UNC Pembroke News

Actors perform an action scene during a 1981 production of Strike at the Wind!, the acclaimed outdoor drama chronicling the life of Lumbee folk hero Henry Berry Lowrie and the Lowrie War.

Strike at the Wind! Returns for Landmark 50th Anniversary Season

Fifty years after audiences first gathered beneath the summer sky to watch Henry Berry Lowrie's story unfold, Strike at the Wind! returns this summer for a landmark anniversary season that celebrates the enduring legacy of the Lumbee people, the tribe's recent federal recognition and UNC Pembroke's decades-long role in preserving one of North Carolina's most significant works of Indigenous theater.

Wendy Locklear ADOBE Clouds
June 30 Mark Locklear

UNCP Student Participates In National Adobe-AISES Leadership Program

Wendy Locklear, a rising senior pursuing an American Indian Studies degree at UNC Pembroke, was one of only 100 Indigenous college students nationwide selected to participate in Adobe's AISES CLOUDS program, an initiative designed to cultivate leadership opportunities and strengthen digital skills among Native students.

Lumbee Ambassadors

UNCP to host several events to celebrate 57th annual Lumbee Homecoming

UNC Pembroke invites the public to celebrate the 57th annual Lumbee Homecoming, June 26-July 4, in Pembroke, NC.

Panelists participate in a Native American Coalition for Economic Prosperity (NACEP) Government-to-Government Roundtable at UNC Pembroke, where a speaker addresses attendees during a discussion on federal partnerships, access to capital, infrastructure and economic development for tribal nations.

National Tribal Leaders Convene at UNC Pembroke

At a time of new opportunity for tribal nations, leaders representing more than 20 Native communities from across the country gathered at UNC Pembroke on Tuesday to discuss the challenges and opportunities shaping their future.

UNCP alumna Rakayah Jacobs and John Oxendine lead the grand entry at the 2025 BraveNation Powwow and Gathering in the Jones Athletic Center.

Southeast Native Studies Conference, BraveNation Powwow Highlight Indigenous Showcase

The week of March 16-21, 2026, UNC Pembroke’s campus will be filled with events and activities showcasing the history, culture, accomplishments and contributions of American Indian people.

A portrait of the Reese family in front of Old Main and an American Indian graduate
January 21 Chad Locklear

Susan Bird Reese makes $100,000 gift to UNC Pembroke

UNC Pembroke alumna Susan Bird Reese ’79 has made a $100,000 gift to her alma mater in loving memory of her late husband, Arthur “Randy” Ray Reese ’77.

Lydia Mansfield
January 05 Mark Locklear

UNCP Senior Elected to National Indian Education Association Board of Directors

When Lydia Mansfield heard her name announced at the National Indian Education Association’s (NIEA) annual conference in Spokane, Washington, she wasn’t thinking about the national platform she had just earned —or even about the historic responsibility now in her hands.

John Oxendine performs onstage at the Lumbee Tribal Cultural Showcase
December 08 James Bass

A Day of Culture and Connection for Thousands at GPAC’s Lumbee Showcase

For a heartbeat, the audience sat in silent anticipation. Thousands of elementary students leaned forward in their seats and strained to make out figures on the darkened stage of the Givens Performing Arts Center.

Dr. Daniel LaDu
December 05 Mark Locklear

UNC Pembroke Welcomes Dr. Daniel LaDu as Adolph Dial Distinguished Scholar of American Indian Studies

As UNC Pembroke strengthens its role as a leader in American Indian education, the university recently appointed archaeologist and scholar Dr. Daniel LaDu as the Adolph L. Dial Distinguished Scholar — a milestone that signals new opportunities for collaboration, research and student engagement.

Miss Lumbee Taylor Davis stands in front of the UNCP letters while holding the head of the mascot, Brave Hawk
November 25 Chad Locklear

From BraveHawk to Miss Lumbee: Taylor Davis Finds Strength in Heritage and Hope

From BraveHawk mascot to Miss Lumbee 2025, Taylor Davis has never stopped finding strength in her voice—and her culture. A cancer survivor and proud UNC Pembroke alumna, she shares how heritage, healing and a little sparkle helped her rise.