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Southeastern North Carolina - Chancellor's Visit

North Carolina is one of the most linguistically diverse states in the United State, and since 1994, William C. Friday Distinguished University Professor Walt Wolfram (pictured at left) and the staff of the North Carolina Language and Life Project (NCLLP) , have conducted research on the unique variety of English used by the Lumbee Indians.

NC State chancellor Randy Woodson toured the area, visiting the Museum of the Native American Resource Center as well as those involved with the project to learn about NC State's presence in the community, as well as the social networks present among the Lumbee Indian tribe.

Following his visit to the NCLLP, all members of the Wolfpack family were invited to meet and greet Chancellor Woodson, his wife, Susan, and daughter, Chloe, at a welcoming event to be held in Wilmington, N.C., at the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial.

The event was also a homecoming for NC State's new alumni association executive director — and retired U.S. Navy two-star rear admiral — Benny Suggs, a North Carolina native.

Open video in YouTube | Video from NC State

The Museum of the Native American Resource Center

The mission of the Native American Resource Center is to educate the public about the prehistory, history, culture, art and contemporary issues of American Indians, with special emphasis on the Robeson County Native American community; to conduct scholarly research; to collect and preserve the material culture of Native America; to encourage Native American artists and craftspersons; and to cooperate on a wide range of projects with other agencies concerned with Native America.

The museum contains exhibits of authentic Indian artifacts, arts and crafts. These items come from Indian people all over North America, from Abenaki to Zuni.

Many other items come from North Carolina Native Americans, with special emphasis on Robeson County Indian people. Particular focus is placed on the largest North Carolina tribe, the Lumbee.

The North Carolina Language and Life Project

North Carolina is one of the most linguistically diverse states in the United States, reflecting a wide variety of regional and sociocultural English dialects as well as an assortment of ancestral and immigrant languages.

This natural linguistic diversity raises a number of empirical questions about the nature of language variation and its social and educational implications for students, the citizens of North Carolina, and the general public.

Watch excerpts on Lumbee English and Lumbee identity from the NCLLP documentary film Indian By Birth: The Lumbee Dialect.

Open video in YouTube | Video from the NCLLP

The NCLLP was established at North Carolina State University in 1993 to focus on research, graduate and undergraduate education, and outreach programs related to language in the American South.

The town of Pembroke, home of the University of UNC-Pembroke, is more than 95 percent Lumbee, also the largest ethnic group in Robeson County. Understanding the Native American situation in North Carolina, which has the 8th largest population of Native Americans in the United States, starts with an understanding of the unique Lumbee situation in Robeson County.

USS North Carolina Battleship (BB-55)

Standing with quiet dignity and majesty across the river from downtown Wilmington, the Battleship North Carolina beckons visitors to walk her decks and envision daily life as well as fierce combat that her crew faced in the Pacific Theatre during World War II.