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/Elders and Traditionalist) MM . Corner tr by W. D. W UcfciMr They're My'n^out in the wanting the people to have any any-so to *f" cooatrtubon Course, you sctrda srss-s; the people will be voting on the conebbilioB and not the LJUM The maeoa for font is canes we live hen m the United States of America where penpia haw foe right to vole and aot ?M here corporation* Now. foam nova over at the LRD A die mighty w.aiedof the people having any any so in their conahntion They pot foil aotioa in their bead that they an est above the people and the peopie can't do but what they tell them they can do. It wouldn't be so had. Miss Cannae, except they're foeding at the public trough This is our tax money they're ipending and I don't believe Uncle Sam hat given them any money to ha earning on like foil Bet, I heard me a funny stay the ofoar day. MiasCotmee And ire the truth. My coueia went to a meeting over in foe foe Rennen section the other night. Accondmg to him. thev hadabowl 100 people there to bear oar delegaatJ apeak on our cooatutiou WeCoae of there LJtDA baaid men waa there aad he pot to speaking again* everything the people had cone ap with. My couain aaid the people look there a vole right there oe the spot Well, the board ataa waa on owe atde and the people were oe the other aide Toward ore end of their meeting, this here LRDA board man got up before the people and got to talking about how our recognition bill ought to be killed cause of the Kile being divided. Thafa the truth. iCotmee. according to aiy couein who waa there. My couain up there at Reaoett aaid the people were altogther oa this thing. It waa juat the LRDA nun opposing the people. Reckon why. MiaaConnee? It gits a person to wondering what in me world the LRDA people are up to. Anytime a corporation decides they can make government decisions for the people. we are all in danger. Why, Mias Coanee. LRDA being the tribal counc il for us would be the same thing aa IBM serving in Comaesa. You know that body's km all me power in America Ifs enough to scare a poor oi fella like me half to death. I got aw a feela^ that we better be a watching that crowd at the LRDA rotted mi l>assart as aty Pa used to ?y Now. Miss Co?e*. I'm figuring the LRDA aaads to late a loot around and jump over thereon the nde of the people. They c? raise all them ttaheys aad braid a whole warehouse of boxes, but it wont do them do good if they're uandmg on one rule and the people are standing somewhere else. As for 01W is, MissConnee. hell be standing amongst the people where he beloogs. Wouldn't have it no other way. Them boys at the LRDAmre don't seem to know much about people. Miss Coonee You know raising turkeys is one dung, but serving as the tribal government is something else. You can't let people just be the government without letting the people vote for 'em. If them boys at LROA gits by with what they seem to have planned for us. wellhave us a kingship and Ol' Wis. Miss Coonee. just ain't gonna be bowing down to no lump of dirt. You know, that's all man is. if you read the Bible. Ifs enough to scare the bejabbers out of you to think that we got us some people that can run a corporation, private and non profit like the LRDA, and they get to taking for granted that they ought to be the government for us Maybe we all need to pray more. Miss Connee, for that crowd at the LRDA. 'cause yaw know torn things only the good Lord cm handle. Bui He loid us lo waicfa as well as pray, so 01' Wis is noaaa do just that. I'm gonna pray for tel. but I'm gonna watch 'em like a Hawk a watching a chicken (or maybe a turkey) When people git to taking power and making them selves god like. it's time to watch and pray. I ' --f ...? -v *. ;-"v- *> y ft RICKS PLACE LMDA, the Good, the Bad one Ike Ugly With all the hoopla wounding the actiooi of aome of the board members of Lumbae Regional Development Association (LRDA). I thought it wight be a good idea to take a cloaer look at thia agency Alter doing a little digging. I waa amazed at aome of the things T discovered Since its inception in 1968 LRDA hoe been in the middle of the affair* and iaanee that effect the Indian populatioooftbui area. It kiaoo tmproveOequadityoflift in the great ct<.l?r.fPnh??r?l Slaw k M?ffagflffd LRDA haa employed more than 10.000people, wtth 99% being Indian and haa pumped on than S100 million into the local ecoaomy. LRDAia governed by a 17 member board of directors, fourteen of whom are elected by members oftbe 1 uinbee tribe The fourteen boerd members are elected (bom electoral districts and serve staggered three year terms The fourteen emcted members in turn appoint three members to serve at large The board is responsible for setting the policy of the agency The daj I v operations is left to the Executive Director. James Hardin The Lmmkee Trihel Enrollment Office The tribal enrol Imeni office provides enrotimeni services and maintains the tribal membership records for the tribe. The office provides certification of tribal membership as well as providing information to local, state and federal ananriat related to members of the AMil g&d^Ml ria n i-i i.MaSi , ,, ? af^^? mo* ana leaerai rcco^niiion enons of te tribe w (rggnim m rgmwraffinr Aeifmtect This peceect is destgned to provide job training and assistance to unemployed, underemployed or economically disadvantaged Indians interna. Foot Fontry/Book Boom The food pantry provides emergency food to low income families or individuals in a crisis situation. The book room distributes surplus books for a nominal fee Etlocetionul Talent Search The project assists Indian students in Robeson County high schools to prevent drop outs, to help direct students into educational fields after high school It also assists students in the selection of and application to a pott tecondarv school Indian Adult Education school equivalency diploma. H end Start This program provides comprehensive child development services to approximately 100 children of all races between the ages of three and five. Day Car* Service* LRDA operates six foil time state licensed day cate centers throughout the county Approximately 350 children between the ages of one to twel ve are served daily at these centers Energy A uinonce Service? Provides financial assistance to eligible Indian households during the winter or summer with beating or cooling related costs Economic Development Anduoace LRDA uses funds from the Aiiuuuwiiaiiuu fur Nail ve American* to pursue business ventures that will create jobs and generate revenues for the tribe These include a community swimming pool, a model turkey farm. AM and Fm radio station, and Lumbee Industries Box Manufacturing Plant. Almost one third of the S3 2 million budget has been internally generated from these programs The majority of the money used to help bring about federal recognition comes from these programs It seems to me that the idea of a LRDA and foe actual day to day operatioosofthe agency are great. For the most part the agency is staffed with local folks who want to do a good job for the community. To that end, we have agreed to begin anew column next week entitled "LRDA In Action." This will give the folks who are on the front lines, doing the actual work, the opportunity to let the public know what they re aoing. The public perception of LRDA however is totally different. LRDA is perceived as being a cliquish, self perpetuating, Pembroke oriented outfit that looks out for itself. With the public actions of some of the take a look at the board of directors. There are a few board members who are constantly in the news. That is not always a bad thing. People in the news usually are doingsomething that needs to be repotted. The problem some of the board members seem to have is that they are saying things and doing things that reflect badly on the rest of the board, LRDA and the community Months of selfishness and inappropriate behavior in the public light by certain board members has cast a dim light on the many accomplishmentsofthe agency. Many of the board members have publicly stated that LRDA represents the Lumbee tribe If they truly believe that, they should let their actions speak for them Do what isrigbt for the tribe. Do the right thing forme community Put the needs of the tribe first What does all this mean? On one hand. LRDA has served the community for many years and has much to offer in the fiiture. On the other hand, like any machine, mechanical or political, preventive maintenance and a regular tune up will keep things running smoothly Let s change the bad spam plugs and try to get better service mom what we have. I see LRDA u having a place in the new tribal government Perhaps in the role as administrator of programs, or many economic development. But those are decisions the tribe will make. Like Wiz Locklear told me one day, "It don't make sense for a man building a new house to burn down his old trailer before the new bouse is built " Let's use the resources we have to build a better place to live, not only for us. but for the future, the children ^ f' ^ Al*? Aluminum & Vinyl Siding llouta 3 Box 422, Lumborton, NC 283S8 Phone:(910)738-5409 '-**? m\ft i -??? ?i ^ lRfii it fivmuoMn| ? ifiyi jiomg vifpuKfmcm ninaowi ?Roofing ??loom A<kMOoie *Akm)inuni Cuporti ?Corport Al Typot of RomodoUng Native American POWWOW The North Carolina School of Science 4 Mathematics Charles H Either Physical Education Center Durham, North Carolina ^ _ Febru"y12>1994 AS ^ijj-MjIjujlUji i in p*? wK ?>????? d ImMm i ? l [T^gw?lly|SEgM''g^(| THE PEOPLE MUST BE HEARD AND THEIR OPINION RESPECTED Ob January 27. 1994. I attended another CoostitutioaaJ Committee was held at the Renoert Community building Agata. I waswmy impressed by the interest exhibited b> those in attendance. Not only were these folks interested in the process, they were adamant about the direct >00 to be pursued by the Constitutional Committee There was approximately 80 Naive Americans in attendance These people were vocal and expressed their opinions freely In the following paragraphs. I will discus some of their concerns Following is a listing of the concerns of those in attendance at Rennert (h What effect will the recognition bill have if passed on the social services that they are presently , receiving?; (2) What are the procedures to be followed for inclusion bv Native Americans enrolled in other tribes upon passage of the Lumbee Cheraw Bill.; (31 How specifically will health benefits be affected by the passage of the Lumbee-Chetaw Bill., and (4) W il I this new tribal government be responsive to the Native American community or be unresponsive like other agencies have been in the past Additionally, other auestions were raised by a board member of LRDA. that created healed discussions lam not sure if this board member was expressing the position of LRDA on the issues or his own There were three issues that were discussed and in the following paragraph these issues will be identified. The first issue discussed was the right of the people > to recall an elected official based on cause As I understood the board L member's concern, he felt that the criteria for allowing a recall vote 1 should be defined up front He was ' concerned that there might be numerous and trivial recall votes and therefore making the Tribal Council ineffective. It was pointed out to this LRDA board member that defining the rcMw far recall votes might limit the ability ofthe Nan ve American I people to fid theauelww of a bad Tnbal Council member If there m specific criteria, there is always the < chance that a bad council member could avoid fire recall vote. We have mwtyiwlhwillw liufwMifamflh Lumbee-Cheraw people to use this important tool in a wise manner. The second issue tilt cumcd by this board member was term limitations This board member feh that it would not be necessary to have term limitations. He staled, that ifwe had a super Tribal Council member, the Tribal Council member should not have his term limited. It was pointed out that power sometimes cornets leaders when they have the opportunity to build a power base beyond two continuous terms Additionally, the current constitution allows a Tribal Council member to serve two terms and to run again after sitting out a term if tbey so choose The third issue discussed was the restriction on a Tribal Council member serving as an elected official for two governments An example would be that a current County Commissioner could not be elected to the Tribal Council The LRDA board member fait that we should miss the opportunity to use the expertise of an individual who holds an elected governmental office The Constitutional Committee agrees and it was pointed out that an elected official can run for Tribal Council office if that person resigns from the other position At the end of the meeting this LRDA board member stated that we should be unified in our efforts to attain federal recognition, because a few could be negative and help defeat the bill. He was referring to the past when Native American groups (based in Robeson County) have lobbied to defeat bills concerning the Lumbee-Cheraw people, i am not sure what he meant by this statement, but I hope LRDA is solidly behind the recognition bill and the Constitutional Committee As far as I can tell the Lumbee-Cheraw people are solidly behind the bill and the committee So I agree with the board member's call for a unified front I The Way I See It II J^^Sasgg^ ~ Jap and Daddy We were raised by parents, friends, neighbors, and busybodies It seemed 0 me sometimes that I had too many jarents. Every adult in the leighborbood took an interest in our ipbnngmg The one who took the most interest n us six children, outside momma ind daddy, was Jap Stewart. His real tame was Jasper, but most people ivho knew him did not even know his eal name. Everybody called him Jap Jap was middle-aged when I can emember him. He had two grown rhildren, but he was divorced from their mother. After Uncle Wardell lied, he came to live with Aunt Uargarette. Uncle Wardell's sister Those two. Wardell and Margarette. had never married When heir parents died, they inherited the tome place, just up the road from the Medical Clinic. Wardell was a farmer ill his life, and kind of a curmudgeon 1 barely remember him. coming to our louse, smoking a cigar and using a walking stick. Soon after he died in the late 1940'i. Jap moved into his own room it the house, to take care of Aunt Margarette She was already past 60 years old. and could not do the hard nan's work. She had mules, hogs, a cow. and a large garden. It took a man to do much of the work Jap took over these jobs. She gave him some land to farm, and a pasture. He started raising hogs. In a few years, he made enough money in hogs to buy a truck Before that, be walked everywhere. He was at our house almost every day In the Spring and Summer, he and daddy would sit outside under the huge oak tree in the back yard and talk. This talk could and did go on for hours. We children sometimes wondered if Jap did much work. It turned out that he liked to get up early in the morning before the heat of the day set in. and get his work done. Whendaddy was in the VA hospital in Fayetteville, which he was in and out of for ten years. Jap would still be around the house a lot of the time everyday It was as ifhe took daddy's place as the disciplinarian He was much gentler, however. He never hit any of us once. Daddy would whack us in a minute Jap taught us a lot. From htm we learned how to wring achicken'sneck, how to run a straight row, how to hill up sweet potatoes, how to swing a bush axe. and how to split cotton middles He was not impartial. He had a i favorite, my sister Gail. Sbe was the apple of his eye. As far as he was * concerned, she could do no wrong. Jap would chastise me, or Sally, or Mike, but seldom Gail. Gail lived up to his expectations, and maybe more. She is now a bank vice president in Richmond, and one day may be the president. Jap had plenty of advice, all of it free. Most of it was good, but I still remember two pieces of bad advice he gave me. I had the cotton planter in the top hole where it attaches to the single tree, and he told me to put it in the middle hole . When it is in the top hole, the planter runs deep, and the seed get a hard cover over them. In the middle hole, it runs shallower, and the seed do not get a hard cover. Our sandy soil needed the seed planted deep, because it will not hold much moisture The several rows I planted deep had a high germination rate, and the rest did not do as well . Jap also told me I was putting too mucn side dressing on that cotton, and I cut back on the rest of the field. The rows with the heavy dressing naturally did better. But other than that, Jap always had good advice. He was a sweet man Rebirth of the Traditional Spiritual GATHERINGS A Tribute to the Great Spirit, Father of all Indian Nations June 16, 17, 18, 19, 1994 (All day and all night Thursday; Friday, Saturday, Sunday until evening) North Carolina Indian Cultural Center *No Admission ?No Prizes ?No Competition Sponsored in port by Tide V, IE A Program, Intertribal Conned of Elders and the Carolina Indian nice. For more Information, call Spotted Turtle f?It) 521-4179, Fainted Turtle (9 10) 521-4029 or mid Turkey, % Condon Indtnn Voice (919) 521 792k. I ?
The Carolina Indian Voice (Pembroke, N.C.)
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Feb. 3, 1994, edition 1
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