North Carolina Now; North Carolina Now Episode from 05/26/1998

It was all right. Tonight's program is about right. It's Tuesday May 26. Tonight Native Americans tonight in a struggle for tribal recognition now. Hello and welcome to this Tuesday edition of North Carolina now. Barclay taught in a former

read in the tray. Tonight's program is largely about recognition. Well head to the western part of the state to look at a scholarship program designed to recognize the academic achievements of the area's best and brightest high schoolers. Later in the broadcast we're explore the challenges facing the Oconee Chey people and their struggle to obtain official recognition as a Native American tribe. Also on the show we'll talk with the founder of an audio publication that sings the praises of contemporary poetry written for young people. But up first tonight school in small town residents of the North Carolina mountains have historically had a reputation for independence but they're also known as a people who value community realizing that too many of their capable young people are missing out on higher education. So this isn't three mountain communities have come up with a unique way of encouraging students to set and reach higher goals. Bob Garner has their story. Jackson Macon and Swain counties are like many other areas of the North Carolina mountains a pretty good number of the parents of school children haven't ever

seen a lot of the world either by going off to college or working elsewhere. So the students horizons can be somewhat limited. But retired public school educator Charles McConnell had a dream even when many of his students did not. So many of our youngsters here in the mountains are capable but they don't have the desire to learn as much as they should have. They didn't have the hope and the dreams for their future that that I wanted for them so they would they would watch the Flyers do well in school and watch Sam go off to college go to Carolina do all around state and these type of youngsters would have that hope and dream. In 1995 McConnell helped found the new Century Scholars program selected students in Jackson Macon in Swain County signed a contract to stay in school make passing grades stay away from drugs and alcohol give some time back to the community and graduate in return they get two years of free tuition at

Southwestern community college in silver. If they graduate from there with an associate degree they get another two year tuition scholarship at Western Carolina University until the week this New Century Scholars Program is the only partnership between the public school with community college and university that we know of in North Carolina possibly even the nation where all three educational entities in a community are supporting the young people who are hopefully going to stay and live and work in this community. Students judged capable of higher education but in need of some extra support are selected at the end of their sixth grade year off at a time of increased stress and lowered self-confidence for such students. The first class of New Century Scholars is now finishing the ninth grade and will enter college in 2001. It's the name but all the experts will tell you that the extra support during their public schooling is much more important than the scholarship itself. KID So soon we'll forget. That there is a scholarship out there ahead.

If you don't have somebody with them on a daily basis reminding them of that and saying don't forget you've got a contract to live up to keep them from jumping the track. The key in mapping students receive some sort of contact from the program at least once a month ranging from birthday cards and congratulations on any achievements to organized campus visits career days and coaching on study skills. And then there are the group community service projects along with individual volunteer they help fulfill the student's requirement of Chan hours per year. One group of eighth graders at Jackson county's Fairview middle school was busy recently sprucing up a neighborhood park. Many of them never had the opportunity to work out in their community. But we're getting real positive comments and results. Many students take the initiative to go out on their own and work our hospitals and our schools work for elderly folks cut firewood this kind of thing. We try to also offer.

SOUND IN THIS GO can can plan and kind of a bigger activity which they can work in together and we had one comment from a girl the school said this is the first project I've ever seen a whole school behind. This is a venture totally financed by the communities involved scholarships are $500 each and they're sponsored with great enthusiasm by individual businessmen civic groups churches Sunday school classes even the Macon County coon hunters Association. Sharon dills of Cullowhee is one of the fiddly Hill sisters whose music you've been hearing. She's also a new century scholar and to believe her community has expressed in her future is important to her. I really appreciate that. I know that they're out there now give me a point when they're willing to. That's so I mean a lot because you know some people probably while I haven't Anderson is an eighth grade new century scholar at Macon middle school near Franklin. I'm proud of that.

Came this far I never in a really bad way and get it before probably it was a probability for heaven. But I know I will now know for sure I am going to have my future paid up or I am going to be able to just go into any field I want to for Armado I'll Bertie of making middle the dollars are important. I have a twin sister and she's going to be going to college the same time I am so that would cost a lot more money if I didn't have my scholarship. Are average and below average students working harder. Ask parent Sharon Simon I think he's really improved bank wise he's been on around a lot in the past year so I think it's really trying harder now. People in small mountain communities have always stuck together and they've usually helped raise one another's children. If there hasn't been enough realization of the need for higher education in the past the New Century Scholars Program is ample evidence that's changing. But sit down with the program's very first sponsor

Jim Hardberger and you'll realize the sense of community togetherness doesn't seem to have changed at all. To take kids over and talk to the governor and the governor asked a little girl what do you want to do I want to I want to be a that you know the other boy said I want to be an architect and I can spell it. They dream. They look in the mirror and they're proud of yourselves. And what else can yes get a kid to start dreaming about something right. Like athletes dream about scoring the winning touchdown. They're going to graduate and we dream about it with them and we're proud of it. There is some 300 new century scholars at present but nearly 500 scholarships have already been sponsored. If you would like information on starting a similar program in your area by the New Century Scholars at Southwestern community college for four seven college strong. So North Carolina 2 8 7 7 9. Or telephone them an area code 7 0 4 5 8 6 4 0 9 1 extension 2 2 7. Just ahead the Oconee and their struggle to gain recognition. But right

now let's get a summary of events making news around our state. For that we turn to Micha Lewis over the North Carolina news desk. Hi Nick. Hello Barclay. Good evening everyone. Topping our news the U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal challenging a federal law aimed at protecting access to abortion clinics. The law in question bans the use of threats blockades or force to interfere with access to reproductive health care including abortions. The challenge was mounted by North Carolina protesters who say the law discriminates against abortion opponents. Several federal judges have upheld the 1994 law. And in each case the Supreme Court has refused to review those rulings. Differences between the State House and Senate may have derailed any chance of legislative reform on campaign financing. The Senate House has refused to accept a Senate passed bill to restore a ban on corporate contributions to political campaigns. The House maintains the Senate measure violates house rules and the way it was crafted. The Senate stripped the contents of the original House bill replacing it with the campaign finance

reform measures. Senate President Pro Tem Mark bass tonight says he's astounded by the House action. A spokesman for House speaker Harold Breaux Baker says it would be a terrible precedent to start gutting local bills and replacing them with controversial issues. Governor Hunt is saying he will not sign a budget bill that does not expand Smart Start to all 100 counties and has proposed spending 57 million dollars next year to bring the child development program to the 45 counties where it is not yet available. Majority Democrats in the Senate have pledged their support. But House Republican leaders have made no commitments. House Majority Leader Leo Daughtry says Republicans aren't opposed to expanding smart start but want to make sure the program is effective before spending more money. The Senate currently the state rather currently spends nearly one hundred million dollars a year on Smart Start. The biggest highway and mass transit bill ever passed by Congress will bring four point four billion dollars to North Carolina over the next six years. The package includes almost one hundred seventy nine million dollars for 24 specific highway

projects across the state including widening of Interstate 77 near Charlotte and expansion of the Raleigh outer loop. And now for a look at tomorrow's weather most of the state will experience highs in the lower 80s. Boone and Elizabeth City should range somewhere in the 70s. Cloudy skies are expected to cover the entire state for one say with a chance of showers and possible thunderstorms. And in business news growth expectations in the Research Triangle Park have led designers to draw plans for the future of the sprawling high tech complex. The proposed plans would introduce high density housing and commercial clusters to create urban villages on the outskirts of the park. But development covenants in the RTP banned housing and commercial developments. And some officials say they have no plans to revise the prohibitions. Some of the proposed designs would also incorporate a rail system that is under consideration by the triangle Transit Authority. The Dow Jones closed down today on a down note falling off a full 150 points. Here's a look at the rest of the numbers.

With the audio magazine is a unique publication made while here in North Carolina that

combines music poetry and storytelling for children ages 3 to 7. Recently Merida Try took the opportunity to sit with one of the founding editors of the publication to bring us this interview. Joining me now is one of the editors of Shoo Fly Jack Nestor Mr. Nestor Welcome to the program. It's great to be here. Tell us a little bit about this project how did you decide to get started on this. Well I began in 94 and my wife and I Arlene Firman came up with the idea and it was basically to present contemporary children's poetry and stories and fables and to present it for children on audio because we thought you know it would actually be a lot more striking and just bounce off the page for them. Now you were not originally from North Carolina so why did you decide to produce this here. Well we moved down from New Jersey in 89 and we were both in publishing and we actually have another business and that's it. We're sort of a production house for medical and scholarly publications so

we wanted to come out with a product of our own basically publication and we were having our first child and that was sort of the inspiration behind it. We were looking around and starting to before he was born even build up his library pretty much. And one thing we noticed was we didn't see a lot of publications that wear highlighting contemporary children's poetry. There are a lot of old collections and you know Robert Louis Stevenson Stevenson rather and and we really wanted to see something that was promoting. And you know highlighting new poetry and new stories. So give our viewers an idea of what's in each individual issue just just a sampling of what we can expect. Sure we have it set up like a magazine. The only thing that's repeated is the theme song. And then it might go into a short poem which would be followed by. Eight minute story something like that. And so we really try to

mix it up so that you really don't know. We don't want the kids to think that they know what the new issue is going to contain. We we really you know are interested in surprising them in ourselves to to make it more interesting to work on. Now it's hard enough to get a child to sit down and read a book. And do you feel as though maybe this discourages children from actually picking up that book. No. I mean that's not that's not the point at all. We don't want to replace the parent reading to the child. We what we really want to do is present new pieces. A lot of these pieces are probably book length you know picture books the stories some of them are quite long they could be I think the longest piece we produced was a 16 minute story spoken and you know it's that's a fairly long piece so we're interested in really publishing new works. And also just encouraging the whole process the reading and also listening. It's very important. For the child to actually sit there and listen I mean you know one of the great

joys for us is just the imagery that could come out through something like this. The language the imagery and it's really a lot of fun. Tell us about some of the talent that you utilize to put this together is that some of them are people based here in North Carolina or how does that work. Well it starts. We we have an open call to writers to submit pieces. You know we we've published first time authors which we're very proud of. And also authors are a fairly established. And so it starts out there and we sort of you know we read everything that comes in and then we make a selection there then we have right now we're working with two directors of Innes who was formerly with the human C drama department. And Sara Frobisher who's the head of a jelly educational theatre and we work with them we sit down with them and we go over the pieces that Arlene and I selected and we talk about casting and sound effects and things like that. Then we go into the studio and record them with the actors. And it's

I mean the Chapel Hill area and everything just been great for as far as acting talent and everything goes to it. We've had folks like you know Tom Mary and Mary Ruth and it's just been fantastic and very generous with their talent. What do you hope that the children who listened to your audio magazine will get out of it. Well. Primarily we you know we want to never love for literature you know. You know we hope that they really think of poetry as not something that's foreign but something that comes very natural to them and that's a lot of fun a great joy for us as if we can publish a 10 page narrative poem which a lot of publishers don't want to see these days and children often our son Harry you know oftentimes you know just listening because kids listen to it again and again and again every parent knows you if you get something that they like they're going to listen to it over and over and over again. And with poetry you could just you know they could pick it up. And I think you know they they learn the meter you know things that they don't they're not necessarily going to

realize but rhyme schemes and meter just come naturally. And you know they can remember all that. Mr. Nestor thank you for being here tonight. Thanks very much look forward to listening to a copy. Now if you would like a free 20 minute sample or a few fly you can call 1 800 9 1 9 9 9 8 9. For years now the Oconee G have petitioned the North Carolina commission of Indian Affairs to recognize them as an official state tribe. At stake is not only the legitimacy the

state recognition brings but also access to federal block grant funds. The state commission is run by and for Native Americans and its producer Judy Ben Wyatt reports. While some Native American people generally support the commission some say it's wrong to deny the Oconee recognition. It's very very thick skulls women people use the care of their elders in the head. John Black for the Geoffrey of demonstrates how his ancestors used a bow and arrow to hunt. The more you see Lawrence done more to help his version of the family fable passed down generation. So they came in a set Susan Jeffries. We got a phone call. Your teachers I say you're not doing your homework. They say you always sassing talking back to them. Matter of fact you know assassin talking back to them or in Japanese or members of the BAND OF THE NATION. Right. A group of Native Americans who migrated south from Virginia in the late 17th century eventually settling in northern Orange in Alamance

County. State Park just outside silver Ginia. This is Day a day for teaching children about Native American culture and the rain not withstanding. Everyone is making the most of it. Take this this is the lower gear. But if I turn it this way it's just so right did not use your song as the North Carolina Cherokee says the gingras regards events like this as an important opportunity to explain her culture to non-natives. I don't come out here and try to educate you. The children the teachers to the native culture. Then how can I expect someone who is a non-native to talk about my culture. Congress has also come to be with her people she says regardless of tribal affiliation is all share a common heritage in history. When I see Native people especially disagreeing amongst

themselves that's what so that's what's so cool because they're all of my relations. The disagreement refers to the continuing struggle to be recognizes an official North Carolina tribe three times in the past seven years. The state's commissioner of Indian Affairs. The Oconee Soprani did not meet the standard of official recognition as a standard established by the commission citing an upcoming appeals hearing the commission refused to discuss the Oconee case. The executive director however spoke in more general terms about how the criteria for recognition were established. Our commission members are made up of elected tribal officials from all the state recognized tribes and they have in excess of 100 years experience in terms of Indian history Indian culture. So it was felt that this should be the group that should determine what the criteria would be. No one is saying the Oconee are not native but to receive state recognition.

A tribe must meet a number of quite curious and their most recent ruling the commission stated that the Oconee CI were an able to trace their history back 200 years extensive documentation substantial archaeological evidence and endorsements from both the academic community and fellow Indians who have failed to convince the commission of the Oconee are legitimate and worthy of recognition. Every spring the ok need to return to the home of their ancestors. Sponsor a pow wow. The power source is the sort of homecoming a chance for people from various tribes to celebrate their shared culture a reaffirmation that Native Americans have indeed survived. There are history like many smaller tribes the Oconee survived by going underground. They assumed European names varied their language and tried to assimilate.

Still says Lawrence Dunmore the people never lost their tribal identity though they were still not able to go out and be tried for say with a chief of leave they still had a community that still works in a sense they were people that lets one of our blood. They had their own political leadership be it the heads of families or the heads of leaders of the church or community organizations. Lucille Dawson is a federal worker with 50 plus years of experience in the office of Native Affairs. One time her job included helping tribes receive federal recognition. She says the open ICI have more history and they've done more research than many of those federally recognized tribes. I think there's a lot of political aspects to it I think there's a lot of inner animosity but I think as far as I'm concerned you know they are our brothers friends and they have proven we want to have not only historically but progress. They have a right to be recognized and it shouldn't be denied. And some worries that the discord spawned by this issue will only serve to

divide and make native people weaker. Since there are so few within the American from the United States anyway I think it's more hurtful and harmful than it is helpful to the gingras who usually supports the commission agrees in this case she says the commission simply being too harsh. Look at the positive things that's been done. I'm not saying recognize everybody that raises their hand and says Yes I'm Indian. I'm saying look at the positive contributions that openly Cheez are making in keeping with mandated procedure here getting ready to appeal their case to an administrative court case where they will not give up the fight until they are recognized for so long we were told who we could be who we couldn't be. And we want to be recognized as Oconee disappointing and in people who we are as our heritage is our roots. So we can look at our children to say yes this is who you are be proud of and be recognized as such.

Six tribes in North Carolina are currently officially recognized by the state but since the inception of the state commission of Indian Affairs in 1971 the agency has only recognize one tribe. The ME Haron. Well that does it for this edition of North Carolina now. Tomorrow we'll begin our coverage on a set of hearings by the State Board of Elections and the testimony of a dozen legislators and lobbyist including House Speaker Baker. The hearings will focus on possible campaign finance violations by House Republicans. Well also look at the sex education and how it's being taught in several of North Carolina counties. Please make plans to join us tomorrow. Until then have a great night. The side of the law and

the earth.