The 23 Acres is Eastern Siouan Homelands
 and the Evidence Shows 
That our Ancestors Were Living on the 23 acres!! 

Home On-Line Petition How You Can Help People to Contact On-Line Forum NY Times Golf Course Article Shows  Governor Mark Warner  Jim Gives the Facts 10/7 Barry Speaks on Occoneechee Land 10/8 Indian Chiefs Opposed to the Golf Course John Blackfeather Jeffries Opposes Golf Course VA Legislators Oppose the Golf Course Back Ground Info Regarding the Golf Course Facts on the Golf Course by Jim Wilkerson Mecklenburg County Citizens Speak Out Brunswick County Citizens Speaks Halifax County Speaks From a Native American Perspective International Opposition to the Golf Course Local New Paper Editor Exposes Charlie Simmons Charlie Simmons Speaks The Position of 80 to 90% of Mecklenburg County Citizens Corp of Engineers Oppose the Golf Course? The Business Case Against the Golf Course Summary Facts Regarding the Golf Course Questions for the Politicians Ruff Gets Ruffed Up Divide and Conquer Strategic of Proponents won't work Golf Course - Conflict of Interest for Local Officials? Biased News-Progress Article Print out Petition for you to get signatures A Beach Instead of a Golf Course Occoneechee Indians in Mecklenburg County Saponitown - The Official Web Site of South Side Virginia Occoneechee and Saponi Indians Occoneechee History American Indian Movement Va, Department of Conservation and Recreation Daily Teleconference Meetings

In 2002 Clarksville EDA paid for an archeological survey EDA which showed there that the 23 acres was not significant from a Native American perspective. There are two problems with this: 1: In our society we believe the customer comes first and gets what they desire. If Clarksville is paying for the survey, they’re the customer. Well guess what the results are likely to show? We all know the reality of how our society works. Money talks!! 2: Science cannot say what is or is not significant nor sacred to our people. The problem with the invasion and occupation of our lands is that people are making decisions based upon rules they made up for their self-gain. Who am I to go into your church and say based upon my rules what is significant or sacred to you and what is not? For 500 years Europeans continue this arrogant behavior on our land. Occoneechee State Park rests on sacred and significant Native American land. On November 3, 2003 we visited the 23 acres in Occoneechee State Park proposed for commercial development. As it was getting dark we took a 30-minute walk through the 23 acres and found significant hard evidence, for such a short period, that this place is significant to us. It is obvious from a short 30-minute browse, and Clarksville's own archeological survey, that the 23 acres of land inhabited by our Indian ancestors and significant to us. The ancestors reveal to us what they want us to see. They give us signs that we see if we are looking. Within 30 minutes we see a bald eagle, the most sacred of all birds to our people, an osprey, fired stones from a ancient ceremony and a tool that definitely was NOT carried here from another location due to the weight and size. Our ancestors were living here and the want us to know it and remember them and respect this place.  They want us to know that this is a special place.   Tree to be cut for 23 acres golf course in Occoneechee State Park. Many, many trees in the 23 acres are the size above, 100 to 150 years old. Pictures of more trees to be added tomorrow. Bald Eagle flying out of the wooded 23 acres, on Nov 3 2002, propose to be CLEAR CUT for a golf course in Occoneechee State Park. We also saw an Osprey flying out of the same area. Greyson Gregory who takes people on tours to see the bald eagles says they routinely fly into and out of the 23 acres. If the 23 acres is CLEAR CUT. This homeland to this eagle will be lost. The bald eagles, the most sacred of birds, is watching over our sacred Occoneechee Land. Fired stones likely from an ancient sweat lodge ceremony found Nov 3, 2003 on the 23 acres to be bulldozed for a golf course in Occoneechee State Park. The stones had been fired and were lodged in a section of clay eroded by water and had fallen down into an eroded cave.   Saponi Island is in green above directly in front of the four archeological sites found on the 23 acres. See the river flowing around the island.  The map above shows four archeological sites found on the 23 acres to be BULLDOZED for a golf course. 44mc298, 44mc297, 44mc295, 44mc293 are all sites on the 23 acres. The 23 acres is the area outlined directly behind the four sites.  Due to the fact that all of the sites were found ONLY because of erosion of the soil caused by water at the shore line and no sites were found from the test shovels method (one shovel every 50 ft in all directions), on the balance of the 23 acres, this proves that the test shoves was not a valid evaluation. Why? 500 years ago the location of the present shore line was all a wooded location with no lake or shoreline. How is it possible that our Indians ancestors happened by accident to inhabit four spots on what 500 years later would be exactly on the shore line and did not inhabit any other spot on the 23 acres. If the shore line was another 200 feet inland then this is where they would be finding archeological sites there, since sites are easy to see where the soil is eroded away at the shoreline.   Above is an artifact found within a 1/2 hour walk through of the 23 acres to be bulldozed and destroyed--NOT found at the shore line.  If we found this in a half hour why did the company, paid thousands of dollars by Clarksville to evaluate the 23 acres, not find more in an evaluation that took days by professionals.  The Occoneechee State Park museum has artifacts just like this one.  It is oblivious that our ancestors were Indians living through out this 23 acres based upon the evidence.  Below are words from Clarksville's own study for the golf course. "Phase I archaeological survey of a 23 acre portion of the proposed Clarksville Golf Course, Mecklenburg County, Virginia."  Prepared for and paid for by the Town of Clarksville by Cultural Resources, Inc., May 2001. "The likelihood for encountering or re-encountering prehistoric sites with the 23-acre project area is excellent. Considering four discrete prehistoric lithic scatter sites (4MC293, 44MC295, 44MC296, and 44MC297) have been identified on the property, it is clear that the project area attracted prehistoric settlement. The four sites are located on the four major elevated points overlooking the Reservoir, meaning that all the high probability landforms within the project area contain prehistoric resources." It is obvious from a short 30 minute browse and Clarksville's own archeological survey that the 23 acres of land inhabited by our Indian ancestors. The ancestors reveal to us what they want us to see. They give us signs that we see if we are looking. Within 30 minutes we see a bald eagle, the most sacred of all birds to Indians, an osprey, fired stones from a ancient ceremony and a tool that definitely was NOT carried here from another location due to the weight and size. Our ancestors were living here and the want us to know it and remember them and respect this place.  They want us to know that this is a special place. Barry Carter