Letter: Native Americans victimized by assault must get justice

Native Americans victimized by assault must get justice

My name is Edward Goodwin of Edenton. I currently represent N.C. House District 1 in the North Carolina House of Representatives. I am also a former special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and I am a longtime friend of the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina.

I strongly condemn the violence that was enacted on the women and children of the Tuscarora Nation, Occaneechi and Saponi tribes at the Bridge View development at Cedar Point Sunday June 23.

A group of Native Americans from the aforementioned tribes went to the development to perform a prayer ceremony. The development site sits on one of the largest Native American villages and burial grounds discovered in North Carolina in 30 years. Because human remains were unearthed, the project has been halted and the state archaeology team has deemed it an historic archaeological site. The Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina has claimed the site as its ancient and historic homeland and that is why they were there praying for their dead ancestors.

After a peaceful and legal gathering, they prayed and burnt sweetgrass for their dead. They were met by homeowners who verbally abused them, and one man pulled a gun on a Tuscarora woman and allegedly an off-duty Onslow County deputy sheriff arrived and physically assault another woman, her 17-year-old niece, and 21-year-old son, all three of whom had to seek medical attention. Video of the man with the gun has been circulated and the police were called to the scene. I have recently been informed that another video of the physical assault is now in the possession of the Native Americans’ attorneys.

Strangely enough, the media and law enforcement’s narrative has been crafted to suggest it was the Native Americans who were the aggressors and started the conflict. And now the victims of the assault have been issued warrants.

This cannot stand, and I will not rest until justice has been served to the ones who deserve it. I call on all the good and decent people of North Carolina to stand up on the right side of history and the law.

This is not how we treat our Native American brothers and sisters. This is not how we treat women and children, and this is not how we treat each other as Americans.

No matter what is to become of this site, the Native Americans who have an ancient and ancestorial claim to it must be allowed to engage in their religious beliefs and the artifacts that are unearthed must be treated with respect and dignity. No one is lesser and no one greater. Here, in America, there is room for all of us.

ED GOODWIN

Chowan

Editor’s note: The author is the state representative for North Carolina’s District 1, which includes Chowan, Bertie, Camden, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington counties.