Mar_Apr 2016 - Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation

Nov/Dec 2016
March/April
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2015Issue
YÉSAH
For Our People By Our People
Inside This Issue
Message From Tribal Administrator
Tribal Administrator. . . . . . . . . . 1
When We Were Boys. . . . . . . . . 2
Sacred Trees. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Social Media Report. . . . . . . . . . 4
Occaneechi History. . . . . . . . . . . 5
Who Are We? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Tutelo-Saponi Language . . . . . .10
Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . .11
Biwa Nahambe:
Once again we are pleased to be sending out the newsletter.
The OBSN hopes that it helps to keep you in touch with the happenings of the Tribe. It doesn’t matter if you live near or far
we want to continue to reach out to you. Here are some things
that have been happening with the tribe.
Go Fund Me Campaign for a tribal Center. The 10 for 12 campaign ($10.00 per month for 12 months) initiated by Tribal Elder John Blackfeather to help with repairs and upkeep of the
tribal grounds. The Wisdom Circle (Nejiwa Walikas) meets
monthly and we come together to learn our history, culture,
and language.
The Yesah (the people) Powwow will be held on June 11 & 12,
2016. Please make sure that you mark your calendars and
come on home, sit for a while, talk, laugh, and just remember
the old times.
Neke wa bi,
Vickie (Mihe Hetoa Heyanenhes Yatt) Jeffries
Tribal Administrator
TRIBAL VISION
Occaneechi Band of the Saponi
Nation will be a unified and
self-reliant tribe.
TRIBAL
MISSION STATEMENT
The Occaneechi Band of the
Saponi Nation is continuously
committed to the preservation,
protection and promotion of our
history, culture and traditions;
while providing social, economic
and educational resources,
opportunities and services that
will contribute to the well being of
the tribal community.
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When We Were Boys
YÉSAH
This publication is produced by the
Occaneechi Band of the Saponi
Nation (OBSN), Tribal Council.
Wanda Whitmore-Penner
Editor
DEADLINE DATES:
Dec 15 (Jan/Feb)
Feb 15 (Mar/Apr)
Apr 15 (May/Jun)
Jun 15 (Jul/Aug)
Aug 15 (Sep/Oct)
Oct 15 (Nov/Dec)
Mailing Address:
Occaneechi-Saponi Tribal Office
P.O. Box 356
Mebane, NC 27302-0356
Tribal Office Phone #:
(336) 421-1317
Tribal Office/Tribal Grounds:
4902 Dailey Store Road
Burlington, NC 27217
Tribal Office Email:
[email protected]
Newsletter Email:
[email protected]
Copyright © 2016
by the
OBSN Tribal Council.
TRIBAL COUNCIL
Tony Hayes, Chair
Sharn Jeffries, Vice-Chair
Vickie Jeffries, Tribal Administrator,
Secretary-Treasurer
Keshia Enoch
Tammy Hayes-Hill
John “Blackfeather” Jeffries
My name is John Jeffries and I’ve been in the culture since about 1980, and I was born on
the Eno River. I say born on the Eno River because I was born in my grandmother’s
house about 250 yards down the hill east from where we are sitting now, The river was
the only place that we, as kids, could play. We had a childhood of the river. When I was
eleven or twelve years old we used to sneak off down the hill from here and we’d dam it
up and we’d catch horn heads and little perch and we’d cook them things down on the
river. We used to go down to the river and whenever my mama needed me she would call.
She would say John-nieeee! No matter where you were, if you heard your name called, it
echoed through the trees. No telephone, just word-of-mouth. We used to go up and above
the Efland Bridge before they built the dam up there, a long time before they built the
dam. We had a swimming hole up there called Bivens Bottom; Big Bivens is what we
called it because the river was kind of deep and we had ropes going out across the river
made out of warping. When they set up the looms up they had a big roll. It was like a big
spool of thread about four or five feet long that they hooked on the looms. When the spool
of thread got about empty they would cut if off.
We had a man name Bunn Riley lived right back of us down here on the hill. Bunn would
take this warping, the remainder, what they called junk and he would roll it up into a ball
about as big as a silver dollar. I’d be there in the evening after school and I’d hear –
thump! Bunn Riley had thrown that ball of warp at my door. I’d go out there and get that
warping and sometimes the colors would be multicolored! You’d have thirty different colors in that string of warp some of like a piece of twisted rope. Oh man! We would take
that warping and we’d go to the river and some of the braver guys would climb up into
this tree and tie that warping off over the river and then he’d shinny down that rope. We
could swing sometimes for three or four weeks before it broke.
When I was a young boy we’d go down there to the village site, the actual village site.
Occaneechi Town, though we didn’t know anything it then. We’d call that the ghost field.
A lot times it was cultivated in corn, less than a half mile down river) from the present
town of Hillsborough. It’s just in the bed in the river, an ox-bow, now they got a sewage
plant there. We used to go down that river and get to fishing, about sundown get ready
to come home. We were young boys, you know, kids, coming up across the field with the
big boys up in the front. The little boys behind carrying the fishing poles. There was always a chain of command, so here we come with a bunch of poles, cedar-fishing poles
made out of cedar saplings. We’d come across there with the fishing poles on our shoulders and somebody would say “Hot dam! Looky yonder” and we would take off running.
They would leave us little boys behind. We’d turn around and go back towards the river
because we weren’t going up through there across that ghossy field. That’s what we
called it. You see, they did some excavation down there in 1938 and we didn’t know anything about it. There was no indication of any Indians down there, burial site or anything, but there was something there. It was
very “ghossy” down there but nobody said it
was an Indian burial ground.
It was just a feeling we had about that place. It
was spooky. It never dawned on me until years
later when they did the digging down there and
I said, “I’ll be darned!”
Tribal Elder, John Blackfeather Jeffries
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Sacred Trees
Have you ever looked at a tree, really looked at it. The tree is a symbol of protection because its
shade protects us from the sun. It is a gathering place and a central pole of unity for people. We
need nourishment to live and grow. This is represented by the fruit of the tree. The leaves represent
the people, which eventually fall to earth and provide nourishment for continued health, growth,
and future flowering. For many years, the tree has accumulated a lot of wisdom. It has wisdom
from the past to nourish the present and plan for the future. The roots and limbs grow towards the
four directions: north, south, east and west.
The leaves are pointing towards Grandfather Sky like hands asking for his blessings. The tree has
been here for generations and its wisdom provides development of each generation’s potential.
So the next time that you see a tree don’t just walk by it but feel the power of the sacredness and the
wisdom that it has provided since time began.
A-ho
Women Who Stands Tall (Vickie Jeffries)
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Report From The Social Media Coordinator
Tammy Hayes-Hill
Mécou Tribal Community, Tribal Friends & Supporters,
We are excited to be able to offer an online shopping experience. The OBSN Online Store is open! We have three
products to offer; the 2015 Powwow T-shirts, Bags of Sage and DVDs. Go to www.obsn.org and select Shop. We
thank you in advance for your support.
We are hoping to offer more products in the future. This is a great opportunity for our tribal family and friends
that reside outside of the tribal area and want to stay connected and show their native proud or just supporting
the tribe. We are very happy to join the E-Commerce community and steer our tribe to being more
self-stainable.
Next - The OBSN has a Go Fund Me page and we want to reach our goal of raising $200, 000 for a new tribal center. (Wanda the photo attached) Please visit the website at www.obsn.org and contribute. We want to provide
our community with a place that tribal history can be shared by having a place to display our historical information and artifacts and a place for community & tribal meetings/gatherings. We need your help and yes, we
know this is a big request but it will yield big rewards for us all. Please share this on your social media pages and
promote donations from your friends, family, business affiliates and organizations. Let’s show the power of
YESAH! (The People). Thank you in advance for your support!
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Moments in Occaneechi History
© Lawrence A. Dunmore, III
In the Spring of 1732 Saponi emissaries returned to Virginia from the Catawba Nation and discovered that they NO LONGER possessed a reservation. They sought permission from the House of Burgesses to resettle on their lands in Virginia. Their request was granted.
Some the Cheraw Indians were living with the Saponi and returned with them. It was at this time that
the Saponi Nation began to split into smaller Bands that moved out from the larger group which was
located in Brunswick County, Virginia.
On March 13, 1738, William Stewart, a mulatto boy, was ordered bound apprentice to William
Eaton by the Churchwardens of Bristol Parish in Prince George County, Virginia.
John Jeffries (listed as John Jefferson) patented 84 acres of land on March 19, 1739 in the section of Brunswick County, Virginia which would later become Greensville County. This is the
same land where his sons were living at a later date in records.
In April 1746, a deed of Richard Kennon to Richard Dungeon (Dungee) proved in Brunswick County,
Virginia. Order book 3, page 21
Lewis Parham sued John Pompey for debt in the Brunswick County Court in March, 1753
On March 29, 1757, a delegation of Indians from the Virginia/North Carolina border region which
included two Saponi representatives visited the Governor of Virginia at Williamsburg.
In April of 1771, in the Brunswick County Court Order Book 11, page 346 the Churchwardens
were ordered to bind out William, Robert, and Mary Watkins, Mulatto poor children of Anne
Watkins
On April 25, 1781, Briton Jones, whom had enlisted in the 10th Regiment of the colonial forces of
Virginia and served as a private until he left the service on this date.
On April 26, 1784 - Joseph Haithcock's will was proved in Meherrin Parish, Brunswick County, Virginia
On March 26, 1795, Peter Stewart sold 165 acres in Northampton County, North Carolina
to his son Francis Stewart with the provision that he live on it free.
On April 4, 1807, the Greensville County, Virginia Court had a hearing regarding dower rights
for Francis Haithcock, widow of Charles Haithcock. The record mentioned Charles and Roland Haithcock and Henry Stewart.
On March 4, 1831 John Jeffries received a Revolutionary War pension in Orange County,
North Carolina.
Drury Jeffries signed and affixed his seal to his Orange County, North Carolina will on March
14, 1841. The witnesses were Hugh Jeffries and Charlie Jeffries and his sons Eaton and Andrew Jeffries were the will's executors.
On March 31, 1842 the depositions of Patsy Robinson and Henry Wyche were taken in
Greensville County, Virginia. These depositions described the Indian ancestry of the Jeffries
and related families, naming direct Indian ancestors of the families to the early 1700's. Their depositions were accepted as valid by the court.
In April 1845 John Jeffries, Sr. was receiving a pension for his Revolutionary War service from the
Branch of the Bank of the State of North Carolina in Orange County .
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Moments in Occaneechi History
continued...
© Lawrence A. Dunmore, III
On April 16, 1847 the John C. Vincent's store ledger indicated that John Shavers purchased 1
pair of calfskin shoes, 1 hat, 1 pack of cards, 2 yards broadcloth, 3 yards gambren, and 7 yards domestic
on account. On April 25th he purchased 1 razor, 1 strop, 1 brush, 1 quart molasses on account. Then on
April 27th the ledger indicated that John Shavers had purchased 1/2 gallon whiskey on account.
On March 23, 1872 Dr. McDowell wrote a second letter to the Indian Commission in Washington,
D.C. in which he again gave an explicit description of the migration of those Saponi people from the Catawba Nation to Greensville County, Virginia, then to Orange County, North Carolina and finally to Macon County, North Carolina. As before, since those Indians were considered by the Federal Government
to be Catawba and not Cherokee, no assistance was given to them.
On April 23, 1941 the Burlington Daily Times Newspaper published an article titled, "Registrant
Claims He's Indian: Draft Board Studies Case" when a registrant to the selective service challenged his
classification as Negro for the draft by Alamance County Draft Board #1. During World War II, there
was controversy over the classification of men from the Texas Community for draft and service purposes in the Armed forces. Many had their racial classification corrected to Indian. In this case, the
article probably referred to Odell Jeffries whose papers were filled out in January, 1941. He was originally listed as Negro, later being corrected to show that he was Indian.
On April 14, 1944 Charlie Wesley Jeffries signed an affidavit on behalf of his son Walter William
Jeffries in order for him to serve as an Indian in all White units during World War II. He stated that
both he and his wife, Sadie Parker, were descended from the Cherokee Indians of Robeson County and
that his son was also descended from that tribe.
On May 4, 1946 the Guilford County Board of Education heard evidence in the complaint alleging that
the children of Brodie Martin were not eligible to attend the Bessemer “White“ School because they were
Negroes. Three days later, the County Board of Education decided to appoint a committee to make an
independent investigation of the Brodie Martin schooling matter
On May 8, 1946 the Greensboro Record published a newspaper article about the Brodie Martin
children schooling case. In the article, Mr. Martin claimed that he was of Indian blood, his mother and
father were of White and Cherokee Indian blood and that his family stemmed from that section of the
state where Croatan Indians were prevalent. The Board of Education then began an independent investigation.
Modern Occaneechi History
Steve Claggett, Ph.D., State Archaeologist with the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources,
submitted his review of the Eno-Occaneechi Tribe's petition for State recognition to the North Carolina
Commission of Indian Affairs on March 1, 1991. After concentrating on the historical narrative and
anthropological accounts sections of the petition, they concluded that, "the archaeological and historic
background sections were technically and historically as accurate as current research allowed .... most of
the sections are excepted from documents and reports prepared by archaeologists with the Research Laboratories of Anthropology at UNC-Chapel Hill." Dr. Claggett further stated that, "in their entirety, those
same reports were previously reviewed (and partially sponsored by) the Office of State Archaeology, and
were considered accurate and complete."
Reference was then made to the principal author of the petition, Mr. Forest Hazel. In conclusion, Dr.
Claggett felt that the face value acceptance of Mr. Forest Hazel's research or, alternatively, an exhaustive
reevaluation of his findings by trained historians and genealogists could further validate the claims set
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Moments in Occaneechi History
continued...
© Lawrence A. Dunmore, III
The Federal Indian School Effort of 1934
On April 7, 1934, Dr. John Swanton wrote a letter to Mr. John Collier regarding the ethnicity of
the Alamance County people. In this letter he speculated on the possible origins of the Alamance
and Person County Indians.
A few weeks later on April 30th, Dr. Swanton again wrote to Mr. Collier about the Alamance County
Indians. This time he quoted from a letter written to him by the Reverend Douglas A. Rights, a local
amateur archeologist and historian, that stated that the Alamance County people were probably an
off-shoot of the Robeson County Indians or "Croatans". Rev. Rights felt that since the Alamance
people were living in the area of the last location of the Saxapahaw Indians, then they were probably descended from that tribe as well as other scattered tribes (including the Occaneechi and
Saponi).
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Who Are We? Where Do We Come From?
The Origins of the Saponi Nation—Part II
© Lawrence A. Dunmore, III
forth in the Eno-Occaneechi recognition (sic). The Commission chose to seek a second professional opinion
The Mediation teams met in the Hillsborough, North Carolina on March 23, 1998 in the Orange County Superior Court. An impasse was officially declared by Judge Dolores Smith.
The Saponi Nation Treaty of 1713:
An Interpretation of Virginia’s 1713 Treaty with the Saponi Peoples
By Lawrence Dunmore, III
Did you know that our ancestors were signatories to at least three treaties with the colony of Virginia
and Great Britain?
Did you know that we had very specific rights under those treaties, some of which may still be valid today?
In upcoming issues of the Tribal newsletter, you will find an overview and discussion of the 1713 treaty
of peace with Virginia and Great Britain with the Saponi peoples. These discussions will contain explanations of relevant sections of the 1713 treaty as well as earlier Treaties of peace with our ancestors from
the years 1677 and 1680. These interpretations are based upon my review of these treaties and will be
broken into several segments. I hope they will be informative and allow us to better understand our past
and treaty rights as provided according to these treaties.
It can be said that the Treaty of 1713 with the Saponi, Occaneechi, Tutelo and Stuckenox (Eno and
Shakori) Indians was written with the long-term purpose of detribalizing the signatory tribes. Under the
terms of the 1713 treaty, there were 11 articles which addressed the rights and responsivities of all parties
under the treaty.
I will review the key articles of the treaty starting below:
Relevant Treaty Provisions
Treaty of Peace
Concluded on the one part by the honorable Alexander Spotswood her Majesty’s Lieutenant governor
and commander in Chief of the Colony and Dominion of Virginia, and in behalf of her Majesty’s said
Colony; and on the other part by Tawkeesokha, Hoonthy of the Saponies, Nehawroose in behalf of
the Hoonthymihà of ye Stukanox Indians, Chawco in behalf of the Hoonthy of the Ocioneechee Indians and Mawseeunthey, Hoonthy of the Tottero Indians. Done and signed at Williamsburgh the 27th
of February 1713.
Whereas the several Nations of Indians aforementioned have for some years past lived as Tributarys
to her Majesty’s government of Virginia and inhabited a small tract of land on Maherine River, which
is now encompassed by English settlements: And it being found that the too near Scituation of the
said Indians to the other inhabitants doth reason frequent disputes and controverseys between them,
and is also inconvenient for the hunting by which the said Indians alone subsist,
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Who Are We? Where Do We Come From?
The Origins of the Saponi Nation—Part III cont...
© Lawrence A. Dunmore, III
Article I
The Said Nations of Indians shall from henceforth continue Tributaries to her
Majesty of Great Britain, and her Successors, Under the subjection of the
Government of Virginia
Per this Article, we are subject to a relationship with the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Federal
Government, the successor to Great Britain after the revolutionary war.
Article V
There shall be set out and assigned for the settlement of the said Nations of
Indians, who shall hereafter be deemed as incorporated into one Nation a tract of
land upon the Southside of James River above the inhabitants equal to six miles
square, whereon they may build a fort and make improvements for the
conveniency and subsistence of their families.
And moreover, all the unpatented lands between James River and Roanoke shall
be assigned for the hunting grounds of the said Nation and of the Nottoways to be
divided between those two Nations as the Governor shall hereafter think fit.
And if it shall happen that the lands on James River be at any time hereafter
taken up and patented by her Majesties subjects as high as the present intended
Settlements of said Indians, so as it may thereby become necessary to remove the
said Indians to a further distance, a Tract of like quantity of Land shall be new
laid out and assigned for their habitation, and sufficient satisfaction made for
such improvements as they shall leave behind them.
But the said Indians shall not sell or alienate any part of the lands so to be as
signed for them, the same being hereby intended to remain in common to them
and their posterity. And all Sales or leases thereof made by them to any English
man upon what consideration so ever, are hereby declared to be contrary to this
Treaty.
Originally, the reservation was to be set out along the James river in the area of what is now Richmond,
Virginia. However, Governor Spotswood decided later that he would move the location of the reservation to the Meherrin River after the James River reservation locale and surrounding area was abandoned by our ancestors. This treaty provided our ancestor’s with a 36 square mile reservation. Six
miles square can be interpreted to mean a square plot of land that measures 6 miles on each side.
There were to be no restrictions on our use of the land within the reservation boundaries except for the
2,000 acres referenced in the article that will addressed in more detail in a future segment. The land
was inalienable and could not be bought, sold or leased by anyone. The reservation was intended to be
held in common for all future generations of Saponi people.
As the Treaty itself states, the colony of Virginia was expanding and it was anticipated that the Saponi
reservation (initially located on the James River but later placed in what would become Brunswick
County, Virginia on the Meherrin River), would eventually become surrounded by the colony and
would then need to be once again relocated further to the west of the colony. As the colony and White
settlements moved west, the Saponi reservation was to be moved further west ahead of them. The
Saponi were intended to serve as a buffer and trade resource with Western tribes. It could even be surmised that if the treaty were honored by Great Britain and Virginia, eventually the Saponi peoples
would have been absorbed into the colonial society. Sadly, this was never allowed to play out as the
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TUTELO-SAPONI LANGUAGE LESSON #4
© Lawrence A. Dunmore, III
Tutelo-Saponi Language Lesson # 4
Useful Terms/Word List
Give - Ngo (Nah- go)
Take - Luca (loo-kaw)
Small - Kūtskai (koot-sky)g
Large - Itáñi (ee-tah-nn-nee)
Numbers
Yes - Aháñ (Ah-hahn) or Aha (Ah-ha)
1 - Nosāi; Nōs
No - Ihau (Ee-how)
2 - Nombai; Nomp
Good - Bi, Biwā (bee; bee-wah)
3 - Nāni; Nān
Bad - Kebina (Kay-bee-nah)
4 - Topai; Tōp
Stay - Nañka (nah-n-kah)
5 - Kisañ; Kisē
Go - Alē (Ah-lay)
6 - Akāspei;Agùs
7 - Sagomēi; Sāgóm
Sit - Mahanañka - (Mah-hahn-ahn-kah)
Stand - Heyanenhes (hay-yah-nayn-hays)
Walk - Yalēwa (Yah-lay-wah)
Run - Hinda (Heen-dah)
8 - Palāni; Pālán
9 - Kasāñkai; Ksānk
10 - Putskai; Putsk
Old - Hōakāi (Hoh-ah-k-eyeliner
Counting in Series
New - Suñtk (Soon-tk)
First - Etahni (Ay-tah-nee)
Yesterday - Sitō (See-toe)
Second - Nonpase (Nohn-pah-say)
Today - Nahambe (Nah-hahm-bay)
Third - Einani (Ay-ee-nah-nee)in
Tomorrow - Nahampk (Nah-hahmp-k)
Fourth - Eintopai (Ay-een-toh-pie)
Evening - Osihitewa (Oh-see-hee-tay-wah)
Fifth - Gisana'i (Gee-sah-nah-ee)
Tonight - Usī (Ooh-see)
Sixth - Aguspee (Ah-goos-pay-ay)
Near - Iñktēi (Eenk-tay-ee)
Seventh - Sagumi'i (Sah-goo-mee-ee)
Far - Nāmu (Nah-moo)
Eight - Palani'i (Pah-lah-nee-ee)
Now - Ehin (Ay-heen)
Ninth - Sankai'i (Sah-n-kah-eye-ee)
Only - Ika (ee-kah)
Tenth - Putckai (Pootk -k'eye)
Nothing - Yahanya (Yah-hahn-yah)
Correct negative word forms from the last newsletter's
lesson #3:
Much - Nandakhikawa
(Nahn-dahk-heek-ah-wah)
Perhaps - Kiçe (Kee-chay)
Off - Sel (Sail)
On - Agínese (Ah-gee-nay-say)
Must - Gwa (Gwah)
Up - Otapai (Oh-tah-p-eye)
Down - Tabata (Tah-bah-tah)
Soon - Inking (een-keen-g)
Sing - Mùñiyē (Moon-ee-yay)
So - Le (Lay)
Hurry Up (and come) - Dala Nonho (Dahlah Non-hoh)
Ólacke (Oh-lahck– ay) - to bite
Kolackena (Koh-lahc-ay-nah) to not bite
Oknaho (Oak-nah-hoe) – to work
Koknahona (Koh-k-nah-hoh-nah) to not work
Inē (ee-nay) – to see
Kinēna (Kee-nay-nah) to not see
Waginōma (Wah-gee-no-mah) – S/He is sick
Kawaginōmana S/He is not sick (Kah-wah-gee-no-mah-nah)
Kulúja (koo-loo-jah) – to wash
Kikulujana (Kee-koo-loo-jah-nah) to not wash
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Healthy Native North Carolinians Network Community Partners
Please share the following summer youth agricultural institute with interested tribal youth and their parents!
Note, the announcement says scholarships may be available. High school-aged youth (rising sophomores, juniors
and seniors) can apply by April 15! Not only does this program sound FUN, but it could be a great
opportunity to inspire youth involvement in HNNC community gardening efforts, tribal farmer’s markets, cultural revitalization through agriculture, and sustainable economic development initiatives!
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