PEMBROKE — The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and other state-recognized tribes will remain members of the National Congress of the American Indian despite a recent effort to strip them of that status, according to local tribal officials.
During the NCAI’s annual convention last week in Sacramento, Calif., a proposed amendment calling for membership to the NCAI to be open to only federally recognized tribes was voted down. The amendment was sponsored by Kerry Holton, the former president of the Delaware Nation from Oklahoma.
A related amendment, that sets the process by which a state-recognized tribe can become a member of NCAI, was approved. The two amendments were among nine that were considered at the convention.
“The overwhelming vote against Amendment 1 solidifies the direction and the voice that NCAI will seek for Indian Country for many, many, many years to come,” said Larry Townsend, vice president of the National Congress’ southeast area and a Lumbee tribal member. Townsend said the region he represents includes about 25 tribes.
Townsend joined 16 members of the Lumbee Tribal Council and the tribe’s attorney, Ed Brooks, in attending the event.
Pearlean Revels, speaker of the Lumbee Tribal Council and a delegate to the convention, told The Robesonian that all members of the Lumbee delegation worked hard to lobby to defeat the amendment.
“We all networked with members from other tribes and stood in doorways handing out fliers opposing the referendum,” she said.
Council member Louise Mitchell also attended the convention.
“We all did the leg work,” she said. “It would have been detrimental to the tribe if that amendment had passed. The NCAI is our voice on the Hill. We need to be a member.”
Both Revels and Mitchell expressed their concerns that the council is being accused by some of wasting tribal dollars by going to conventions such as the one they just attended.
“But you need to have a voice at the table,” Revels said. “Our representation at the convention was well worth every dollar spent by the tribe.”
Townsend said he believes the large number of Lumbee delegates at the convention worked in the best interest of the tribe.
“There’s no doubt that it was good for there to be a large number of Lumbees there to protect our interests,” he said.
Tribal Chairman Paul Books, who did not attend the convention, issued a statement emphasizing the importance of defeating the proposed amendment restricting NCAI membership to just federally recognized tribes.
“This constitutional amendment would have changed the identity of Indian,” Brooks said. “… The proposed change would put the power of recognition exclusively in the hands of the federal government, not recognizing tribal inherent sovereignty, which can be acknowledged by this organization,” he said.
The state-recognized Lumbee Tribe has been seeking full federal recognition and benefits for years.
Founded in 1944, NCAI advocates for all tribes on such issues as education, housing, taxation, transportation and law enforcement, according Townsend.
“The purpose of NCAI is to be a unified voice of tribal nations on the national level,” he said. “This past week, the congress has rejected the divisive resolution … as it runs against NCAI’s longstanding practice of including the interest of all Indian tribes, even if they have not yet been federally recognized, or terminated by Congress.”
THE MULATTO CAPITAL,Robeson County
Origin of the Free NEGRO Settlement
LUMBERTON,N.C.Feb.26,1872,NEW YORK TIMES.
"The country was settled first by Scotch Highlanders before the Revolution,These Scotch SLAVEHOLDERS were hard masters.Here also were the Scuffletown Mulattoes-imposed upon for many generations by master and slave,Scuffletown(PEMBROKE,NC),
got its name from the long scuffle of the whites and the Negro slaves and make freedom under the condition of color,contemptible among the mulattoes.I conceive that these NEGROES have been the slaves of Tories driven from the State at the close of the Revolution,and of the emancipated slaves of the Quakers,that they increased and multiplied by accessions from runaways,
by the birth rate of force exerted on them an by the necessity of union or the sympathy of all neighboring free negroes with a"HOMOGENOUS NEGRO SETTLEMENT"(PEMBROKE, NC)
New York Times 1872,a description of the Lumbee Capitol not as Indian but Negro!
"The undersigned, your petitioners,a part of the Croatan Indians..Swear Descent from the Lost Colony of Roanoke" The Bill did not pass.
2. 1910 (January 24).Introduction of a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to change the tribe's name from Croatan to Cherokee. The bill did not pass.
3. 1913 (July 10).Introduction of a bill in the U.S.Senate to change the tribe's name from Indians of Robeson County to Cherokee Indians of Robeson County. The bill did not pass.
4. 1924 (March 20).Introduction of a bill in the U.S. House to change the tribal name to Cherokee. The bill did not pass.
5. 1932 (May 9).A bill was introduced in the U.S.Senate to recognize and enroll the tribe as Cherokee Indians.The bill did not pass
I don't see how anyone could trust the lumbees research now as saraw too !
Real Native Americans are very exacting in their ancestry and don't make those kind of claims,it would seem allot of fabrication has happened and uncertainty among the group now claiming to be lumbee Indians.
I will post theseclaims because im sure some Lumbee will call me a racist when im not im native American from Okla.and you can verify for yourself that happen,i don't wanna call Lumbees liars but if it quacks like a duck then it must be!
what do you guys think ! ROSS??
We don't need federal benefits, some of us have and are still doing well without it. For the ones that could use it, I hope they benefit from it. Ya'll (Americans) afraid of the red man doing better than you, huh? Maybe it would sit better with you if we all just packed up and moved to England? Bust up in the Queen's home and put her in the street. We wouldn't be cruel, we would give a few british pounds to our new stinky pale faced friends every now and then. Then put them on the most useless land and let them call that home. We can rename England, New Wakulla!!
"Crooks and clowns from top to bottom, past to present." I agree, but they had a few mentors along the way. America was built by crooks and clowns. There have been 44 circus ring leaders thus far and some are even etched in a South Dakota mountain. I guess some nice person decided to etch big faced clowns onto someone else's property for a big laugh huh?
I'm glad you people respond to anything with "Lumbee" on it. You show your true colors. Just hate and despise a group of people. Same treatment you show to Arabics. I will take your hate and use it to fuel my motivation.
That goes to show when it comes to defending their tribe when true facts are projected to them they all run.
So..forget about federal funding..get a turkey and eat your hearts out.
@Ross, Thankyou for the compliment. You're right I don't hate the Lumbees or anyone for that matters. What I do dislike are Bigots,Racist and people who Stereotype.
RobCo is infected with so much prejudice and hate to the point where it makes all residents in the county look foolish. But yet everyone has to live, shop, work, and try to enjoy their persuit of happiness in the same place.
There's prejudice when a crime article hits the paper. Which that's a crying shame. Despite the fact that crime has no color or race..but has a major affect on the whole County.
To all you Old Heads that post here..let go of that Backwoods Trailer Park InBreed Mentality you've all displayed here.
And start attacking the issues that affects you all such as...The poor Education system in the County...The lack of Jobs that are in the County despite all the Dormant factory space that's just there to be there.
In closing..RobCo is in bad shape and noone wants to admit it!!
First off the Lumbees were'nt around in the days you spoke of as the other tribes were.
Next They dont even have one artifact to prove that they were around in those days. So how could they give up...When they didn't exsist?
How far back can they trace their history?
They're the only tribe that celebrates ThanksGiving other tribes don't!!
Lumbees are a mixture of Black, White, and Indian.(tuscarora)
Their leaders have made a farce of the whole tribe many times in just this year alone.( you know stealing monies, shaming on housing deals..etc)
Far as DSS...Lumbees and Mexicans are the majority of the people that are there on a daily basis. Take a walk in DSS and see for yourself.
Are you trying to justify the prejudice the Lumbees display in Pembroke? Buy saying if you look different (whats your meaning of looking different?)they'll look at you strange. The Tuscaroras are dark skinned people and way more Indian then any Lumbees could ever be..and they recieve prejudice from the Lumbees. Even though thats the 1/4 of Indian blood that runs through the Lumbees bodys that you so proudly talk about.
In closing...Here's a thought for everyone...Since the Lumbees are only based in RobCo which we all know ...when a Hunt marries a Hunt..is that incest?
The leaves are falling off all the trees around here.... Again, THE LEAVES ARE FALLING OFF THE TREES AROUND HERE!.... Now, does that mean I hate trees? Hmmmm?
But I guess YOU thought they are too WHITE, didn't you?......
SHIPRINCE: I agree with everything you said. Well put, and truthful.
PS. I don't think you hate lumbee's either, you were just pointing out truths. Very well put, sir.
I've posted many times about the prejudice that the Lumbees have towards anyone unlike them.
Even if you're one of them..if you're not in that good ole boy circle they have you're short.
Revels and Townsend look like ordinary white folk to me.
the only thing DSS doesn't help native american's with is the Federally funded heating and cooling crisis intervention program. & that is because the tribe lobbied for those funds to be allocated to THEM, for THEM to distribute to the Native American people. So you can thank the tribe for not being able to receive that assistance at DSS. Furthermore, the tribe is supposed to help ALL Native Americans with those funds, yet they discriminate against all other tribes, and only help the Lumbee. They turn Cherokee, Tuscarora, etc. away. So yes they do have prejudice against others unlike them.
One of the questions they ask is "have your people been forced to live on a reservation"... and of course the answer is "no"...
All other "real indian tribes" are still angry about those "reservations", But the lumbee's are angry they DIDN'T get to live on one. They are busy now trying to create their own reservation.
Then again, it just allows all the sickness in this county to expell it's vomit on the web. ;-)
Also you're right about the lumbees being the majority in Robeson county. So why do they continue to yell WE ARE MINORITIES! Look, you can't have it both ways, either you are or you ain't.
ITZME: I am the solution. I'm trying to disband this race club everyday. I don't like any club that only allows membership based on ones race. You know, sorta like the KKK. One race one membership card.
TIREDOFTHEFOOLERY: You are so RIGHT! What's so funny is they will say whites are the race of hate and discrimination.. Jesus Christ couldn't get a job in pembroke or at the tribe office. He's a Jew, but he's not demanding free housing based on that.