Lumbee Tribe Historical Murals Exemplifying the Past, Present & Future Joan Blackwell, Researcher – Dr. Tulla Lightfoot, Mentor

Illustration List

1. A higher being at the top: representing Mother Earth, Grandmother or God.

The image represents whatever you believe in.

2. Aerial view of Lumbee Tribe Tribal Headquarters. It really is shaped like a

turtle!

3. Original Burnt Swamp Church, located across from UNCP now.

4. Old Main, UNCP.

5. Lumbee Tribe Boys and Girls Club, Pembroke NC

What are our customs/traditions?

6. Lumbee Tribe Flag.

7. Lumbee Tribe Logo.

8. Lumbee Pine cone patch. Customs/Traditions: Attend Powwows to celebrate,

competitive dance contests, and fellowship and exchange goods. Most of the

dance styles were adopted from other Native American Indian tribes. The attire

worn in Powwow dancing is called “regalia”. The Powwow is well respected and

please ask permission before taking pictures. No smoking or alcohol is allowed.

Children attend culture classes at community center to learn drumming,

dancing, and honored crafting.

9. Dance styles include Jingle dance

10. Fancy shawl dance

11. They are accompanied by the “Drummers”.

12. Men’s traditional dance

13. Smoke dance

14. Lumbees are known for living off the land. Today we still grow vegetables,

crops, and preserve food. Some crops seen in the area include.

15. Cotton

16. Tobacco

17. Corn

18. Old wood barns & old farmhouses are quickly disappearing. They being

replaced with modern styles homes.

19. Vegetable & flower gardens

20. Hay and soy

21. Various animals and seen in Robeson Countryside

22. We honor all 2 legged and four legged animals. Poem written by unknown

Native American Elder.

23. Barns, tractors and rolling fields are ever present.

24. Flowers painted at bottom of panel were done by Boys and Girls Club,

Pembroke

25. We believe.

The Future will one day be in the hands of our children. I

represented the “future” by showing a gateway to the top of

a mountain. It is hoped that the children will reach for the

stars and succeed in all endeavors by working hard, honoring

their family and elders and praying. Hopefully, they will

decide to attend UNCP one day.

1. Gateway to Mountain top

2. Angel wings watching over us

3. Old Oak Tree is filled with colorful birds of all colors.

4. The thumb prints of Lumbee Tribe Boys and Girls Club,

Pembroke NC is stamped on the tree.

5. As a child, I grew hearing and telling stories. One of my

favorites goes like this: This old story was handled down from

Native American Elders. There are two wolves in Life. It is a

reminder that life is a balancing act. We can listen to the

“bad wolf” or the “good wolf”. Who will win in the end? The

one we feed the most.

6. The female figure at the bottom of this panel represents

the fact that someone does care and looks after us. Our

community works together to help others. We just need to

ask for help and help those that need help.

7. Flowers at bottom of panel painted by Boys and Girls Club

members, Pembroke, NC.

Thank you for viewing my art.

Joan C. BlackwellLumbee, Proud Army Aviator Mom & UNCP Art Education majorJCB027@bravemail.uncp.eduhttp://blackwellgourddesigns.synthasite.com/

1. Lumbees are a faith based community. The spirit lady at top of panel

represents “someone is looking over us”.

2. The first school for Croatoan’s was built by the State of North Carolina in

1887. The name changed several times and today is University of North

Carolina (UNCP) Pembroke, NC. This school was built for the Native

American Indians of Robeson County.

3. Long ago, before we had schools, churches were used to teach the

children. New Bethel Church/School was one of the first buildings used to

teach children in Sampson County established 1911.

4. The home of Henry Berrie Lowrie/Lowry. A modern day hero, HBL stole

from the rich to feed the poor. He’s on my family tree.

5. The Lumber River (Lumbee River) winds its way through Robeson County.

6. Some of us believe in spirits and ghosts. See the Native American man

standing in the Lumber River? Is it a spirit?

7. Traditionally, the men hunted for the food, they were our warriors.

8. The turtle is the Lumbee Tribe animal totem; colors of Lumbee Tribe logo:

white, black, red, and yellow. Further information about the Lumbee Tribe is

available: http://www.lumbeetribe.com/

9. We never lived in Teepees, round houses and long houses were used.

10. The women stayed busy with home projects such as braiding hair,

making baskets out of pine needles, making cloths, pottery, quilts, beading,

raising gardens and preserving foods. There were exceptions at times. The

women were strong and independent. Children were taught they learned

more when they were quiet.

11. Long leaf pine trees were used to produce turpentine many years ago.

12. Lumbee men built dugout canoes from long leaf pine trees to paddle

the Lumbee River to fish and exchange goods. A hand built canoe can be

seen at the UNCP Native American Resource Center, Old Main.

13. HBL crew memorial gravesite: 2 brothers, 2 cousins, 2 brother-in-laws, 1

Scottish, 1 African American and the rest were Native American men. HBL

remains were never found. The reward of $20,000 was never collected.

Only family members know what really happened. The myth lives on.

14. There are many people that believe the Lumbees originated from Lost

Colony; remember the historical craving on the tree “Croatoan”.

15. Flowers at bottom painted by Lumbee Boys and Girls Club.

Past Lumbee History

Present Lumbee History

Future Lumbee History