Canku Ota
	(Many Paths)
	An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America
	December 1, 2001 - Issue 50
	Indian Commissioner Says America Doesn’t Live Up to ‘Melting Pot’ Moniker
	Melissa Collins Laurenburger Exchange - November 21, 2001
	credits:

"America is a melting pot that didn’t work. We are still who we are." These words, spoken by Native American Commissioner Ray Littleturtle, were part of his presentation to students at Laurel Hill Primary School during their Native American celebration Tuesday morning. "Throughout the month of November we have been celebrating Native American Awareness month," said Principal Loretta Hagen." Gov. Hunt declared November the month of awareness in 1986 and declared it the 'year of the Indian.' Well, the celebration has been going on for longer than that and we have some very special guests here to show you some of the Native American celebration dances." Littleturtle also wears the hat of historian, sharing some factual information with the students. "There are over 100,000 Indians that live in North Carolina who are recognized by the state," he said. "There are about half as many that aren’t. There are seven tribes, with the Lumbee tribe being the largest. There are over 40,000 Lumbees living in Robeson County. It is the largest population east of the Mississippi." Native American dances and music were demonstrated for wide-eyed students. Littleturtle even placed a war bonnet on the head of a student while explaining that it is a western tradition. "The headdress is for the war chief," Littleturtle said. "The chief is never in battle or in harm’s way. For every battle, a feather is placed in the war bonnet. The war bonnet is western in its entirety, although eastern tribes have started wearing them because that is what Hollywood tells them." Explaining the traditions is something Littleturtle is used to, but it his knowledge comes from a long line of information sharing. "How did I know about our traditions?" he said. "We were here a long time before we found Columbus lost off the coast of America. The traditions were passed up by legend tellers." Littleturtle then turned the ceremony over to his wife, Catherine, who is a legend teller herself. "Our legends are about animals," she said. "They all hold a grain of truth." Catherine shared the legend of the possum’s tail. The possum had the most beautiful tail of all the animals, but it was all he ever talked about. His vanity so greatly annoyed his fellow creature the rabbit, that a plan was hatched. Rabbit mixed together an ointment which made the possum’s tail hair fall off, a discovery revealed before all the animals during the monthly meeting. Possum was so embarrassed in the bright light of the full moon that he stayed perfectly still, his jaw locked in a grin, until the dark of the night, when he sneaked into the forest. "To this day, you will only see a possum moving in the dark of the night," Catherine said. "He is still grinning. If you shine a light on him, he stops dead in his tracks. "But you can also learn from this legend," she said. "Sometimes the Creator gives us beautiful hair or beautiful eyes or the ability to play the piano or the skills to get all A’s on our report cards. We must learn to never brag about ourselves because there could be a rabbit over there waiting to wrap our tail with ointment." With that lesson shared, Littleturtle pointed out more important pieces to the lessons of the day. "I am here to talk about being an American Indian, but I am also here to talk about how important you are as an individual," he said. "We all come from a rich heritage. "We all belong to the same tribe," Littleturtle said. "Be good to yourself and be respectful to your neighbors and understand that it is OK to be different."

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