13/12/2025
Dr. Linda Oxendine carried the legacy of education and the wisdom of her ancestors to generations of students. Like a precious grandmother, she shared the stories and the memories in a way that captivated everyone who took time to listen. We are thankful!
It is with great sadness that the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina sends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Dr. Linda E. Oxendine. Dr. Linda journeyed from this life on Monday, December 8, 2025. Dr. Linda will be remembered for her gentle nature as she welcomed everyone as if they were family. She was a knowledge keeper of our Lumbee history and culture. With her guiding way, she was also a nurturer for generations of students at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; she was professor emeritus and Chair of the Department of American Indian Studies (AIS) from 1989 until her retirement in 2006. She taught part-time in AIS for several years, even after her retirement. In 1967, she was also one of the first American Indian women to graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Linda also served as the Director and Curator of the Native American Resource Center (now the Museum of the Southeast American Indian) from 1982 to 1986. She educated a generation of students and tribal members on Lumbee ways and our history as well as other American Indian topics. For some students, her classes changed the path and trajectory of their future and dreams. She is and will be missed. We are forever thankful for all her gifts to the Lumbee People as well as other American Indian Nations and the United States.
To read her full obituary visit https://www.revelsfh.com/obituary/DrLinda-Oxendine?fbclid=IwY2xjawOpaUVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeBeqUz-9dpZA3v3Y6V62n-0t-eeVmQEsGEYCaRvkunFbzuyvpq48_0Bp9ses_aem_qkFB-zwXrmj_kjJCMZSpHQ