By Michela Gritti
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and the Givens Performing Arts Center welcomed more than one thousand two hundred elementary school students on Thursday for American Indian Culture Day, a major cultural showcase that celebrates dance, drumming, stories and living traditions. The event opened with a blessing and filled GPAC with excitement, curiosity and pride as young students learned directly from Lumbee leaders, ambassadors and performers.
Tammy Maynor, director of governmental affairs for the Lumbee Tribe, opened the program on stage. She spoke straight from the heart.
“Today is about learning about and celebrating being proud of who we are, the Lumbee Tribe, or whatever tribe you come from,” she told the students. “I want each of you to be proud of your culture and where you came from. Your culture is powerful and it shapes the amazing person that each of you are. Celebrate who you are. Celebrate being Lumbee. Celebrate your own cultures. Let us make this a time of pride, learning and excitement as we honor American Indian Heritage Month together.”
Dr. Lawrence Locklear, director of Southeast American Indian Studies at UNC Pembroke, followed.
“Welcome to the Lumbee Tribe cultural showcase here at the beautiful Givens Performing Arts Center,” he said. “UNC Pembroke was established in 1887 to train Lumbee people to be teachers. Today it is North Carolinas historically American Indian university. The Lumbee people have a rich history, powerful stories, beautiful dances and traditions that have been passed down for generations. Today, you are not just watching the showcase. You are stepping into a living story of culture, pride and resilience.”
John Oxendine then took the stage to explain the meaning behind Lumbee traditions and daily life.
“My everyday job is on the college campus,” he said. “But today is all about culture, who we are as Lumbee people and our community.” He reminded students that Lumbee people are woodland people and said, “We do not live in teepees. We live in longhouses or wigwams. That alone shows how smart our people were. We understood how wind works and designed our homes for that.”
Oxendine explained that the next part of the program would feature the Lumbee ambassadors, young women who hold cultural titles and serve communities across the state. One by one, the ambassadors walked on stage and introduced themselves with confidence and strong pride in their heritage.
Paige Freeman greeted the crowd saying, “My name is Paige Freeman, your twenty twenty five to twenty twenty six Miss Indian North Carolina. I proudly promote my platform TIDAL for generations to come, encouraging our Native youth to unite with our elders so our traditions continue.”
Another ambassador, Malaya Le Rae Lyons, told the audience, “This title reminds me that we are a chosen people. We are the rural braesons, we are the true seethees, and we are going to change this world one way or the other. I am your twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five Miss Indigenous North Carolina Ambassador.”
Senior Miss Lumbee, Wendy Locklear, said, “If we address the needs of our mind, we are able to heal our bodies. The mind controls everything. I am proud to promote my platform Clear the Mind Heal the Body and I am proud to be Lumbee.”
Little Miss Lumbee, Kendall Elizabeth Locklear, spoke with strength beyond her age.
“Many people have tried to silence our voices and make us forget who we are,” she said. “But we are still here. I can proudly say that I am Lumbee.”
Teen Miss Lumbee, Keely Noel Deal, touched on the importance of mental health.
“I am living proof that daily affirmations can save a life because they saved mine,” she said. “Know that you are enough, and I am Lumbee.”
After the ambassadors spoke, Oxendine reminded students of the responsibility the girls carry.
“When you are an ambassador, you must carry yourself in a good way,” he said. “Even in Walmart, even at school. Everyone knows you represent your people.”
The showcase then shifted into dance demonstrations. Women traditional dancers opened the performances.
“Without women none of us would be here,” Oxendine said. “We do not dress up to pretend to be something else. We are Lumbee and we dress up accordingly to show our pride.”
He explained each dress and the meaning behind the styles. “If you see this dress anywhere, you know they are Lumbee,” he said about a dress designed specifically for Lumbee women.
The dancers then performed several styles. The chicken dance showed how the dancer imitates a bird showing off to impress a partner. The jingle dress dance came next, a dance created for healing.
“The more the little girl danced, the better the sick woman became,” Oxendine explained. “This dance is for help and for healing.”
The fancy dance followed, lighting up the stage with fast footwork and bright regalia. The dancers moved like butterflies, staying in rhythm with the drum.
The event continued with more performances, history and teachings. The students filled the theatre with cheers and questions, and the presenters kept the energy going throughout the entire morning.
American Indian Culture Day reminded everyone in the room that culture is living. It is something you dance, speak, share and pass down. In the words of Dr Locklear, the students were not just watching. They were stepping into a story.
The showcase went on with more songs and dances, each one showing the pride and strength of the Lumbee people. And as the students left GPAC, the message stayed with them: culture is something to carry, celebrate and keep alive!
