To the Editor,
An opinion is like a mouth, everyone has one. That is how I feel about Eric Locklear and his letters to the editor regarding the Lumbee Tribal Government. His thoughts and opinions are truly that of his own. If the members of the Lumbee Tribe actually believed everything he said he would have won the election last year for the Lumbee Tribal Council and he would be sitting on there now.
I can see where some of his thoughts and suggestions are coming from, but others are so far out in left field that not even a catcher in a baseball game could catch them.
The Lumbee Tribal Government is trying so hard to get federal recognition and around the world they read letters and lawsuits filed by Locklear which make many think this is a pack of fools running this Lumbee Tribe and they do not deserve federal recognition. But, we have to remember, this is the same man who claimed be the chairman of the board of directors of North Carolina Indian Cultural Center, too — at a Lumbee Tribal Council meeting no less.
Something is missing here. Is this about him getting a job? Is it about personal gain because he can’t get what he wants? I mean, the people at the polls spoke loud and clear they didn’t want him in a position with the Lumbee Tribal Council.
I hope your readers will not be mistaken, thinking that he speaks for people like me. I do have some intelligence, I do believe in civil and human rights. I think everyone should be judged by the quality of their character and not the color of their skin.
Well, if the Lumbees have to have a Billy Jack or a rebel, then Locklear is truly that person for the Lumbee tribe. But even I don’t take him seriously.
Vinita “Cookie” Maynor Clark
Pembroke
Prime Example: Hilton Hotel Corp is based out of Memphis TN. Hilton flew their Corporate Jet from Memphis to Lumberton to meet with the Lumbee Tribe about building a hotel in Pembroke. A tribal member had a wealth investor that is up in year, retired, widowed and was willing to put up ½ the money to build the hotel. This was before the Pembroke crew got together and built the holiday Inn. People this is the part that will make you clench your teeth. The investor offered to give the trip 90% of the profit, in an effort to help the Tribe become for fiscally stable and less reliant on public money!!! I think you all can figure out what happened. The tribe did NOTHING!!!! And there have been several other opportunities like this. It’s not often that those kind of opportunities fall at your feet. I can only postulate that they are either too lazy or too incompetent to pursue more economic endeavors. I tend to believe it’s more of the latter.
The Catawba are starting to wake up. The currently have a gas station being designed which will create unrestricted cash. They are also in the process of suing SC for level gaming rights. When the Cherokee petitioned NC to allow them rights to develop gaming from the West side of I95 to the mountains, the Catawba Nation took it as a wakeup call. “ No matter what moral complexity you may have towards gaming, if you don’t do it, somebody else WILL”. They are pushing economic development hard. I believe them to already have an investor lined up to build a casino in Charlotte as their territory extends into Mecklenburg County. I would not be surprised to see them with a Casino in the next ten years. And I would not be surprised to see the Lumbee Tribe in the same spot in years, but would defiantly be disappointed.