[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 173 (Wednesday, December 22, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S11031]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING DR. HELEN MAYNOR SCHEIRBECK

  Mrs. HAGAN. Mr. President, last weekend the Nation lost Dr. Helen 
Maynor Scheirbeck--a great civil rights leader and a passionate 
advocate for American Indian rights.
  Born in Lumberton, NC, as a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe, Dr. 
Scheirbeck's passing is a true loss for the Lumbee and the greater 
American Indian community. A champion for American Indian sovereignty, 
Dr. Scheirbeck worked constantly throughout her incredibly prolific 
career to enable future generations of Indian leaders to build 
healthier and better-educated communities.
  In her early work on Capitol Hill, Dr. Scheirbeck served on the staff 
of North Carolina Senator Sam Ervin, then chair of Senate Subcommittee 
on Constitutional Rights. This work helped lay the foundation for the 
historic 1968 Indian Bill of Rights that extended constitutional rights 
and protections to American Indians nationwide. Similarly, Dr. 
Scheirbeck's efforts to organize the 1962 Capitol Conference on Poverty 
helped to ensure that Indian communities were a focus of the nationwide 
war on poverty.
  Her commitment to self-determination and individual responsibility is 
further exemplified by Dr. Scheirbeck's work to empower tribal leaders 
to govern and educate their communities. Working on behalf of the 
Carter administration, Dr. Scheirbeck's leadership was instrumental in 
realigning Federal policies to support Indian sovereignty. Most 
notably, her efforts helped to ensure the passage of the Indian 
Education Act of 1975 and the Tribally Controlled Community College 
Assistance Act of 1978, which have enabled Indian leaders to provide 
better educational opportunities for current and future generations.
  Working throughout her life to provide a forum for Indian leaders in 
our Nation's Capital, Dr. Scheirbeck was instrumental in establishing 
the National Museum of the American Indian. As Assistant Director in 
the early years of the museum, Dr. Scheirbeck guided the Office of 
Education and its program in cultural arts. In so doing, she sought to 
bring the experience of the American Indian to the National Mall and to 
demonstrate the applicability of Indian education models to educators 
throughout the world.
  Finally, much of Dr. Scheirbeck's life was devoted to the cause of 
recognition for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Her life's work 
helped reverse the Federal Government's efforts to terminate 
relationships with American Indian tribes. Sadly, though, Dr. 
Scheirbeck's own Lumbee Tribe still bears the burden of this 
unfortunate policy, and she fought throughout her life to provide the 
Lumbee with the full recognition that they so deserve. While Dr. 
Scheirbeck did not live to see this dream become a reality, her life 
and work have helped to sustain the drive for Lumbee recognition for 
decades.
  Dr. Helen Maynor Scheirbeck's presence and contributions throughout 
Indian Country are irreplaceable, and her tireless efforts on behalf of 
American Indians throughout the country will continue to inspire future 
Indian leaders for generations to come.

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