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Ronnie Revels, owner of Revels Vinyl Siding and Home Improvement, rips plywood strips Wednesday morning as his crew completes exterior construction on a new Lumbee tribal home on Preston Road in the Preston community near Pembroke. Revels said he expects the work on the home’s exterior to be finished this week. Patrick Lowery, the contractor, said the Donald Deese family should be ready to move in the house in about a month barring any unforeseen setbacks. — with Ronnie Revels, Revels home improvement. Robert Freeman, left, and Daniel Revels apply the finishing touches to a new house the tribe is building for Donald Deese on Preston Road in the Preston community near Pembroke. The contractor, Patrick Lowery, said the project has gone smoothly and he expects work to be completed in about a month barring any unforeseen setbacks. Ronnie Revels is the owner of Revels Vinyl Siding and Home Improvements, which is now finishing the exterior construction. Revels said Wednesday morning that he expects his crew to finish all the work on the home’s exterior this week, with only vinyl siding and boxing left to do. Thanks for all of your hard work men.

A special thank you to Mr. Buddy Dial for all of his hard work and dedication in making this year’s Dance of the Spring Moon Powwow a success. Thank you Mr. Buddy for all you have done.

From left, tribal employees Lisa Hagins, Nichole Dial and Doug Locklear, far right, receive plaques from John Oxendine, who headed up the powwow committee. The trio were honored for their work in selling advertisements for the tribe’s powwow booklet.

By James Locklear Lumbee Tribe Public Relations PEMBROKE – Timmy Jacobs’ journey to the Lumbee Tribe’s down payment assistance program started with a visit to the tribal complex one year ago to inquire about services. His mother had told him to go by to check to see if he could qualify for assistance when he started making plans to get a new home. It paid dividends for Jacobs on April 12. Jacobs and his wife April received a $4,000 check from the tribe’s down payment assistance program to help with the cost of a new doublewide mobile home. Timmy Jacobs was ecstatic when he got a call that he would receive the assistance. “I think it’s a wonderful program to help our people,” Jacobs said. “I just thank God we were able to qualify.” Timmy and April Jacobs live in a 16X70 singlewide mobile home on Barlow Road near Lumber Bridge. The trailer is more than 30 years old. He said it’s in good condition, but in need of minor repairs. The Jacobs family recently found a new doublewide mobile home recently at Vision Homes in Fayetteville and fell in love. He said they especially liked it after viewing the spacious master bathroom complete with a double sink vanity and other attractive amenities. He said the $4,000 down payment assistance would go along way to help with paying for the $68,000 doublewide mobile home. Jacobs is a tree surgeon for Carolina Tree Care. His wife is a cosmetologist at Top of the World hair salon in Lumberton. They have been married for 12 years and say getting a new home is a dream come true. They say they are grateful to the tribe for the assistance. “We really appreciate the help,” Jacobs said. “It’s a real blessing to have them help us. We are truly thankful.” Down payment assistance Kathy Locklear is the financial education/housing manager for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Locklear said tribal members wishing to purchase a manufactured home with down payment assistance funds must buy a new doublewide mobile home or a modular home. Locklear said applicants must have a deed in their name or buy a land home package. The home must have a permanent foundation. She said down payment assistance applicants are also allowed to purchase a new or existing stick built home, or build a new home. Applicants must have loan pre-approval before they can apply for down payment assistance. Locklear said down payment assistance funds range from $4,000 to $10,000 depending upon household income as compared to the national medium income. For more information, visit the Lumbee Tribe’s website at lumbeetribe.com or call (910) 521-7861. James Locklear may be reached at jvlocklear@lumbeetribe.com or (910) 536-3918. 2 Attachments

By James Locklear Public Relations Lumbee Tribe WAKULLA – It may be an old cliché, but for Thomas Bullard there really is no place like home. He has lived in the Wakulla community for most of his life and really loves the rural area near Red Springs. And, thanks to down payment assistance from the Lumbee Tribe, it looks like he will be there for a long time, right with his people. The tribe gave Bullard $4,000 from its down payment assistance program to help him purchase a new mobile home. He was thrilled at the news when he received a call to pick up the check on April 18. “There’s nothing like staying at home,” Bullard said. “It’s a good area over there and I’m not trying to get too far away from it. I’ve been there most of my life. I love the people there.” Bullard bought a lot near the home he grew up in Wakulla on Oxendine School Road at the intersection of N.C. 71, about five miles south of Red Springs. He has pleasant memories of his childhood home. But, this young man has seen his share of difficulties as well. He was just 5 when his father, the late Ronnie Bullard, was killed in a traffic accident in January of 1996. Growing up without his father was tough, but he said he got great guidance from his mother, Rebecca Bullard, as well as other relatives. Bullard is 25. He is single and does not have any children. He said he has enjoyed living at home with his mother, but is ready to start buying his own home. He is purchasing a three-bedroom, two bath doublewide mobile home from Vision Homes in Fayetteville. It costs $53,000. The new home is equipped with a spacious kitchen and living room that perfectly suits his tastes, Bullard said. “I love it,” he said. “I can’t wait to get settled in. It’s always been a dream of mine to have my own home.” Bullard is a delivery truck driver for Coca Cola. He stocks the popular beverage in Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly and at Walmart on a route that includes Pembroke, Maxton and Red Springs. He has been with the popular soft drink company for three years. He said he had been saving money in hopes of building a home, but couldn’t quite afford to build. One of his uncles told him about the tribe’s down payment assistance program. He visited the tribal complex in Pembroke where he met with Kathy Locklear, the financial education/housing manager for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. She explained the process and he went to work gathering the documents he needed to apply. Bullard applied for the assistance on April 8. He received his check 10 days later. “I came in and got a list of stuff I needed – and – I got my credit score right,” Bullard said flashing a wide smile. “I really appreciate this. There’s nothing better than helping someone get on their feet. The tribe really helped me a lot and this is helping me to be more of a man to grow my life.” For more information, visit the Lumbee Tribe’s website at lumbeetribe.com or call (910) 521-7861. James Locklear may be reached at jvlocklear@lumbeetribe.com or (910) 536-3918.

Beautiful Indian people with beautiful regalia were in abundance at the weekend Dance of the Spring Moon powwow at the Lumbee Tribe’s Indian Cultural Center. Thank you to all of the people who participated and to the spectators and vendors who supported the powwow. I know people are already marking their calendars for next year’s powwow because the 2016 powwow has gotten rave reviews. Thanks again to all who made it possible.

Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin met briefly with East Carolina University student/athlete Chyna Locklear during the powwow Sunday to congratulate her on her achievements in college. Chyna is a member of the Pirates’ cheerleading squad and an outstanding student with plans to enter either pharmacy or veterinary medicine. This Lumbee beauty is also one strong young lady who boasts a 170-pound personalbest on the clean and jerk, more than 50 pounds above her body weight. At 125 pounds, she squats nearly twice her body weight. These are very impressive totals! Chyna is scheduled to compete soon in the collegiate weightlifting tournament. The tribal chairman is a weight lifting and physical fitness enthusiast who was thoroughly impressed with Chyna’s accomplishments in the gym. He smiled when he heard her weightlifting totals. “I’m really proud of what our young people like Chyna are doing,” Godwin said. “She is one shining example of the talent we have among our Native youth. I want to congratulate her on everything she has been able to accomplish. I also want to encourage the young children out there to find positive role models. I want them to know that hard work and dedication like Chyna has is what it takes to succeed. She is a great role model for our youth.”

J.D. Moore, the man with the magnificent voice, was the emcee for the weekend powwow. J.D. is a talented man who gave homage to his ancestors like Ray Littleturtle for teaching him powwow etiquette and passing along the Indian ways. J.D. and the other MC’s are now doing the same things they learned years ago. Thank you guys for all your dedication to our Indian people.

Special thanks to this group of NC State University students from the university’s College of Natural Resources who volunteered Monday to help clean up the Lumbee Tribe’s Indian Cultural Center after the Dance of the Spring Moon powwow this weekend. In the center of the entrance is Dr. Shaefny Grays, assistant director for community for diversity in the College of Natural Resources. She said it has been an enlightening experience for the N.C. State students to be able to visit the Cultural Center to learn about the Lumbees.

Thank you John Whittemore for filming this video of the Powwow.

Henry Berry and Rhoda prepare to “Strike at the Wind!” during a brief performance at the Henry Berry Lowrie House…Corbin and Misha Eddings play the role of Henry Berry Lowrie and Rhoda Lowrie in a brief skit from the outdoor drama “Strike at the Wind!” during a program for school children Friday morning. Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin is working diligently to revive the outdoor drama and hopes to have it up and running within a couple of years. Be sure to stop by the Henry Berry Lowrie house to see Corbin and Misha Kaye Eddings performances as Henry and Rhoda as part of the Lumbee Tribe’s annual Dance of the Spring Moon powwow this weekend. Gates open at 4 p.m. Visit for more information.

Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin Jr. is encouraging motorists to carpool to the powwow this weekend. Record crowds are expected as the Dance of the Spring Moon powwow returns to the Lumbee Tribe's Indian Cultural Center for the first time in more than 10 years. Godwin said people can meet at the Purnell Swett High School parking lot, park and ride in a single vehicle to preserve limited parking at the Cultural Center. There will also be bus shuttles available to transport people from Purnell Swett to the Cultural Center, which is less than a mile away.