Tradewinds November 2018 Web Opt

Chowanoke History
by Duvonya Chavis
November is Native American Heritage month. As North
Carolina’s Native population holds various celebrations
all month, we honor our culture and history as Indigenous
people of this land. North Carolina is home to over 150,000
American Indians, having the largest Native population east
of the Mississippi.
North Carolina’s coastal tribes were one of the first tribes
to have contact with the English and with that, one of the first
to receive the initial blunt and impact of colonization. Due to
circumstances that enabled colonization and the European
belief in the Doctrine of Discovery, our lands were taken.
This occurred all across America, of which the Chowanoke
were not immune to.
As we celebrate our heritage, our sentiment is this country
is our homeland, a place where we built communities and
interacted with family and other community members. This is
where we enjoyed our culture and lives for thousands upon
thousands of generations and a place where we fished, grew
our gardens, hunted and drew from the bountiful resources
of our land. We respected the earth and environment and in
turn, it served us well.
Of course our culture was different. We freely danced,
drummed and sang whereas the settlers were used to cotillions
of an opposite and reserved nature. Because we were
misunderstood, over time like so many others, we were confined
to an 11,860 acre reservation along Bennett’s Creek
and over time, we lost even that.
Quite naturally when the opportunity arose nearly 225
years later to reclaim some of our reservation, it was an
opportunity to seize upon. It was as if this land had been
waiting for us so that destiny could unfold for our future
generations. For Chowanoke people today, this signifies our
history and a perpetuation of our existence as tribal people.
It reminds generations to come to never forget who we are
even in the aftermath of the atrocities that occurred to our
people, a genocide of many variations which continued all
across America even into the 1900’s. It is a place where
we will assemble as Chowanoke people to celebrate and
preserve our heritage.
For me, Gates County holds many fond memories of visiting
Chowanoke descendants and relatives who continued to
live in the heart of Gates County and who remembered and
talked about their Indian heritage. It is only natural that we
honor our ancestors with these memories, honor those who
fought so hard to remain a tribal unit on communal lands in
Gates County, honor those who fought for restoration after
the reservation was lost, and honor those who will come
after us by providing an opportunity to have a land base to
perpetuate the Chowanoke heritage.
Duvonya, a Chowanoke Indian
descendant, is President
of Roanoke-Chowan Native
American Association, a
non-profit organization whose
mission is to help American
Indians in Northeastern NC
and Southeastern VA. She
currently sits on the council
of the Chowanoke Tribe.
In partnership with another
Chowanoke descendant,
she is currently developing
Chowanoke Reservation for
tribal descendants to gather
and hold cultural events.
What You Need to Know
About Cataracts
cataract is a clouding of your eyes, normally clear,
A lens. This clouding of the natural lens can keep light
and images from reaching the retina. A cataract can be
the reason sharp images become blurred, appear discolored,
dull or distorted, or seeing at night more difficult. It
may also be the reason your glasses no longer seem to
work for you and changing your glasses does not help.
Common symptoms of cataracts:
A painless blurring of vision
Glare or light sensitivity
Poor night vision
Double vision in one eye
Brighter light to read
Fading or yellowing of color
What causes cataracts?
Natural aging process of the eye
Family history
Medical problems such as diabetes
Injury or trauma to the eye
Medications such as steroids
Long-term unprotected sun exposure to sunlight
Previous eye surgery
How is a cataract detected?
A thorough examination by your eye care professional
can detect the presence of a cataract, as well as any
other eye problems. Problems with other parts of the
eye (e.g. cornea, retina, optic nerve) can be responsible
for vision loss and may also prevent you from having
any improvement after cataract surgery. If improvement
in your vision is unlikely, cataract removal may not be
recommended. Your doctor can tell you how much improvement
in your vision is likely.
How is a cataract treated?
Surgery is the only way a cataract can be removed.
There are no medications, dietary supplements or exercise
that has been shown to prevent or cure cataracts.
Cataract surgery is an outpatient procedure, done at the
hospital, and usually requires just a few hours of your
time from start to finish. Cataract surgery has undergone
tremendous advances in the last few years, and
this year alone millions of patients will choose to have
both their vision and their lifestyles restored, thanks to
this life changing medical procedure.
What complications can occur?
Cataract surgery is a highly successful procedure. Improved
vision is the result in over 95% of cases, unless
there is a problem with the cornea, retina, optic nerve
or surrounding structures. It is important to understand
that complications can occur, during or after the surgery,
some severe enough to limit vision. If you experience
even the slightest problem after cataract surgery, your
surgeon will want to hear from you immediately.
Conclusion
Cataracts are a common cause of decreased vision, particularly for
the elderly, but they are treatable. Your family optometrist can tell
you whether it’s a cataract or some other problem that is the cause
of your decreased vision and help you decide if surgery is right for
you. For more information, call Albemarle Eye Center, PLLC and
Precision Eye Care at 1-800-755-7535 or visit their website at www.
AECPEC.com.
12 Albemarle Tradewinds November 2018 albemarletradewinds.com