeting of the Western Historical Association, in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 25, 2008.

Dr. Perdue has been a member of the history department at UNC since 1988. She holds an endowed chair, the Atlanta Distinguished Professor of Southern Culture. Her academic specialty is the history of the Cherokee Indians. She has published a number of books and articles and is currently working on a book manuscript on the history of Indians in the segregated South.

Dr. Perdue received a plaque in recognition of the honor. It reads, “Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Theda Perdue for Helping Others and Advancing the Study of American Indian History.” Dr. Clara Sue Kidwell, center director, commented, “Theda’s scholarly publications and her mentoring of graduate students have contributed significantly to the development of the field of American Indian history. She is certainly deserving of this award.”

She and Dr. Michael Green, professor of american studies and history, have been essential in the process of establishing the American Indian Center. We are pleased that her contributions to the field of American Indian history have been recognized nationally.

Pictured with Dr. Perdue are Dr. Timothy Garrison, associate professor of history and director of native American studies department at Portland State University; Dr. R. David Edmunds, Watson professor of American history at the University of Texas at Dallas; and Dr. Donald L. Fixico, Distinguished Foundation professor of history at Arizona State University.

External Advisory Committee

The provost has appointed a new External Advisory Committee for the American Indian Center. We welcome the following individuals as committee members.

Dr. Robin Cummings (Lumbee), a retired cardiothoracic surgeon from Pinehurst, N.C., received his undergraduate degree in zoology from Carolina and his doctorate in medicine from Duke University. Dr. Cummings is an owner in CoreVantage Technologies and serves as a consultant for a number of companies involved with medicine and technology. He has two sons who are currently students at Carolina, Mark (dentistry), and David (undergraduate); and his daughter, Amy, is a UNC alumnus. Dr. Cummings is also a member of the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs and chair of its health committee. He is chair of the UNC-Pembroke Foundation and a member of the UNC Board of Visitors.

Forest Hazel (Nanticoke), from Mebane, N.C., is project director of the Occaneechi-Saponi tribe and a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill. He has conducted historical research on several tribes throughout the state and worked on petitions for federal acknowledgement.

Michael Kennedy, senior client partner with Korn/Ferry International, is a corporate recruiter based in Atlanta. He has experience in investment banking. He is also co-chair of the Alumni Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Carolina development office. He is a graduate of the College of Arts & Sciences (history) at Carolina and Harvard’s M.B.A. program. He currently serves as vice chair on the UNC Board of Visitors and was a former director of the General Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Jason Lambert, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in December 2003. While receiving his bachelor’s in political science, he also obtained the first minor in American Indian studies from the University. He is currently enrolled at UNC-Pembroke working on a master’s in public administration. Since graduation, Jason has been employed with the EBCI, where he serves as grants coordinator for the Office of Planning and Development. In his professional capacities he has managed over $12 million in economic development projects for the tribe, secured various grants, been a part of successful business recruitment and participated in a variety of planning exercises. Jason is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the International Economic Development Council. He resides in Cherokee, N.C., with his wife, Lacey, and their son, Connor.

Dr. Cheryl Locklear (Lumbee) is the owner of Ransom-Locklear Dental Services in Red Springs, N.C. received her doctorate in dentistry and a master’s in public health from Carolina. She was the first American Indian admitted to the dental school, and she has practiced dentistry for over 25 years. Dr. Locklear is a member of Alpha Pi Omega sorority, the North Carolina Dental Society and the American Dental Association. In 2007, she was appointed a member of the UNC systemwide Board of Governors and is a former member of the UNC Board of Visitors. She was also awarded the 2008 Medicine Wheel Award by Amerian Indian Mothers, Inc.

Dr. Waltz Maynor (Lumbee), a native of Robeson County, N.C., earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1959 from UNC-Pembroke, a master’s degree in mathematics from Appalachian State University, and his doctorate from Duke University in education administration and research. He is retired from the faculty of North Carolina Central University, where he also served in a number of administrative positions including chair of the school of education. Dr. Maynor has been involved in community projects both in Durham, N.C., where he lives, and in Pembroke, including Lumbee tribal issues, the Red Cross, the North Carolina Museum of History, the National Museum of the American Indian and the North Carolina Museum of Art among others. He also chaired a committee that was successful in building a public library in the town of Pembroke. He was also a member of the General Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Dr. Richard “Dick” Richardson was born in Missouri and received his undergraduate degree from Arkansas’s Harding College in 1957 and his graduate degrees in political science from Tulane University. He taught at Tulane, Western Michigan University and the University of Hawaii before joining the faculty of UNC in 1969. A popular teacher and raconteur, he served as chair of his department from 1975 to 1980 and chaired the University’s bicentennial observance in the early 1990s. From 1995 to 2000, Richardson was provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. He won the Thomas Jefferson Award in 1987. He was instrumental in attracting Drs. Michael Green and Theda Perdue to the Carolina campus in 1998 and in creating the Provost’s Advisory Committee on American Indian Affairs, which in turn wrote the proposal for an American Indian Center that was approved by Provost Robert Shelton in 2006.

Christina Strickland Theodorou is the program manager for the North Carolina Indian Economic Development Initiative. As a member of the Lumbee tribe; a graduate of UNC-Pembroke, the first American Indian public school in the nation; and a founder of Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, the first national American Indian sorority, Christina has 20 years experience advocating for and networking with American Indian populations in North Carolina. Christina resides in Raleigh, N.C., with her husband, Ioannis, and daughter, Chrisoula Rose. Christina is also an avid history buff, powwow enthusiast and supporter of the American Indian arts.

The appointment of the External Advisory Committee marks a step forward in the development of the American Indian Center. This group will play an important role in keeping the center connected to Indian communities throughout the state and identifying funding sources, critical community issues and programs that we can carry out. Since many members of the committee are also Carolina alumni, they can help us develop an American Indian alumni organization in the future.

American Indian Heritage Month

The Center also co-sponsored several events with the Carolina Indian Circle (CIC), the Native American Law Students Association (NALSA), the American Indian Science and Engineering Society, and Alpha Pi Omega Sorority Inc. during American Indian Heritage Month on campus.

NALSA kicked off the month of celebration with their annual Harvest Festival in the rotunda of the law school on November 11. The traditional succotash of corn, lima beans and tomatoes was served with cornbread and sweet tea to showcase part of North Carolina Indian culture and learn more about programs and events on campus. NALSA also hosted alumnus Dale Deese, senior managing attorney in Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Pembroke office, to discuss the Indian Law Unit’s function and how it was established.

Danielle McLean, president of NALSA said, “It was a very informative discussion on the issues facing different tribes in North Carolina. Mr. Deese reinforced that there is a need to come together as a unified group instead of duplicating efforts and ‘fighting for bread crumbs’ instead of working together.” McLean also commented that the talk brought “Indian issues out in the open” and allowed for a “better understanding of major problems affecting these tribes.”

CIC also hosted several events on campus for students, alumni, faculty and staff to promote Indian culture at the University. UNC-Chapel Hill alumni Charly Lowry, Arnold Corey Locklear and Aaron Locklear (also know as Charly and the BAND) were the contemporary featured artists in the CIC Native American Music Showcase on November 19 in the Cabaret of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union. Several students enjoyed listening to the sounds of traditional music by Michael Jacobs, a Cherokee artist who played the guitar and sang songs from his current album, “They Come Dancing.”

On Saturday, November 22, the Center. along with several state agencies and organizations, supported the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs and the North Carolina Museum of History at the 13th Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration in downtown Raleigh. Over 8,000 people from across the state filled the Bicentennial Plaza and the museum to participate in the annual celebration that followed the Raleigh Christmas parade. With something for all ages, the celebration was a firsthand opportunity to learn about the state’s Indian culture, both past and present. More than 30 American Indian artists demonstrated their skills at pottery, basketry, beadwork, stone carving and other crafts. Over 40 dancers performed traditional dances to the rhythms of northern- and southern-style drum groups. Visitors were able to learn about members of the eight state-recognized tribes: Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of Saponi, Sappony and Waccamaw-Siouan.

Dr. Michelene Pesantubbee, associate professor of religious studies at the University of Iowa, gave the heritage month guest lecture for the American Indian studies program on November 24 before an audience of approximately 70 people in Hamilton Hall. Her topic was around Shawnee women. Using a series of paintings of Shawnee life, Dr. Pesantubbee explored how women’s roles in Shawnee culture could be explored by analyzing dances. She traced an extensive series of moves by the historic Shawnee people to show how their location changed but their culture remained surprisingly intact. Dr. Michael Green described Dr. Pesantubbee’s talk as “truly extraordinary” in her use of dance as a method of historical and cultural analysis.

The evening concluded with the annual CIC Thanksgiving dinner and American Indian Spirituality Workshop led by Dr. Rayna Green. Dr. Green discussed the significance of American Indian culture as it relates to food and spirituality. With over 40 people in attendance, the event was co-sponsored by the sisters of Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, who served as the dinner hosts for the evening.

Alumni Profile: Susan Leading Fox

Susan Leading Fox received her master’s in social work from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1988. She is the deputy health and medical officer for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a position she has held since 2004. She was interviewed on November 11, 2008 by Clara Sue Kidwell, center director, for this issue of Voices.

Clara Sue Kidwell: Can you tell us about your family background and what attracted you to Carolina for graduate school?

Susan Leading Fox: I was born in Bryson City, five miles from Cherokee, but I spent most of my time in Cherokee when I was growing up. My mother was an R.N. and a career nurse in the Cherokee hospital. I stayed with my grandmother while my mother worked. She was a weaver, and she worked in Oconaluftee Village.

I went to Swain High School, but I didn’t have a career path in mind because there was so much that I wanted to do. I loved art and finally decided on a degree in graphic arts. My parents and I went to a college in eastern North Carolina so I could apply, but it was very run down, in very bad condition. It was also in the far eastern part of the state, which was such a change for me. I didn’t apply.

I felt really lost, like life had thrown me a curve ball. I was floundering. Also, no one in my family had gone to college before. One day in psychology class in high school the teacher announced that we were going on a campus visitation to Warren Wilson College. For me it was just an excuse to get out of psych. class, but when we got there, I loved it. My time at Warren Wilson as a student was probably the best four years of my life.

The college didn’t have a graphic design program, so I decided to major in social work. I had a professor who was a Vietnam veteran and a social worker. He encouraged me to apply to law school. I didn’t think I had the intellect or the money, but I applied to Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham and was accepted. The summer before school started, I took the American Indian prelaw program at the University of New Mexico and fell in love with it. It provided a huge support system with Native students and professors. My experience at Cumberland was like the opposite end of the spectrum. I was the only Native student. The majority of students there were from affluent families who had jobs waiting for them in family law firms. It was very competitive, very cutthroat. I left after a year and a half. My professors at UNM kept calling encouraging me to go back and finish, but I didn’t have any motivation to try again.

I went back home and worked at a children’s home. I decided to apply to UNC-Chapel Hill’s advanced standing program in social work. I was accepted. I also applied for a minority scholarship, but I was told it was only for African-Americans. I said that it should be called an African-American scholarship. It went downhill from there. I took a course on minorities in social work taught by an African-American professor. We learned about Martin Luther King and African-American issues. I told the instructor that all this wasn’t relevant to American Indian communities. I think UNC-Chapel Hill saw everything in terms of black and white. I wanted to work with Native people, and I kept asking and challenging, “When are we going to learn about other groups?” There wasn’t room in the curriculum for Native people.

I liked the school and the professors. The advanced standing program had 15 students, and we were a very close and supportive group, but I kept challenging the curriculum. I asked for a field placement in a Native community, but they were relatively far away from Chapel Hill. I did my placement with an agency in Raleigh, and I still keep up with people I met there, but I was very disappointed that I didn’t have a placement in a Native community.

I graduated with my master’s in social work in 1988, and then I went home. I hadn’t even unpacked my bags before I got a call from the director of the Chemical Dependency Unit in Cherokee, offering me a job. It was a good place to start. I specialized in mental health and I was a counselor. I later worked in the tribal legal system and in juvenile services and then in a day hospital with chronically ill mental patients. Many were middle-aged or elderly. Some had alcohol-related dementia. It was a fabulous experience. The patients guided their own therapy. We had a garden. The men plowed and the women planted. Patients taught classes to other patients on whatever topic they wanted. Some of the classes were on hominy making and other traditional skills. One woman taught us how to make the ties to carry babies on our fronts. The patients learned self-esteem. The project was funded by a grant, which ended, and Phoenix House closed, but the patients kept on meeting, even though there were no staff running the program. The tribe provided a van and hired a driver who picked patients up so they could continue to meet. That was a very enriching experience, with many blessings.

I moved on to the UNITY Program, which served youth. I was a counselor and family therapist. It was rough because I realized as time went on that I was beginning to see generations of the same family, and I wondered, are these cycles ever going to end? Finally, in 2000, I felt burned out, and I quit and returned home.

I finally went back to work as manager of a recovery center in Cherokee. In 2004 I assumed my present position.

CSK: What changes have you seen in Cherokee over time?

SLF: The tribe is partnering much more with outside entities, at the local, state and federal levels. We have gotten so large that we need to partner to offer services to our members. Partnerships have brought more financial resources, and we can advocate for our communities with our partners and increase services. The state of North Carolina has seen the value of partnering with the tribe. We are the largest employer in western North Carolina. Before, the state did not pay that much attention to the tribe.

The economic development from the casino has increased our resources, but there is a catch-22. If the tribe is too dependent on gaming, our resources will decline in the present economic situation.

There is a good deal more recognition of the importance of education. Middle-aged people are going back to school, and people realize the value of advanced degrees. There is also strong recognition of the urgency to teach children in the Cherokee language and to revive the traditions and beliefs and customs of the tribe. There is now a pride in being Cherokee, of having cultural tradition and language, songs and dances. We have an immersion school for language. Being associated with the Cherokee tribe has not always been a source of pride. That is changing a lot.

CSK: What do you enjoy most about your work?

SLF: Even though I am Native, and even though working in Native communities has its frustrations and aggravations, it is a very enriching experience. Native people are some of the warmest, most caring, generous people. It doesn’t matter what kind of resources they have. They are always generous. They don’t seem to have a sense of urgency. They are not always hurrying you along.

CSK: How do you feel your education at UNC has helped your career?

SLF: I was one of only three people with master’s degrees in the late 1980s. I value the support of my family and the tribe, but the advanced standing program in the School of Social Work gave me the opportunity to further my career.

Native American Foods

Students had a unique opportunity during the fall semester to learn more about American Indian foods, including samples. Dr. Rayna Green taught a course offered on both the Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill campuses. The American studies department offered AMST 499, The Life, Death and Rebirth of Native Food. This class explored land, people and Native food, especially the expropriation and rejection of Natives themselves, as well as the unique role Native food has played in the construction of American identity. The course covered Native American food from precontact to the “first Thanksgiving” to current environmental and health crises. Bridging the fields of Native American and American studies, food studies, environmental studies, anthropology, history, and folklore, the course included lectures, class discussions, field documentation (interview, video, photographic, etc.) and library research, along with local documentation (cooks, farmers, grocery stores, restaurants, farmer’s markets, etc.) and gathering, cooking and consumption of Native food.

A highlight of the course was a buffet of dishes based on corn, beans, squash, buffalo tongue and venison that Dr. Green cooked and served at the home of Drs. William and Marcie Ferris. Marcie Ferris, an assistant professor in American studies, teaches about food and culture in the United States. She said, “I was thrilled to sit in on Dr. Green’s Native American foodways course this past semester. My favorite things about this class? Dr. Green and the students! (AND the delicious Native American banquet towards the end of the semester!).” She described the course as encouraging “such a high level of intellectual engagement and conversation in class each week” and noted that “the material covered was tremendously interesting and the readings were excellent. I will definitely incorporate some of the readings in my own class on American foodways. I loved hearing from students about their projects throughout the semester—their topics were dynamic and challenging.” She concluded, “We were so honored by Dr. Green’s presence at Carolina this fall.”

Research in Indian Communities

A circle of Coharie women meet weekly at the tribal headquarters in Clinton, N.C., in Sampson County. They talk about nutrition and healthy lifestyles, about educational opportunities and how to improve their job skills. Sometime they make canvas tote bags to sell to individuals or organizations. They support each other in their determination to provide a safe and nurturing environment for their families. These women represent the results of a project named HOPE Works.

The research project is sponsored by the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP) at Carolina. For 15 years researchers from HPDP have worked with women in diverse communities in Sampson and Duplin counties. HOPE Works began as a program that helped women in blue-collar jobs in textile and apparel factories deal with health and economic issues. When the factories closed, HOPE Works shifted to a community-based intervention project. Researchers from HPDP identified communities where they could set up programs to train leaders to work with women on the major factors included in the HOPE acronym:

Health, primarily prevention of obesity and promotion of a healthy lifestyle;
Opportunities for education, work, and economic improvement;
Partnerships within communities and with community colleges; and
Empowerment, i.e., giving women the ability to make changes in their own lives and their communities.

These leaders in turn recruit 10 women to form a circle of HOPE. The involvement of the Coharie community in the HOPE Works project has been strongly supported by Elizabeth Maynor, executive director of the tribe. She serves on the Community Advisory Committee for the project. Although HOPE Works serves black, Hispanic and Anglo women as well, the numbers of Coharie women involved in the project have been much greater than their percentage of representation in the population of Sampson and Duplin counties.

Dr. Salli Benedict, project director, credited the project’s success in the Coharie community to Mrs. Maynor’s support and to the fact that the tribe can provide facilities and personnel. Mrs. Tabitha Brewer, the tribal health officer, is associated with the project, and the tribe also has community activities such as the elders’ quilting group. “The project has made a difference,” Mrs. Brewer said. She cited a 3 percent weight loss among women in the circles. She also said, “Women get to share personal stuff, and it remains private.” She said that that was her favorite part of the project.

The HOPE Works project will expand into Robeson County, N.C., in 2009, building on the Lumbee tribe’s Healing Lodge and strong network of churches to promote its activities. Dr. Benedict said that she loved working with the Coharie tribe on the project.

Visiting Scholars in American Indian Studies & Research

American Indian scholars were particularly visible as departments on campus hosted three visiting scholars this fall. Dr. Jean Dennison, a citizen of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, is a research associate in the anthropology department. She received her doctorate in anthropology at the University of Florida. Her position is funded through the Carolina Postdoctoral Program for Faculty Diversity. She is doing research on the current status of Osage constitutional government in Oklahoma. She gave a presentation to the American Indian Center graduate research colloquium titled “The Dangerous Power of Blood: Debating Osage Citizenship in the 21st Century.”

Dr. Malinda Maynor Lowery, Lumbee, is a postdoctoral fellow associated with the Center for the Study of the American South. She has been teaching in the history department at Harvard University since 2005. Dr. Lowery received her master’s in documentary filmmaking at Stanford University and her doctorate in history at Carolina in 2005. She is working on a book about the development of the coal industry in Indian Territory (what is now Oklahoma) in the late 19th century. On November 12, she showed a short film, “Sounds of Faith,” and gave a presentation at the Center for the Study of the American South titled “Sounds of Faith: Native American Christianity and Gospel Music.”

Dr. Rayna Green, Cherokee, a folklorist and documentary filmmaker who received her doctorate in folklore at Indiana University, has had a long career as curator and director of the American Indian Program in the Division of Home and Community Life at the National Museum of American History, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. This fall she holds the Lehman Brady Chair, which is jointly sponsored by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University and the American studies department at UNC-Chapel Hill. This collaborative, cross-campus arrangement affords significant opportunities for study, research and participation in educational activities associated with distinguished writers, photographers, filmmakers, and other practitioners and scholars of the documentary arts. The Lehman Brady Professor teaches courses on both campuses and engages in lectures, film screenings, and other events for students and the general public.

Dr. Green is teaching a course, Native American Food, that explores land, people and Native food, especially the expropriation and rejection of Natives themselves, as well as the unique role Native food has played in the construction of American identity. The course covers Native American food from precontact to the “first Thanksgiving” to current environmental and health crises. Bridging the fields of Native American and American studies, food studies, environmental studies, anthropology, history, and folklore, the course includes lectures class discussions, field documentation (interview, video, photographic, etc.) and library research, along with local documentation (cooks, farmers, grocery stores, restaurants, farmer's markets, etc.) and gathering, cooking and consumption of Native food.

On October 27, Dr. Green gave a public lecture titled “Who’s Your Mama Now?: Mother Corn Shares Her Recipes for Living in Hominy in the New South,” which she described as “an exegetical cookbook filled with perorations about food, memory, manners, cultural dementia, hybridity, race, immigration and Indians.” Approximately 130 people crowded the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History Auditorium to hear the presentation.

The American Indian Center has provided hospitality for these scholars, and their presence has increased the visibility of American Indian scholarship on the campus. We will look forward to similar visits in the future.

Upcoming Events – Spring 09

Dr. Malinda Maynor Lowery

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 – 4:00 p.m.

Location: The Royal Room, George Watts Hill Alumni Center
Sponsored by: The Center for the Study of the American South

Malinda Lowery is the postdoctoral fellow in southern studies at the Center for the Study of the American South. She is also an assistant professor of history at Harvard University.

The Lumbee Indian community of North Carolina resides in the cracks between Indian, southern, and American histories, but doesn’t belong there. Lowery, herself Lumbee, examines Indian identity and federal policy during the Jim Crow era, situating the Lumbee story squarely in the history of the United States. American and southern identities acquire new layers of meaning when confronted with the Lumbee’s. The profound ambiguities of race, citizenship, and colonialism find essential expression in the intersection of Indian, southern, and American identities.

Nike N7 General Manager Launches AMBS Inaugural Diversity Speaker Series

Thursday, January 22, 2009 @ 7:00 p.m.

Location: Koury Auditorium, Kenan-Flagler Buisness School

Sponsored by: The Alliance of Minority Buisness Students

Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Sam McCracken, General Manager of Nike Native American Buisness grew up on the Fort Peck Assiniboine/Sioux Reservation in Montana.

As a result of his dedication to improving Indian health, Sam helped establish Nike’s Native American Diabetes Program. He is also working in conjunction with Indian Health Service (IHS) and the National Indian Health Board (NIHB) on their “Just Move It” program—a unique alliance that promotes physical fitness on Indian Reservations.

For additional information please contact Antonio Deese at Antonio_Deese@unc.edu or Randy Delgado at Randy_Delgado@unc.edu

Carolina Pathways (for 7th & 8th Graders)

Location: The Multipurpose Room, Frank Porter Graham Student Union
Sponsored by the Office of Diversity & Multicultural Affairs

Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, Carolina Indian Circle, and other Native American student organizations work closely together to support a variety of Native American Recruitment Programs. These programs are designed to assist Native American high school and middle school students in obtaining information that may be helpful in making sound decisions about college. These programs also give you a chance to see what life is like at UNC, and to get to know the Carolina community of American Indian students.

As a participant, you will have the opportunity to establish networks of support with other Native American students who will be first year students. You'll also spend time with selected faculty, staff, and undergraduate students who will answer questions about academic life, financial aid, housing, and social life here at Carolina. For more information on Native American programs contact Tyler Thomas at twthomas@email.unc.edu or at 919-843-6086.

Dr. Bette K. Jacobs
Ethnic Minority Visiting Scholar, UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing

February 25, 2008 – 3:00 p.m.

Location: Fox Auditorium, School of Nursing

The Minority Visiting Scholar Lecture series was established at UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing in 2000 as an initiative to highlight the research and contributions of minority nurse scholars. The lecture brings outstanding specialists, educators, clinical researchers and directors to Chapel Hill for discussion of timely nursing matters affecting ethnic or minority populations.

Dr. Jacobs will be the first Native American visiting scholar.

34th Annual N.C. Indian Unity Conference

Thursday, March 5 - Saturday, March 7, 2009

Location: Hilton North Raleigh - Wake Forest Road, Raleigh

The NC Indian Unity Conference is the largest conference held in the state of North Carolina, specifically designed to address issues affecting American Indians. The Conference is hosted by United Tribes of North Carolina in collaboration with the NC Commission of Indian Affairs, state recognized Indian tribes and organizations. Please make your calendar and plan to attend!

LaDonna Harris
Elder-in-Residence Public Lecture

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 – 6:30 p.m.

Location: The Hitchcock Multipurpose Room, Sonya H. Stone Center for Black Culture & History

Free Event! Reception will follow.

22nd Annual Carolina Indian Circle Contest Pow Wow

Location: Fetzer Gymnasium, UNC Campus

The CIC Pow Wow is FREE and open to the Public!

POW WOW HOTLINE: 919-843-5928

Email: Rachel Ensing, Chair at cicpowwow@live.com

Dr. James T. Carson

“The Old South and the Ancient South: Shreve’s Side of the Story”

The James A. Hutchinson Lecture

Tuesday, March 24, 2009 – 4:00 p.m.

Location: The Royall Room, George Watts Hill Alumni Center

Dr. Carson is an associate professor and associate dean in Ethnohistory of Colonial and Early National America at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.

Taking a cue from a dorm room conversation between Quentin Compson and his Canadian roommate Shreve in William Faulkner’s novel Absalom, Absalom!, Carson will invoke the Canadian notion of “founding peoples” in a discussion about the nature of southern history. While the region clearly owes much of its modernity to the legacy of plantation agriculture, slavery, and civil war, the legacy of the pre-contact Ancient South, Carson will argue, also has enormous implications for the region’s, and the nation’s, present and future.

2009 American Indian Commencement Brunch

Saturday, May 9, 2009 – 11:00 a.m.

Location: TBD

The American Indian Center and the American Studies Curriculum will host the second annual graduation brunch on Saturday, May 9, 2008, for American Indian students and American Indian Studies minors. Both undergraduate and graduate students are invited to participate in the pinning ceremony.