Dozens from the Hillsborough community, Occaneechi tribal members, and Orange County elected officials gathered at the Occaneechi Replica Village on Sunday to honor the lives and legacies of John “Blackfeather” Jeffries and Lynette Coles Jeffries. John spent most of his life in Hillsborough and spearheaded the creation of both the initial Occaneechi Replica Village and its 2016 rebuilding. A partnership between OBSN, Orange County, and the Alliance for Historical Hillsborough, the site hosts educational events about tribal life and customs. The project was also a way for the Occaneechi to reclaim a space along the Eno River, said Orange County Board of Commissioners Chair Jamezetta Bedford, and John supervised the entire process from a prime seat. “Up to the end, John continued to keep watch from his bench, guiding volunteers with his usual combination of good humor, folk wisdom, and an occasional stern rebuke when they made mistakes,” she said. “And he never passed up an opportuni...