Events leading to the construction of my latest book, The Exsanguination of the Second Society: Scholarly Historical Fiction Relating to Robeson County, North Carolina’s Tuscarora Natives
Events leading to the construction of The
Exsanguination of the Second Society: Scholarly Historical Fiction Relating to
Robeson County, North Carolina's Tuscaroras
Photo of Preston Locklear is erroneously labeled as Lumbee in the Museum of the Southeast American Indian.
Preston Locklear has been identified as Tuscarora by Dr. Wood in his descendants' charts in "Tuscarora Roots." Preston Locklear's descendant, Donnie Red Hawk McDowell and others have notified the museum and the curator has a copy of the descendants' charts. The hope is that the museum will correct this soon, as well as other mislabeled exhibits.
During the research phase, I found Dr. Wood's report and asked for use of his report and he agreed and also agreed to share it in libraries.To read Dr. Peter H. Wood's Tuscarora Roots: An Historical Report Regarding the Relation of the Hatteras Tuscarora Tribe of Robeson County, North Carolina, to the Original Tuscarora Indian Tribe, see:
Research and Instructional Services Department
Wilson Special Collections Library
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The Exsanguination of the Second Society: Scholarly Historical Fiction Relating to Robeson County, North Carolina’s Tuscarora Natives is my latest work. As Bruce Black’s life turns from moonshine to fine wine, he gains the power to solve ancient mysteries threatening to bleed out the Tuscarora ascendancy.
Robeson County, North Carolina is
home to 65,000 state recognized Lumbee Indians, and home to the longest
“Hatfield and McCoy” feud in written history. Many Lumbees resent the NC
Tuscarora because they have proof of their Native history.
I had heard the rumor of systematic
corruption to keep the Tuscarora history hidden and did not believe it until it was in my face. The
Natives’ history was so suppressed that even the university's newspaper’s academic advisor
did not know of their existence in the community, along with most students. After
interviews, research, and being terminated as a student reporter after a barrage of complaints from Lumbees, I became a firm believer in the
corruption.
The University of North Carolina at
Pembroke’s student newspaper’s March 4, 2020 edition of The Pine Needle
printed the first article of my investigative series, “UNCP Makes Moves to
Recognize Tuscarora.” To appease the Lumbee complainers and suppress the truth by
blocking the upcoming series, I was terminated by email on March 14, and the
paper published a retraction the next week. Termination was changed to
suspension to fit legal codes. I am a student, paying for a newspaper writing
class and there is no binding contract for student reporters.
I was told that the university had been barraged by complaints about the article, specifically the title because it included the word recognized in the same sentence as NC’s Tuscarora. The Lumbees Tribes’ Federal Recognition hearing on Dec. 5th had been marked when the Cherokee Chief touted the Lumbee identity shopping pattern, and this further fueled the hate. Because long ago, the Lumbee had attempted to claim NC’s Tuscarora identity, and were again denied.
When I was told that the termination
was changed to suspension and “could be permanent,” I heard the systematic
corruption loud and clear: If the retraction did not appease the Lumbees, my
student reporting was over. I also heard it in the department chair’s repeated
reference to “our Lumbees” with no empathy toward our Tuscaroras. The chair had
expressed empathy when I had sought advice on the construction of the article,
but after the Lumbee complaints, it had completely vanished.
At the campus cafeteria, students had
confronted me with gaslighting statements, and I offered them assistance in
dealing with the reality of the Natives living among them. For those who were
too biased to explore new research, I suggested that they reread the article.
But deep down, I knew it would take more, like volumes of research, so I chose
to share mine in The Exsanguination of the Second Society: Scholarly Historical Fiction Relating to
Robeson County, North Carolina’s Tuscaroras.
I was in the editing phase of this
book when this hate became nasty and knew it was past time for the truth. So,
during the new coronavirus pandemic, forced into isolation, the book was released.
Newly organized research and
interviews are incorporated into this narrative. It was written during the
initial stages of the 2019 Tuscarora grassroots movement urging Lumbee Tribe
members to research the facts on their heritage and for those who match NC
Tuscarora descendance to disenroll from the Lumbee Tribe. There are only a few
thousand NC Tuscarora whose heritage is verified with descendants’ charts.
One of the exciting features of this
book is that the history unfolds as it is learned by the characters. Their realistic
personal reactions are fresh and vivid.
If you enjoy reading history, you will love The
Exsanguination of the Second Society
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