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What an amazing time to witness history as the 7th Tribal Chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is sworn into a second term. Congratulations to Tribal Chairman Lowery and the 7 Council members who were sworn in during the inauguration on Thursday night. The council members are Bill “Dollar Bill” Oxendine, District 1 Jody Bullard, District 4 Johnny Bell, District 9 Bobby Emanuel, District 10 Homer Fields, District 14 Nanci Locklear, District 16 Mary Lane Locklear, District 18 The outgoing Tribal Council Members were Dewey McNeill and Wendy Moore. Chairman Lowery unveiled his plan for his 2nd term. Here is a brief clip of the ceremony.

You are invited to the Supporting Tribal Stomach Health Program on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center. The event is hosted by the Southeastern American Indian Cancer Health Equity Partnership. Sign up by calling Mr. Reggie Brewer

Press Release - 7th Lumbee Tribal Chairman Sworn in for a Second Term During Lumbee Inauguration Pembroke, NC (January 10, 2025) – Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery and seven tribal Council members were sworn into office during an inauguration ceremony on Thursday night in Pembroke.The seven Tribal Council members are Bill “Dollar Bill” Oxendine (District 1), Jody Bullard (District 4), Johnny Bell (District 9), Bobby Emanuel (District 10), Homer Fields (District 14), Nanci Locklear (District 16) and Mary Lane Locklear (District 18). Tribal Chairman Lowery received a standing ovation as he unveiled his plan for his second term. Lowery said it is not a vision for the next 3 years, but for 10 years, which he is calling the FOCUS 2035 initiative. “As part of our FOCUS 2035 initiative, our economic development footprint will grow beyond our federal contracting companies and 8A Holdings will continue to grow, but we will work to diversify our economic opportunities,” said Lowery. “Lumbee Holdings will work with the tribal government to focus on travel and tourism opportunities and synergize tribal services and grant initiatives. We will start a Lumbee food brand, working with Lumbee Holdings and the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, we will set the foundation to work with our farmers to create a true Lumbee farm to table experience in grocery stores and restaurants.” Lowery also said this initiative calls for increased development in the four counties of the Lumbee Tribal territory in Hoke, Scotland, Robeson and Cumberland Counties and outreach to include: A new Boys & Girls Club facility in Scotland County. Create Programs to encourage teenager participation in the Boys & Girls Clubs. Continued updates to the Cultural Center to ensure it becomes a self-sustaining facility, creates tourism dollars while maintaining cultural and recreational side. Create a living village that will allow tourists to explore and to see how Lumbee ancestors lived prior to contact and European arrival. Build docks on the lake, with additional seating added throughout the Cultural Center. Extend homeownership options to tribal citizens regardless of their income by creating an in-house Section 184 program which will allow the tribe to act as the borrower for tribal citizens who are over the income for the current home ownership program but cannot receive conventional lending at a decent rate. Created a Lumbee Food Seal which is now available for Lumbee producers to use as a value added resource. Build an agricultural cleaning facility and additional greenhouse food production as part of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Department. Create a Lumbee Archive for historical documents. Expand nature and hiking trails and complete renovation at Maxton Pond. Create health services for tribal citizens Lowery said he looks forward to a prosperous 2025 and beyond for the Lumbee People. The outgoing Tribal Council Members are Dewey McNeill and Wendy Moore. ###

Join us on Thursday, January 30, Friday, January 31, and Saturday, February 1, 2025 for the Gathering of Native Americans (GONA) Conference. GONA provides the Lumbee Communities the opportunity to discuss substance abuse and the issue surrounding it. It is aimed to assist with the journey to heal and transform while providing a road map to reestablish a safe, supportive, and nurturing community to thrive in. GONA is a free event open to the public and will include storytelling, arts & crafts, giveaways, food, and more. GONA will be on January 30 - 31 from 11:30 am - 7 pm and February 1, 2025 from 10 am - 3 pm. To register, please scan the QR code or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1119244072149?aff=oddtdtcreator .

The Lumbee Tribe of N.C. Housing Complex and all Lumbee Tribal Offices will close at 2 pm today, Friday, January 10, 2025 due to potential inclement weather.

Students planning to apply for a Lumbee Tribe Student Housing Voucher for the Spring semester, it is almost time to apply. The application dates are January 6, 2025 - February 7, 2025 for the Spring semester. The application will be available online through a Salesforce Customer link. Click here to apply https://portal.lumbeetribe.com Click here are instructions to begin the application process. https://www.lumbeetribe.com/.../6ca8af ...

Mark your calendar because you are invited to the Inauguration of the newly elected Lumbee Tribal Council and Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery on Thursday, January 9, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the Lumbee Tribe Boys & Girls Club. The Boys & Girls Club is located behind the Lumbee Tribe Housing Complex on 120 Youth Drive in Pembroke, NC. The Tribal Council Elect Members to be sworn in are: Bill “Dollar Bill” Oxendine, District 1 Jody Bullard, District 4 Johnny Bell, District 9 Bobby Emanuel, District 10 Homer Fields, District 14 Nanci Locklear, District 16 Mary Lane Locklear, District 18 The event will also be live-streamed.

During the May Tribal Council Business meeting, the Lumbee Tribal Council recognized Lumbee Author Kaden Ryan Thompson. He has written 2 books, Battle of Hayes Pond and Henry. Both books look at important times in Lumbee history. Kaden graduates from high school this week. He received a standing ovation. The council also recognized Hoke County Head Coach of the Year Brandon Locklear. Councilwoman Chocajuana Oxendine shared what a great coach Locklear is and the difference he is making with children and in community. Brandon received a standing ovation. District 48 Representative Representative Garland E. Pierce joined the dozens of people who came out to support Brandon. The Tribal Council also recognized Twilla Allen, Aging Program Administrator, for her extraordinary job with elders through the Aging Program with the Council of Governments. Allen also received a standing ovation. Allen and Thompson received a piece of pottery from the Lumbee Tribe Boys & Girls Club. The Tribal Council approved the nomination of Josh E. Locklear to the LTE Board. Locklear was sworn in by Justice Mark Brooks. He will serve a 5 year term.

Pembroke, NC (December 11, 2024) - The Lumbee Tribe Holdings, Inc. Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Channing Jones as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lumbee Tribe Holdings, Inc., (“LH”), effective December 16, 2024. Jones will work closely with Interim CEO Tammy Maynor to ensure a smooth transition. He brings a wealth of knowledge of the private sector and has developed many relationships over his career that will help guide LH into the future. Jones currently serves as the Executive Director of Economic Development for Robeson County, NC. He also served as Vice President of Workforce Development and Continuing Education at Robeson Community College. Previously Jones served as Chief Operations Officer for Southtech Plastics in New Bern, NC. Jones is a native of Pembroke and has lived most of his life in the Lumbee Tribal Territory. "I am honored to join the Lumbee Tribe Holdings team and look forward to continuing the amazing work that is underway and excited for the future possibilities,” said Jones. “I recognize the challenges in the world economy and often uncertainty in government contracting, however the possibilities far outweigh any obstacles. I am truly excited to work with talented professionals and the many affiliates that makeup LH and its contracting subsidiaries.” The Board of Directors publicly thanks Mrs. Tammy Maynor for her leadership and guidance as Interim CEO during this transition. Lumbee Holdings, Inc. was established with the strategic focus of sourcing and providing the necessary services to ensure the mission success of its industry and government customers. Lumbee Holdings, Inc. is the for-profit arm of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and consists of a diverse family of companies serving federal agency partners around the world.

Press Release Chairman Lowery Says the Lumbee Tribe Stands with Senator Thom Tillis in the Face of Continuous Attacks by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Pembroke, NC (December 10, 2024) – For nearly 140 years, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has been petitioning the United States government for full and unconditional recognition as a Federally recognized Indian tribe. An injustice the Lumbee people do not want to see carried on any longer. The time is now to bring the Lumbee into the full guarantees of government-to-government relations promised by the United States Constitution. The Lumbee Fairness Act will modify the Lumbee Act, passed in 1956 during the era of “Indian Termination”, and place our Tribe on equal footing with other federally recognized tribes and end our status as second-class Native people. Recently, Senator Thom Tillis spoke on the floor of the United States Senate about the importance of passing the Lumbee Fairness Act. Senator Tillis, a strong advocate for the Lumbee people, continues to work tirelessly to right this centuries old wrong. This will finally bring to an end Termination Era policy and grant our tribe the full federal recognition that we deserve and have long been denied. The Lumbee Tribe, Senator Tillis, and our many allies on the Hill, continue to fight against a multi-million dollar fueled opposition led by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians EBCI, owner of several casinos in North Carolina and nearby states like Virginia. The Eastern Band’s highly paid lobbyists profit mightily while the Eastern Band leadership complain incessantly about the housing dollars the Lumbee are eligible to receive from the Federal government. Sadly, the Eastern Band is waging a public relations assault against Senator Tillis, slandering and smearing him in an effort to stop his advocacy for the Lumbee. These tactics will not work. These are the same tactics they used before in their attempt to block the Catawba Nation from receiving land-into-trust in North Carolina. They smeared the Catawba Nation, Senator Tillis, and former Senator Richard Burr, in their failed attempt to stop the forward progress of the Catawba people. Catawba Chief Brian Harris stated, “The EBCI fought against the Catawba at the federal level and they continue to fight against the Lumbee Tribe in a despicable manner. The EBCI will go as low as they can to block other tribal nations from achieving success and it is time for them to stop these actions and stop being the bully of Indian Country.” Senator Tillis, like the Lumbee people, will not back down in the face of these assaults and a well-funded lobbying campaign. The Lumbee people have stood up against colonialism, the Confederate Home Guard, the Ku Klux Klan, and our fight continues as we stand up against Eastern Band leaders and their superiority complex. Our tribal nation commends Senator Tillis, Senator Budd, our House friends, and tribal allies, who continue to stand firm, while the EBCI leadership peddle falsehoods and lies, and waste money better spent on the well-being of their people. The Lumbee do not have millions of casino dollars to give politicians and lobbyists, but we do have the truth, courage, and the moral fortitude to stand firm. The Lumbee will not allow our people to be pushed in the corner by those who suffer from a superiority complex. Have no illusions, the Eastern Band’s leadership feels they are superior to Lumbee and act as if they have some perceived moral high ground because their legislative recognition was prior to ours or because their history is more widely known. They are mistaken on all accounts and history will paint them as wrong once the ink dries on this time period in our lives! Sincerely, John L. Lowery Tribal Chairman

You are invited to the District 12 Community Meeting on Thursday, December 5 at 6:00 pm at Gray Pond Baptist Church at 9901 Stewartsville Cemetery Rd. in Laurinburg, NC. The event is hosted by Councilwoman Josephine Doss. The event will offer information about tribal services, community information. Dinner will be served.