Search Site Results

The Lumbee Tribe us dedicated to our culture, traditions and history. We offer many services to our nation. June 23 Amendment Vote: lumbeechoose June 23 Amendment Vote: lumbeechoose.com New Construction June 23 Amendment Vote: lumbeechoose 1/68 Welcome to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina Culture. Tradition. History. Chairman Monthly Update Welcome to the Lumbee Tribe of N.C. We are the People of the Dark Water. Our Lumbee Tribal Territory is located in Southeastern North Carolina in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and Scotland Counties. The Lumbee People are known for their entrepreneurial spirit and their focus on education. We welcome you to visit our homeland. Lumbee Tribal Citizens, we hope you register through the Lumbee Member Portal, if you have not done so already, to stay engaged, connected, as well as apply and/or check the status of services available to you. Our tribal website list information and staff details for available services for your families which include, but are not limited to Tribal Support Services, Emergency Rental Assistance, Housing services for families and college students, Enrollment assistance, Energy assistance, Transitional Housing Services, Youth Services, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Veteran Services, Youth Services through Project Create and much more. If you have questions, please reach out to our staff. We are here to help. Also, our Lumbee Tribal Enrollment Office is now open late on Monday afternoons to better assist you. The main number for the Lumbee Housing Complex is 910.521.7861. As always, I am thankful for this opportunity to serve as your chairman. Official Merchandise Store General Legal Counsel Services RFP June 2026 Tribal Council Calendar June 18 Tribal Council Business Mtg Agenda Lumbee Member Portal Scholarship Application 2026 LTNC Federally Recognized Dist 20: 6/20 @ 3 -6 pm Dists 4 & 5 - 6/22 @ 6 pm Lumbee Today Newsletter Learn about June 23 Vote State of the Tribe: June 30 @ 6pm 2026 Fed Rec Events Online Update Instructions Tribal Gala: 12/12/26 2025 Accomplishments Press Release

Home Improvement Program (HIP) 1/8 Addresses and eliminates sub-standard housing conditions that threaten the health and safety of tribal members. The program provides services to repair (or replace) existing, sub-standard housing for qualified, low-income homeowners. Applications are accepted for home improvement services from applicants who meet the eligibility requirements, which include but are not limited to the following: Applicant must be an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Applicant must reside in the service area of Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson, and Scotland Counties. Applicant must own or have lifetime rights to the home requiring repairs. Applications for home improvement services are accepted Monday-Friday, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. The following documents are needed to apply for home improvement services. Applications will not be accepted without all supporting documentation for each household member. Home Improvement Program (HIP) Checklist: 1. Copy of applicant’s current tribal enrollment card 2. Copy of applicant’s picture identification 3. Copy of social security cards for all household members 4. Copy of birth certificates for all household members age 16 or older 5. Proof of income for all household members 6. Proof of disability (if applicable) ** If handicap accessibility is needed, a letter from your doctor will be required. 7. Copy of bank statements for all household members 8. Copy of all deeds to property and/or court-filed lifetime rights and/or mobile home title/bill of sale 9. Copy of Power of Attorney (if applicable) 10. Proof of all assets (title or registration of vehicles, motorcycles, boats, etc.) 11. Criminal record check (will be done in office for anyone age 16 and older) Contact Wayne Chavis Jr. HIP Manager E-mail: wchavis@lumbeetribe.com Marbeth Pevia Assistant HIP Manager Phone: (910) 522-2213 E-mail: mpevia@lumbeetribe.com Heather Strickland Outreach Intake Specialist Phone: (910) 522-2212 E-mail: hstrickland@lumbeetribe.com Lisa Hagins Homeowner Compliance Specialist Phone: (910) 522-5466 E-mail: lhagins@lumbeetribe.com Melinda Brewer Contractor and Payout Specialist Phone: (910) 522-2205 Email: mebrewer@lumbeetribe.com Michelle Gales HIP Compliance Specialist Phone: (910) 522-6519 E-mail: mgales@lumbeetribe.com Ryan Jacobs HIP Inspector Phone: (910) 522-2185 Email: rjacobs@lumbeetribe.com Sam Bird HIP Inspector Phone: (910)-374-8775 Email: sbird@lumbeetribe.com Terry Locklear HIP Inspector Phone: (910) 522-2214 Email: tslocklear@lumbeetribe.com Jimmy Kerns HIP Warranty Specialist Phone: (910) 668-6097 Email: jkerns@lumbeetribe.com Johnny Locklear HIP Cost Analyst

Lumbee Tribe Enterprise, LLC EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES < < back We Still Believe APPLICATION DIRECTIONS FOR LUMBEE TRIBE ENTERPRISE, LLC POSITIONS ONLY: A complete job description and application for employment may be obtained at: www.lumbeetribe.com . Send completed Application for Employment and resume by mail or email to: Mail: Lumbee Tribe Enterprises, LLC Attention: Samantha Heard PO BOX 2836 Pembroke, NC 28372 Email: samantha.heard@ltellc.com For more information, please contact: Samantha Heard (Manager, Recruitment & Retention ) (910) 733-0833 samantha.heard@ltellc.com http://www.ltellc.com Lumbee Tribe Enterprises, LLC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. Lumbee Tribe Enterprises, LLC is a leading provider of Information Technology, Systems Engineering, Enterprise Applications, Professional Services and Program Management to the Department of Defense and other Federal Agencies. LTE strives to support our National interests by creating an environment that attracts the most skilled and motivated people in the industry to meet our customer's needs with innovative, quality and cost-effective services and solutions. (http://www.LTELLC.com ) ELDER SERVICES YOUTH SERVICES ENLIGHTENED NATIVE DAUGHTERS COMMUNITY EVENTS & ACTIVITIES NEWS ENROLLMENT EMPLOYMENT TRIBAL COUNCIL RFP's LUMBEE TRIBE ENTERPRISE JOBS

Location: 6984 NC Hwy 711 West Pembroke, NC 28372 Pembroke Boys and Girls Club behind Turtle Building DISCLAIMER: Please e-mail cultureclass@lumbeetribe.com if you need to cancel your scheduled session. For more information, please dial 910-522-5474

For Immediate Release Lumbee Leadership Requests Expert Legal Review of Constitution and Gaming Amendment Compliance Under NIGC Standards Chairman Lowery and Speaker Baker requested that Mr. Philip Hogen (Oglala Sioux) of Hogen Adams review the Lumbee Constitution and the proposed amendments and provide a legal opinion regarding whether there are drafting errors in the current Constitution and if the proposed amendments are compliant with the requirements of the National Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (NIGRA). He is a former United States Attorney and served on the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) for ten (10) years under the Bush and Obama Administrations, including as Chairman for seven (7) years. Mr. Hogen has practiced in the area of Indian gaming for nearly 40 years. June 17, 2026 Chairman John Lowery and Speaker Alex Baker Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina 6984 NC Hwy 711 Pembroke, NC 28372 Re: Proposed Amendments to the Lumbee Constitution Dear Chairman Lowery and Speaker Baker: I was asked to look at the current Lumbee Constitution and the proposed amendments to the Lumbee Constitution and provide my opinion on (a) whether Article VIII as currently written contains a drafting error, and (b) whether the process envisioned by the proposed amendments for gaming measures violates federal law or recommendations of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC). I served on the NIGC for 10 years and was Chairperson of the Commission for seven of those years. I have practiced law in the area of Indian gaming for nearly 40 years. My opinion is limited to the two issues listed above, and I express no opinion about whether Tribal Members should vote for or against the proposed amendments. Drafting Errors in Article VIII1 In my view, there are two drafting errors in the current Constitution that essentially make it impossible for the Tribe to move forward with gaming. First, Article VIII, which deals with the Tribal Chairperson’s authority, provides at Section 1(b) that within 10 days of passage of a tribal ordinance that authorizes gaming or taxes on Tribal Members, the Tribal Chairperson must certify the ordinance for referendum, “to be conducted in accordance with Article V of the Constitution.” But Article V contains the procedure for initiatives (votes to enact ordinances proposed by the membership), not referendums (votes to rescind ordinances enacted by the Tribal Council). In other words, it is not possible for the Tribal Chairperson to comply with Article VIII as currently written. Another problem with Article VIII, Section 1(b) is that it says that “[n]o ordinance certified as requiring a referendum shall be effective unless and until such ordinance is approved by a majority of those voting in the referendum.” (Emphasis added). The fundamental purpose of a referendum is not to approve an ordinance, however, but to rescind an ordinance. Article VI of the Constitution, which governs referendums, makes this clear at Section 7, which says that if a referendum vote is properly held and supported by a majority of voters, “the Tribal Elections Board shall declare the ordinance rescinded.” There is no process for voters to approve an ordinance by referendum in the current Constitution. The proposed amendment to Article VIII fixes these problems by removing the reference to Article V from Article VIII and deleting the language about approving a gaming ordinance by referendum. The proposed amendment also goes one step further by removing the requirement for a referendum vote for an ordinance authorizing gaming altogether (although a referendum vote is still required for an ordinance imposing taxes on Tribal Members). Propriety of Having the Chairperson Negotiate Compacts and Nominate Gaming Enterprise Board and Regulatory Board Members with Approval of the Tribal Council The Tribe is also proposing amendments to Article VII, Section 1, and Article VIII, Section 1, to codify a process by which Tribal gaming officials may be appointed to the board of any Tribal gaming regulatory body and any Tribal gaming enterprise. The proposed amendments would authorize the Tribal Chairperson to nominate those gaming officials and authorize the Tribal Council to confirm or reject those nominations. The amendments would also allow the Tribal Chairperson to negotiate gaming compacts, to be approved (or rejected) by the Tribal Council. In my experience, this is a fairly typical division of power between the executive branch (the Tribal Chairperson) and the legislative branch (the Tribal Council) of government. It requires the Tribal Chairperson to negotiate compact terms that are acceptable to the legislative branch, and to nominate members of the Tribe’s gaming regulatory and business entities who the Tribal Council will approve. Having the Chairperson nominate and the Tribal Council approve members of the Tribe’s gaming regulatory body is consistent with federal law and is common across Indian country. While the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) does not mandate how Indian tribes must select their gaming regulators, the NIGC model gaming ordinance outlines several broad options that tribes may choose from, including appointing gaming officials through the tribe’s governing body. See NIGC Revised Model Gaming Ordinance at § 8(C). And several tribes have procedures like those proposed here, codified in tribal gaming ordinances approved by the NIGC. See, e.g. Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Gaming Ordinance at § 16-2.01(b) (“Commissioners shall be appointed by the Principal Chief, subject to the approval of the Tribal Council”); Mescalero Apache Tribe Gaming Ordinance at § 7(E) (“The Mescalero Apache Tribal Gaming Board of Commissioners shall consist of no fewer than three, and no more than five, Part-Time Commissioners appointed by the Tribal President, subject to confirmation by the Tribal Council”); Cherokee Nation Technical Gaming Amendment Act at § 21(A) (“The Gaming Commission shall consist of no less than five members of the Cherokee Nation to be appointed by the Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and approved by the Tribal Council”); Northern Cheyenne Tribal Gaming Ordinance at § 402(1) (“Each Commissioner shall be appointed by the Tribal President with concurrence of the Tribal Council”). Conclusion Again, I do not advocate how Tribal Members should vote on the proposed amendments. I simply offer my legal opinion that as drafted, the current Constitution does not contain a workable process to approve a tribal gaming ordinance. The proposed amendments contain a workable process for the Tribe to adopt a gaming ordinance (but do not require a referendum vote). In addition, the proposed amendments include a fairly standard process for the Tribal Chairperson to negotiate gaming compacts and nominate members of a gaming regulatory authority and a gaming enterprise board with the approval of the Tribal Council. I do not see anything in the proposed amendments that would violate IGRA. Sincerely, Philip N. Hogen

The Lumbee Tribe of N.C. Housing Complex and all Tribal Offices will be closed on Friday, June 19, 2026 for the Juneteenth Holiday. Our offices will re-open on Monday, June 22, 2026.

Key Dates of Upcoming Lumbee Tribal and Federal Recognition Celebration Events.