Heritage Walk
Dedication Ceremony
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I attended this crowded, well-received ceremony which launched an important commemoration of the first Indian graduates of the school that grew to become the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The Heritage Walk was the vision of Chancellor Allen C. Meadors; the research of Dr. Linda Oxendine brought it to fruition. When completed (some bricks had still not arrived), it will include a brick showing the name of each of the over 500 Indians who graduated between 1905 and 1954. Included among the attendees were six individuals whose names appear on the Heritage Walk, including Tom Oxendine, a 1948 graduate who, in November 1942, became the first Native American commissioned as a Navy pilot.
In his remarks, Chancellor Meadors commented on the heritage of teachers, doctors, and other leaders that resulted from the hard work of these first graduates who made the commitment to higher education. He noted that probably 95% of today’s Lumbee community can find an uncle, aunt, or grandparent named on the Heritage Walk.
In her detailed remarks, Dr. Linda Oxendine, recently retired as chairperson of UNC-Pembroke’s American Indian Studies program, reflected on the contributions of the school to the Lumbee people. She noted that “the school gave us literacy—we could not read and write before the public school system and UNC-P.” The school also impacted the economy; the teachers it trained had predictable salaries that could not be gotten from farming, could buy a little land, and could plan for retirement. Thus, the school created a Lumbee middle class. She stated, “What we did in 1887 for higher education was what other tribes have been striving to do for years.” She added, “For our people, education was not a way out of the community—it was a way up.”
Installation of the project took six weeks of painstaking work by Frank Britt, UNC-Pembroke’s Facilities Architect and designer of the project.
State Treasurer Richard Moore also made remarks. He thanked Chancellor Meadors, who is the only chancellor within the UNC System serving on the Board of Trustees of the state retirement system. Moore commented, “The strength of our state and our people lies in diversity; this project articulates that.”
The photographs and video on this page were taken by Roger J. Stilling.
—Glenn Ellen Starr Stilling
References
“UNCP to dedicate Heritage Walk on July 7.” University Newswire at UNCP Thursday, June 21, 2007. Accessed August 6, 2007. http://www.uncp.edu/news/2007/events/heritage_walk.htm [Article contains photographs.]
“UNCP dedicates Heritage Walk to its first graduates.” University Newswire at UNCP Friday, July 20, 2007. Accessed August 6, 2007. http://www.uncp.edu/news/2007/heritage_walk.htm [Note: This article contains photographs as well as a complete list of all graduates from 1905 through 1954.]
Galloway, Sean. “Pembroke honors past alumni.” News 14 Carolina 07/07/2007 05:08 PM. Accessed August 6, 2007. http://news14.com/Default.aspx?ArID=584549 [Note: This posting contains photographs as well as video clips.]
Web page designed by James B. Smith
smithjb@appstate.edu
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