Search Site Results

Lumbee Tribe housing inspector Patrick Hunt checks a new construction project on Preston Road near Pembroke in March. Construction on the new home is almost complete. New Construction Manager Anthony Holden said the tribe’s housing department inspects new construction projects daily to ensure that contractors are following building codes. Holden said the tribe sets its codes in accordance with the county’s building codes, but inspects daily to make sure contractors are using quality materials and building the homes to the highest possible standard. The Lumbee Tribe recently completed work on six houses that started last year and has another five under construction. The tribe recently accepted bids on four new homes with construction set to begin this week, according to Holden. He said he expects to get bids for four additional houses in August. For more information, call Anthony Holden or Kathy Locklear at (910) 521-7861 or visitwww.lumbeetribe.com on the web.

Construction on this new Lumbee tribal house on Preston Road is almost complete. New Construction Manager Anthony Holden said the Lumbee Tribe recently completed work on six houses that started last year. This is one of five new homes under construction. Holden said the tribe recently accepted bids on four new homes with construction set to begin this week. He said he expects to get bids on four additional houses in August. For more information, call Anthony Holden or Kathy Locklear at (910) 521-7861 or visit www.lumbeetribe.com on the web.

The exterior construction on this new home the Lumbee Tribe is building on Whistling Rufus Road in the Prospect Community near Pembroke is almost complete, as well as the interior work. The Lumbee Tribe recently completed work on six houses that started last year, according to New Construction Manager Anthony Holden. This home is one of five under construction. Holden said the tribe recently accepted bids on four new homes with construction set to begin this week. He said he expects to get bids for four additional houses in August. Anyone with questions about the Lumbee Tribe’s new housing program may reach Anthony Holden or Kathy Locklear at (910) 521-7861 or visitwww.lumbeetribe.com on the web.

Ashley Barton is an administrative assistant for the Lumbee Tribe’s eEnergy department. She has worked for the tribe for four years. Ashley started working in the energy department in March after having previously worked as mentor coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club. She said she really enjoys her job because she has a chance to help fellow tribal members. “I just think it’s wonderful getting to meet such a diverse segment of the Lumbee community,” she said. “We get to meet Lumbees from all over the United States.” Ashley is 31 and is a 2003 graduate of Purnell Swett High School. She lives in Pembroke with her three children. Ashley is the daughter of Roger Barton and the late Teresa Barton. Ashley said the mission of The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina Department of Energy is to serve as a service institution for American Indian families in Cumberland, Hoke, Robeson and Scotland counties by addressing household heating and cooling issues through safe, healthy and educational initiatives. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides families and individuals with cash benefits toward their household heating and cooling source. The payment is sent directly to provider on their behalf. For more information, call Patrick Strickland, Department of Energy Manager at (910) 522-2206 or send an email to on the web.

Congratulations Judge Dale Deese on your new position as district court judge in Robeson County. The Lumbee people are prou.d of how well you have represented us through the years. Best wishes on your new job

Be sure to mark your calendars for this important men’s health event set for Thursday June 23 at the Lumbee Tribe’s Boys and Girls Club at 120 Youth Drive, behind the tribal headquarters in Pembroke.

Senator Richard Burr discusses economic development opportunities with Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin and Dr. Freda Porter Thursday morning at the Lumbee Tribe’s inaugural Lumbee Economic Summit. Dr. Porter organized the event, with drew more than 200 people, including dozens of state, local and national business owners. Congratulations on the success of the inaugural summit Dr. Porter and hopefully it will continue to grow in the future as more and more of our people take advantage of the opportunities available through local, state and federal government contracts by gaining more knowledge of the process.

Project Access, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Indian Education, is a collaboration between the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the Public Schools of Robeson County, Robeson Community College, and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The goal of Project ACCESS is to improve access to higher education and career preparedness for American Indian youth of Robeson County. The initiative will engage Native youth, their families, and their tribal communities to be active participants in the process. The program will also expose the students to campus life and teach them about the admission and financial aid process as well as test tasking strategies. Students will complete a college application and essay, develop a resume, and practice interview skills. Participants will also participate in cultural activities. Parents are invited to participate in the last day of the camp, to learn more about higher education and financial aid. As part of the grant, the Project ACCESS Summer Residential Camp is a FREE three-day, two-night residential camp, held at UNC Pembroke. Applicants will select one (1) of the seven (7) dates to attend: June 19-21, June 23-25, June 27-29, July 10-12, July 14-16, July 18-20, or July 24-26, 2016. Each camp will host 24 American Indian high school students from Robeson County who are rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. Application Deadline: June 8, 2016, no later than 5 p.m. Return completed application to: via mail or in person to Southeast American Indian Studies Program, UNC Pembroke, PO Box 1510, Pembroke, NC 28372 Additional Information: Myia Reyes (Lumbee), SAIS Community Engagement Specialist, Southeast American Indian Studies Program | Email: myia.reyes@uncp.edu | Phone: 910.521.6266 | Fax: 910.522.5795 For an application and more details, please visit: http://www.uncp.edu/sites/default/files/Images_Docs/Departments/Southeast_American_Indian_Studies/initiatives/pa_summer.pdf

The cancer beat her down, but it did not win. And, tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. Illya Chavis Lindsey will take a celebratory victory lap through town a couple of hours before she is committed to her eternal resting place at the Bear Swamp Baptist Church cemetery amongst her ancestors. It’s what she wanted. The popular food vendor at the Lumbee powwow known for her legendary funnel cakes passed on Sunday after a near seven-year battle with cancer. The doctors who gave her about six months to live were amazed that this warrior added another six and a half months to the wonderful life she had built in the 49 years God blessed us with her. And, what a marvelous legacy she leaves behind not only with her friends and family, but also with the thousands of others she touched with her enduring will to fight to live. Illya actually planned her funeral after she died for 45 minutes a few weeks ago. Doctors told the family there was nothing else they could do for her when she suddenly woke up and started telling her cousin Eustacia Lowery Jones plans for her final celebration. Those plans began to take place Wednesday night at Harvest Church near Raynham, where Illya was a faithful member. The crowd started arriving more than an hour before the 6 p.m. wake started. They were still slowly filing past Illya’s black coffin after 9 p.m. Her husband Boyd special ordered the coffin to match the black and gold casket spread she also requested, staying true to her beloved colors of UNC Pembroke. Illya’s friend Linda Maynor Oxendine showed off a picture of her favorite mode of transportation, the jet black Harley Davidson Illya cruised thousands of miles on, often leaving experienced male riders with a healthy helping of her dust as she blew by them on cross-country cruises. Boyd Lindsey will load his wife’s black coffin on the back of their motorcycle trailer for one last cruise through her beloved hometown of Pembroke. Hundreds of their friends are expected to join them in Illya’s final cruise, as the black and orange ribbons on her coffin will wave good bye to her beloved Lumbee people. Illya may be gone, but she’s a long way from forgotten. Her message of strength and perseverance in the face of dire circumstances will continue to inspire people who never met her for years to come. The woman who was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 only to be paralyzed as a result of back surgery never missed an opportunity to brighten the spirits of others. She was a regular sight in the Lumbee Regional Development Association building, where she kept open the office of the Pembroke Area Chamber of Commerce. Illya’s smiling face brightened up the faces of those around her as she volunteered her time to help the organization. She never took a sick day no matter how sick she was. Those who said encouraging words to her soon found it was them who were being encouraged from her mere presence. Now, as she prepares to take her final trip with friends through Scuffletown, Illya’s impact is still being felt by others. Many of the scores of bikers taking part in the last cruise of “Illya Warrior” will put on a brave face, but the tears will flow as constantly as the stream of Harley Davidsons roaring through downtown Pembroke. There will certainly be one or two thunderous burnouts to announce to the world that the Indian princess is gone. And, when the kickstands go up and the throttles go down, Illya’s certain to be smiling down on her friends. The cancer beat her down, but it still didn’t win. And, Illya will get one last opportunity to do one of the things she enjoyed most – “dragging town” with her Harley riding friends. Rest in Peace our beloved Illya Warrior. This cruise is for you.

Howard Chavis Jr., aka “Frog,” of Collins construction, lays brick on a home on Whistling Road in the Prospect Community near Pembroke last week. Brick work on the new home is expected to be finished this week. Anyone interested in applying for a new home through the Lumbee Tribe’s new construction program may call New Construction Manager Anthony Holden at (910) 521-7861 or visit www.lumbeetribe.com on the web.

The Lumbee Tribe’s New Construction Manager Anthony Holden inspects brick work at a construction site where the tribe is building a new home on Whistling Rufus Road in the Prospect community near Pembroke. Anyone interested in applying for a new home through the tribe’s new construction program is asked to call Holden at (910) 521-7861 or visit www.lumbeetribe.com on the web