Gov. Cooper orders NC flags to half-staff to honor this Native American leader
One week after a beloved indigenous people’s activist died, Gov. Roy Cooper is honoring his memory.
John “Blackfeather” Jeffries, an elder and past chairman of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, died Jan. 24 at age 83.
On Tuesday, the governor’s office announced all state flags will be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset Wednesday to honor Jeffries.
To those who knew him, Jeffries’ name was synonymous with the Occaneechi, who are based primarily in Orange and Alamance counties.
Jeffries single-handedly built a replica “lliving village” of the Occaneechi people in Hillsborough and years later supervised its reconstruction when the original fell into disrepair.
He served as a chairman of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation from 1995 to 2000 and served on the tribal council until 2020.
“Chief Jeffries was a great leader, and our state is stronger because of his legacy,” Cooper said in a statement. “Our hearts are with his family, loved ones and Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation members during this difficult time.”
Occaneechi officials have asked for privacy for the Jeffries family at this time.
This story was originally published January 31, 2023 at 1:14 PM.