Lumbee Tribal Chairman Lowery's June Monthly Report

Lumbee Tribal Chairman Lowery's Monthly Report

Dear Lumbee People,

The month of June saw the return of our Senior Ms. Lumbee Pageant after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. This was the first time the pageant was held on the campus of UNC-Pembroke and was once again emceed by the outstanding duo of Rev. Mike and Mrs. Quae Cummings. The contestants did a wonderful job! Mrs. Sharon Burnette, from the Rennert Community, was crowned our new Senior Miss Lumbee. I congratulate Mrs. Burnette and I look forward to working with her as she represents our tribe over the next year.

Our constitution says that the Chairman will provide an annual "State of the Tribe" address during Lumbee Homecoming. In June, I provided my first "State of the Tribe," where I presented a budget of over $32 million to the Tribal Council for their approval. The upcoming fiscal year will begin on October 1st. This budget sets aside funds for single-family housing units to be built for our citizens. It also provides funds for youth services, elder services, and veterans programs. The budget also allows for a focus on tourism, which I believe has the potential to create economic growth within our tribal community.

I visited Raleigh and met with Speaker Tim Moore, Senator Majority Leader Phil Berger, Secretary Pamela Cashwell, Senator Danny Britt, Representative Garland Pierce, Executive Director of the Indian Commission Greg Richardson, and other officials. Building these relationships with state officials strengthens our standing and allows for greater cooperation on current projects and future endeavors.

I would like to thank the Tribal Council for approving Ricky Harris as the new Tribal Administrator, which allows him to lead the day-to-day operations. Mr. Harris, from the Prospect Community, brings many years of experience operating a large government entity and this experience allows him to dive headfirst into budgeting, project management, and working with community partners. I look forward to serving with Mr. Harris as we work together to move our Tribal government forward for our citizens.

I love you all and I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as your Chairman.

John L. Lowery Chairman