By J. Andrew Curliss acurliss@newsobserver.com HOLLISTER A Native Ameri- can community grieved on Sunday over the death of one of its bright- est, recalling the joy of UNC- Chapel Hill student Faith Hedge- peth in church sanctuaries, living rooms and at a solemn vigil held at dusk on the sacred grounds of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe. Hedgepeth’s body was found at her Chapel Hill apartment on Fri- day. Police are treating the death as a homicide. The news has left the tribe of about 4,000 members in a rural area roughly 90 minutes northeast of Ra- leigh without words to express the hurt, many said in interviews. “It is a huge, huge shock – and that’s to say the least,” said Melissa Richardson, the tribal council’s chairwoman. “Our community is just reeling from this. Numb. How could somebody do this to Faith?” There were tears on Sunday, and hugs. And some smiles, at the way Hedgepeth lived. Friends said that she planned to be a pediatrician, or perhaps a teacher, and that she wanted to return to the tribe’s area to practice. Gabrielle Evans, 20, a cousin and a close friend, said they had Tribe mourns UNC student IN TIGHT-KNIT NATIVE AMERICAN AREA, FAITH HEDGEPETH’S SLAYING TOUCHES ALL PHOTOS BY COREY LOWENSTEIN - clowenst@newsobserver.com Faith Hedgepeth’s cousin, Consuela Richardson, left, consoles Satarah Lewis during a vigil Sunday at the Haliwa-Saponi Tribal School. Hedgepeth SEE HEDGEPETH, PAGE 7A From left, sister Rolanda Hedgepeth and mother Connie Hedgepeth pray for Faith, who was found dead in her Chapel Hill home Friday.
