In observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, today’s episode features a conversation with Lumbee Tribe members Malinda Maynor Lowery and Ryan Emanuel. Over the course of the hour, they discuss the importance of singing in Lumbee tradition, the effects of climate change and rising seas on the tribe, pipeline construction in North Carolina, the history of Roanoke, and the significance of culture-bearing across generations.
Malinda Maynor Lowery is an associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research includes Native American history, Southern history, foodways, music, race and ethnicity, identity, and community-engaged research, including documentary film and oral history. She is the author of The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle (UNC Press, 2018).
Ryan Emanuel is an associate professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University, where he specializes in hydrology, environmental sciences, and coastal science. His recent research focuses on the environmental history of the Lumbee Tribe and the intersections between water and Lumbee culture.