Henry Ward Oxendine

Henry Ward Oxendine (September 4, 1940 – November 19, 2020) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives for the 21st District from 1973 to 1976. A member of the Lumbee tribe, he was the first Native American to serve in the North Carolina General Assembly.

Early life Henry Ward Oxendine was born on September 4, 1940, in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States, to Lockey Oxendine and Nancy Locklear Oxendine. He was a member of the Lumbee tribe. He attended Pembroke High School and sworn in to his seat on March 19, 1973 by North Carolina Secretary of State Thad Eure in a short ceremony before the legislature began its evening session. He thus became the first Native American to serve in the North Carolina General Assembly. In his first press conference, Oxendine stated, "I hope my appointment will restore some confidence and trust in the democratic system which Indians have lost through years of frustration and disappointment. I hope to help bring about respect and understanding between the races." The Carolina Indian Voice lamented his appointment, suggesting that he was "a fine, sincere man, but he is not necessarily the choice of the people".

By the time Oxendine took his seat, most of the major bills in the legislature's 1973 session had already been proposed. He voted for increased public education appropriations and the creation of a law which mandated the revocation of a driver's license if a motorist refused to take a breathalyzer test. He voted against the holding of a referendum on legalizing liquor-by-the-drink sales, saying that it would risk increased consumption of alcohol and make roadways unsafe.

Oxendine was reelected to his seat and placed on the Insurance, Education, Higher Education, Corrections, Base Budget, Human Resources, and Judiciary committees. During the 1975 session, he mostly refrained from proposing new bills and instead cosigned legislation introduced by other representatives, which he supported. He cosigned several measures the Commission on Sentencing Criminal Punishment and Rehabilitation recommended to the legislature aimed at prison reform. He also sponsored a successful bill which allowed a person found guilty of writing a bad check to pay fines and restitution without a court trial. In March 1976, Oxendine announced his intention not to seek reelection to the House but instead to campaign for a judgeship in the 16th Judicial District, though he remained committed to serving the rest of his legislative term through November. He lost the August primary election for the judgeship and was succeeded in the legislature by Horace Locklear.

In March 1977, Governor Jim Hunt appointed Oxendine to represent the 6th Highway Division on the North Carolina Secondary Roads Council. Hunt appointed him to the newly created North Carolina Board of Paroles in July. He was sworn in on July 18. In 2008, he became a judge on the Supreme Court of the Lumbee Tribe.

Later life Oxendine died on November 19, 2020.