Lumbee Tribal Council creates $1.5 million budget for home energy assistance

Tomeka Sinclair, The Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C.
·3 min read

Jun. 18—PEMBROKE — The Lumbee Tribal Council approved on Thursday a $1.5 million budget, which will consist of money awarded through the American Rescue Plan.

The budget, which is separate from the tribe's main budget and is being funneled through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, will be known as the LIHEAP ARP Budget. The total amount is $1,568,375, said Sharon Hunt, Tribal Council secretary.

Line items in the budget will consist of $1,294,897.34 for the cooling assistance program, $156,837.50 for administrative services, $76,409.01 for two salaried positions, and $31,213.15 for payroll fringe benefits.

The budget ordinance was approved without comment.

Also Thursday, Tribal Council approved a resolution asking the Board of Education for the Gaston County School district to support the tribe's legislation discouraging institutions from using mascots that portray American Indians in a negative way and do away with South Point High School's Red Raider mascot. The school is in the Gaston County public schools district.

Council approved a resolution in October supporting the National Congress of American Indians, who warn of the negative stereotypes connected to American Indian mascots.

The resolution opposes "any and all derogatory and offensive and or inflammatory Native American mascots for any and all educational institutions."

Despite the continuing petition from American Indian tribes, "there still exists a lack of interest by those agencies, institutions or individuals concerning the negative and psychological impact," said Ivonne Dial, chair of the Lumbee Tribal Council Education Committee.

In the resolution approved Thursday, the Red Raider mascot is described as "offensive, dehumanizing, mocking and demeaning" toward American Indian people.

The resolution received unanimous approval.

A motion to support Upstream USA failed after one Tribal Council member requested additional information about the program.

According to the nonprofit's website, "Upstream USA works to expand opportunity by reducing unplanned pregnancy across the U.S. We work in partnership with health centers to strengthen reproductive care and autonomy by increasing equitable access to the full range of contraceptive options."

Council member Gerald Goolsby, of District 2, said he asked for more information about the organization during a committee meeting, but has yet to receive it.

"Due to my religious beliefs on abortion, and stuff of that nature, I'm going to respectfully ask that we postpone this," he said.

The request to postpone the vote was denied because the item had already been approved in committee and must be voted on. The motion to support Upstream USA failed on an 8-5 vote. Six Council members abstained.

In other business, Council approved an ordinance to establish a Lumbee Tribal Constitution Reform Committee.

The Lumbee Tribal and Constitution Ordinance committee voted on June 3 to establish a committee to assist in constitutional reform in order to update the governing document to better reflect the ever-changing Lumbee society, said Wendy Moore, chair of the Constitution Ordinance Committee.

The new committee will work in conjunction with Tribal Council's Constitution Ordinance Committee to develop the process and amendments to establish constitutional reform.

"The Lumbee Tribal Council has expounded the constitution through ordinances but to date the tribal constitution has only a single amendment dated Nov. 16, 2001," Moore said.

Also on Thursday, Council learned the tribe has awarded 44 of the 81 2020-21 scholarships to members of the tribe.

Two of the 44 were the first recipients of the newly established Garret Cain Goolsby Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to a male and a female athlete selected by a committee formed by the Educational, Cultural and Public Relations committees. Each recipient received $500.

All of the scholarship recipients will be listed on the Lumbee Tribe's Facebook page and website.

Council also voted to allow up to $1,721 from the Economic Development Committee's unrestricted funds account be used toward promotional items.

Tomeka Sinclair can be reached at [email protected] or 910-416-5865.