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For Immediate Release Lumbee Guaranty Bank Partners with Lumbee Tribe for Restoration Project at the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center Pembroke, NC (December 11, 2023) -On Monday, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina welcomed a new partnership with Lumbee Guaranty Bank with an investment of $100,000 for renovations at the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center. Lumbee Guaranty Bank Chief Executive Officer Kyle R. Chavis said partnerships between the bank and the tribe are longstanding. “On behalf of our Board of Directors, I want to express our excitement about being a partner with the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina in the revitalization of the amphitheater at the Cultural Center,” said Chavis. “The Center continues to provide a meaningful space in southeastern NC for education and recreation, and our bank is pleased to contribute to the sustainability of this special place.” During a meeting at the bank headquarters in Pembroke, Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery shared with Chavis that he often tells the success story of Lumbee Guaranty Bank as he speaks to groups about the resiliency of Lumbee People. Lowery said there is a true partnership between the tribe and Lumbee Bank and he thanked Chavis for the focus on the Cultural Center because it is a big part of Lumbee People. “To be a place for recreation and cultural purposes, and just being able to come together as families and as a community, your gift to us is going to go far to make sure we have a cultural center that is self-sustainable and will be there for generations to come,” said Lowery. The $100,000 gift will be used for renovations at the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center. The 327- acre Cultural Center property features a playground, the Adolph Dial Amphitheatre, the Lumbee Tribe Aquatic Center Pool, Stickball Field, new Basketball courts, volleyball courts, a camping area, the Cultural Center Lake, fishing areas, a tribal community garden and much more for the community.

Dear Lumbee People, October was a time of cultural celebration for the Lumbee people. Our Lumbee Dance of the Harvest Moon Powwow welcomed thousands of people from across Indian Country. Head dancers, Billy Hunt and Mahlea Hunt, showcased their talents and truly represented the Lumbee people with dignity and style. I want to thank all the sponsors and volunteers who supported our powwow and made this event a great time for the entire Lumbee Nation. We also held our Annual Fall Festival, Fish Fry, and 5K Fun Run and Walk. It was great to see so many smiling faces as people enjoyed the fish, our artisans, the gospel singing, the Fun Run and much more. I want to thank Fullers BBQ for once again cooking the fish for our event. They always do a fantastic job! I also want to thank our Lumbee Tribal Staff for all their hard work to successfully put together another great tribal event for our citizens. I love to brag on the employees here at the Lumbee Tribe. We call on our employees to not only do their normal day-to-day jobs, but also to do so many other duties, as assigned. Our staff plays a key role to assist with coordinating community meetings, the Lumbee Powwow, Senior Ms. Lumbee Pageant, the Honor Cord ceremony, building and decorating for the Christmas light show, food giveaways and so many other events throughout the year. The staff wears many hats, and they give 100% for our citizens. In October Mr. Stephen Bell was recognized at the National Indian Education Association annual conference with the "Educator of the Year" award. Mr. Bell is the American Indian Education Coordinator for Guilford County Schools and is a proud citizen of the Lumbee Tribe. In his role as AIE Coordinator, Mr. Bell has coordinated over 60 culture classes, led college tours for high school students, provided different training sessions, and served as an overall role model to future Native leaders. Mr. Bell is the son of Dr. Ronny and Mrs. Natalie Bell and the grandson of Mr. Buddy and Mrs. Sarah Bell. Congratulations Stephen! We are proud of the work you are doing each and every day. I love each of you, All John L. Lowery

Thank you to the U.S. Army at Shaw Air Force Base for warmly welcoming the  Lumbee Tribe Culture Team to participate in their American Indian Heritage Month Observance: Tribal Nations Soaring to New Heights.  The Lumbee Tribe Culture Team provided a cultural demonstration consisting of a Men’s Eastern Woodland regalia and dance, a women’s traditional Pinecone Patchwork regalia, a blow gun demonstration, as well as a friendship round dance! Lieutenant General (United States Army Central (USARCENT) Commanding General) Patrick Frank brought opening remarks; Lieutenant Colonel (R) Caleb Malcolm, Lumbee citizen and President of Lumbee Tribe Enterprises, LLC, was the guest speaker; Command Historian Michael Clauss provided the Profile of Valor centered around Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot; OCS Chief James Locklear, Lumbee citizen, provided a brief history on the Lumbee Tribe of NC; and Colonel (Assistant Chief of Staff, G8) David Vandevander brought closing remarks. Malcolm touched on the topic of Heritage, in terms of what heritage truly means. He stated that more American Indians have served in the military than any other group of people. Malcolm continued by naming several Lumbee heroes that served within the military. He closed by challenging everyone to spend at least 1 day out of 730 days to learn about American Indians. Thank you, again, for the invitation and opportunity to showcase Lumbee culture! It was a great way to end American Indian Heritage Month.

Volunteers needed for Survey! Ryan Dial, a gradate student with the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science at the UNC School of Medicine, is requesting your participation for a survey related to diabetes and Hemoglobin A1c testing. Who Can Participate? Members of the Lumbee Tribe Must be 18 or older Why Participate? Support Lumbee Graduate student Information gained will be used to better understand health and wellbeing of Lumbee people Click here for the survey - https://unc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5o60m7mSj8cs9Dg *No identifiable information will be collected during survey. All answers will remain confidential.

The community meeting with the Triangle Area Lumbee Community has been RESCHEDULED for January 10, 2024. Please mark your calendars! The meeting will take place at the Junior League Community Center at 711 Hillsborough St. in Raleigh. The community meeting begins at 6 pm and will be hosted by Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery and the Triangle Native American Society. The event will include Tribal services and community information. Dinner will be served.

Thank you to St. Pauls Middle School for inviting the Lumbee Tribe Culture Team to your American Indian Heritage Month Celebration! The school hosted two programs for students in 5th - 8th grade. The students heard of the Lumbee people's origins from the Tidewater and Jamestown Area and their migration to, what is now, Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and Scotland Counties. These counties make up the Lumbee Tribal territory. The attendees enjoyed flute music, participated in a round dance, listed to the history of the Lumbee Pinecone Patchwork dress, as well as heard a few words in the Lumbee Language.

Thank you to Hoke County High School and Adrian Kyle Locklear for inviting the Lumbee Tribe Culture Team to the Native American Heritage Month Celebration! Our team showcased Lumbee Culture by providing a brief history of the tribe, which included the migration of the Lumbee People, the many languages that were spoken within the tribe, as well as the importance of the conch shell. The conch shell was blew to call meetings to order. The team also played a flute song. It was said that before someone began to play the flute, they were taught how to make one. The player then would write their own songs, as there were no written traditional songs. To conclude the program and engage the students, they were invited to participate in a round dance that serves as a welcoming dance. Little Snow Bird spoke about Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW). ‘Age does not matter,’ said Little Snow Bird, 'when Indigenous women are murdered and missing.'

As we wrapped up, American Indian Heritage Month, the Lumbee Tribe Culture Team had the opportunity to participate in Perdue Foods in Dillon, South Carolina's first Native American Program! Perdue employees heard about the Eastern Woodland regalia, which is what the Lumbee people and Southeast Natives would wear. The team shared flute music and drum songs, as well as participated in a Round dance! Thank you, Perdue Farms, for inviting us to be a part of this historic event!