Dear MImCmmc
J SST
night, although me **> tome of the
Sitters aimoat pawed out from the
beat. Now, Mr. Boa Mole the show.
MiatCoaaee He'soneofthem LRDA
workers, aad he was the only one who
wood up against our coattitation at
01 w'izfaa to say he bat a lot of
reaped for Mr. Ben. Mitt Coaaee.
Ain't every man that will stand up for
what be thinks, evea though he Hands
atoae and it dead wrong. Course, at
a pity that hit bow. the Hardin man.
wouldn't wand up with Mr. Ben. but
tome bo*tea are like that. Mitt
Conner. They'll put you up to no
good, aad then when the chip* ate
down, they'11 leave you standing there
holding the bag by yourself.
Now. Mr Ben bat been to a bunch
and he's always asking the same
question. It treats to me thai he wants
to know what a Lumber Indian it.
You would think that if anyone knew
what a Lumbee is, it would be them
LRDA people. Miss Connee If CM
Wis was conducting that meeting, he
would have aeat Mr. Baa over than to
that foncy country dub in Lumbertoo
where those White folks play their
golf I bet they could straighten him
out right last on who aad what be is.
Miss Connee. teeing bow he sounded
like he don't know.
This other LRDA worker by the
aatae of Sanchez aaknd some moee of
them LRDA questions They say the
Sanchez manisabanker from Miami,
Florida Ol Wiz didn't know they
were bringing in people here from
Miami to run LRDA along with the
Hardin man from Fayetteville I
reckon we Indians that have lived
here all our lives jm don't know a
whole lot. MtmCnsmtt. Least ways it
would seen feat way when them
LRDA boys shut hiring people
Aaywav, the Sanchez man working
forte LRDA warned to know whether
our tribal court would be locking up
people, which is an interesting
question from a ex-banker from
Miami. Florida. 01 Wiz is beginning
lo wonder if the Sanchez man knows
something the rest of us should know.
Miss Coonee But, Miss Cynthia
straighten turn out Course, if I had
Cm my chance, I'd would ha ve told
that any trouble he gits into with
the law, he's going to stand before Joe
Freeman Bntt Our tribal court is to
give us relief from our tribal
government iftey git to acting outside
our tribal constitution It ain't going
to arrest a soul, although some
probably need to be locked away Its
the truth. Miss Connee, and all Ol Wiz
does is speak it.
Now. Miss Christine Moore and
Sister Dorothy Lowery stood up for
our constitution Miss Christine works
for the LRDA, and Sister Lowery ison
that LRDA Board Both are fine
women, and if they can put their job
on the line to stand up for whats right
for their people, there ain't no excuse
for the rest of you. As for the rest of
them LRDA folks that say they
represent us and look out for us, none
of the rest of them bothered to show
up for our meeting, excepting Mr.
Earl Cununmgs from Mt. Airy Next
time 1 hear tell of them going around
savin* they represent Ol Wiz. he's
goingto aric them what's wrong with
them that they can't come out and
hear what's on the people's minds.
And. the way I heard it, some of them
are going around not speaking to
people It's a bad thing when a man
says he repraerts you and then won't
apeak to yarn. Miss Connee, specially
when he is in It e Church
Weil, ?omc of our paw ors had their
jay along with Brother Adoipb DiaL
They support our constitution. Now,
i don't know aJuut the real ofy'tB,
but whaa men ofGod take a righteous
stand. aad our vomen put thew jobs
an the liar for is. Of Wiz is going to
support them -ie ain't going to ah
down like the Hwdin man whfie
lomeoncclseputsthemselfoutoathe
line for CM Wu And. he ain't goi*
to he sitting don n next week when we
vole on our coastitation
All of y'all tiats been silting hack
need to git oa your feet aad stand.
Some of you have gotten lazy. You've
gotten too comftrtabie with your fhncy
home and car, and all you want to do
is come home from work so you can
sit back and eat, and watch the TV set.
Some of you have worked hard all
your lives, put young'uns through
school, and yoi've gotten contented
with going to Churchoa Sunday, Bible
study once in a while, and fishing on
the side. Well, you got to do more than
that, cause th:re s folks ain't as
fortunate as you or your children.
You need to git up and vole next
week That's all there is to it. Then,
you git your chik Irenand grandchildren
out to vote. That's the way things are
done at Wiz'sht use. but they don't git
done sitting down.
As for 01 Wiz, he and his family
will be voting for our constitution.
We sure won't be voting against it.
Miss Connee. sad you can mark that
down You ain t the only one on the
straight and narrow road, or a one
sided road. Miss Connee. A lot of
people is walkir g that road cause they
know where they want to go and bow
they're going t<> git there
At i V. L.
Coach's
Corner
b Dr. Km Johmxon
A baseball stnke by Labor Day
How ridiculous. Go ahead players,
stage a work stoppage Enjoy your
last payrchedc Because if a strike
Which san? SSeTSy'days^f
sunshine and high dollars for playing
a kids game. Let's see. no baseball
after September 5th. guess I'll watch
pro football, college football. US Open
tennis, racing, golf, or even Australian
Rules bowling
Make no mistake, the average fan
will miss the World Senes But not
overpaid rod imderworked snparitsrs
who d rather walk under the safety of
the uuon umbrella than stand as men
who understand what's good for the
And should there be a strike, what
would become of Ken Griffey. Jr's^
assault on the Mans record ' If I'm
Griffey and I'm close to 61 homers.
I'd personally hire any number of
stiffs to keep the games going and the
records flowing
Don't be alarmed soccer fens, but
the World Cup won 't exactly make or
break the sport here in America Long
time Davidson Coach Charlie Siagie
believes pro soccer might one day
rival the NHL, but never bea pretender
to the titles worn by NFL. NBA or
MLB Drag race star John Force
recently visited dm Queen Citv -
wouldn't want to drive stock cats
it-?*? if my $100,000 motor blows
up. I want to see h ."
Reflections
Jy Alt* Nye Oxen dint
As slwmy* there are many things
10 pray tor here are a few the have
base oe my mind
KUSSL4 AND NATO
As you might guest. I'm not mail
thrilled about tncwdint' Russu in the
new "Partnership for Peace" a* a
possible Aral sfop toward joining
NATO What is NATO for wyway. if
not to contain possible aggression oo
the pan of the Communist or "former
communist " countries of Eastern
Europe including thoee in the Soviet
Unoe? Looks to me Uke Senator
Helms and others may have been' 'on
the ball" after all. in predicting a
tonnes alliance between the US and
USSR, back in the eighties I still
think we needto wast and see what the
real apeada of "former communists
is. la toe past, our country helped to
knMd up communism realizing
No *howdM^feeltag
and n tomperature, too decided tosrey
out n tow days Last miihead we
thoMu As might have arena tona of
pee amours (later ruled out) Ou
Sunday I decided 1" call my mother ia
r Irmtsaa and brother RusajaPeaver
a - ? as ha.A. - ? - ^ ^ h is. jL m i
acftii mwn kuv? sayinu Motner loaiy
living stoUng, her tovonle sister.
Berths had passed away peacetolly
jjL fojloWlllA! A Stfokc
Motoar aaams to be taking it qum
wed mdWmda Kay is bettor
Harold Locklear's eighth grade <
an students recently designed four <
signs, painted them, constructed them. I
and decided where to locate them in
the Prospect Community This was a 1
.community service project in which i
the students took pnde They chose
the writing on the signs, also One of
the signs displays the "Wildcat"
emblem of Prospect School and reads
.".Welcome to the Prospect
rommunity . Three of the signs
lisplay pride in Indian heritage
Materials for construction of the signs
were donated by Pembroke State
University Larry Collins' Machine
shop cut the metal brackets for the
signs Kevin Locklear, seventh grade,
and Jamie Blue, eighth grade, assisted
Harold Locklear in erecting the signs
Look for them the next time you're in
the Prospect community!
When and Where Do I
Vote on The Lumbee
Constitution?
Robeson County:
Voting Time: 1:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M.
June 27-30: Oxen dine School, Prospect School, Union
Chapel School, LMtlefleld Elementary School, Magnolia
Elementary School, Rex-Rennert School, Old Pembroke
Middle School (IEA Resource Center), Union
Elementary School, South Robeson High School,
Fairgrove Elementary School and West Lumberton
Elementary School.
Hoke County
Voting Time: 1:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M.
June 27,1994: Dundarrach Baptist Church
June 21,1994: Mt. Elim Baptist Church
June 29,1994: South Hoke Baptist Elementary School
June 30,1994: South Hoke Elemcftary School
Scotland County
Voting Time: 1:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M.
Juno 27 and June 21,1994: Stewartsville Volunteer
Fire Department
June 29 and June 30, 1994: Scotland County High
V rbn nt
3CV1CHH
Cumberland County
Voting Time: 1:00 P.M.-7:00 P.M.
Juno 27-Juue 30, 1994: Cumberland County
Association for Indian People.
LUMBEE HOMECOMING PARADE:
Voting Ttam: 1:00 A.M.- 4:00 P.M.
July 2, 1994: Old Main on PSl* Campus
Pembroke Town Park
Park too I at of First llnton National Bonk
I
y~heWay I See It
TTJ _
OUR TERRIBLE SCHOOLS
fey Dr. Deaa Ckmri (c)
Ceoyriffet, 1994
Last wee* a law suit I wrote was
filed against the Frontier Schools in
Red Rock. OK The suit, filed by the
Otoe-Missouna Tribe, asks for relief
under the Impact Aid. program for
patterns for discrimination by the
school district officials against Indian
students
They made Indian students nde in
the beck of the school buses They
made constant slurring and racist
remarks to and about Indian students,
such things as "You'll never amount
to anything, when you're twenty-five
years old, you will still be living with
your grandmother You'll never have
a good job. or amount to anything ''
These remarks were made to a twelve
year old
These remarks ate not coming
from custodians or maintenance
personnel They are coming from the
Superintendent, the Principals, and
the teachers They paddle Indian
students with oak boards, and let white
students get off with no punishment
for offenses as serious as setting a
girl's hair on fire.
The student population is 58%
Indian. But until last year, there had
never been an Indian on the school
board There are five Indians in the
work force of 120 staff people, three
teachers, and two maintenance people
All the secretaries are white, even
I am working on four more possible
suits under Impact Aid. In Mobndge.
SD. on the Standing Rock Sioux
reservation, a nine-year-old third
grader came home last winter and
asked her mother "Mama, what is a
slut?"
"Why are you asking me that '"
the mother responded
"Well, that's what the teacher
calls us Indian girls," the child said.
Nome Flying Earth, the education
director for the tribe, is now getting
depositions and affidavits on these
types of things, for a possible Civil
Rights law suit and investigation
At Barona reservation, in southern
California, the Indian students drop
out at a rate of 90% (The dropout rate
at Red Rock is 70%). The school
district is putting Indian students into
special education by the first grade
fly the end of the third grade, almost
all the Indian students are in special
education, wrongly They only have
trouble with speaking English
Arlene Kingerey. who called me
with this information, has started an
alternative school to try to rectify the
situation She had a sixth grader this
year who could not read numbers She
would put a "'6" oo the board, and he
did not know what it was
The Coeurd'Alene Tnbe in Idaho
has declared a state of educational
emergency bee.wise of the extremely
bad situation its students are in.
grades, extremely low test scores, poor'
attendance, and a high dropout rale
are the main symptoms, Diane Allen, ?
the tribal education director, told me
in Pendleton, OR the other week.
These types of situations are not
just happening in Indian Country in
the West, eithei. They are happening
in Robeson County. I had a call last
week from a freshman student in
college, asking for a scholarship
When I told her she should have left
high school with $10,000 a year in
scholarship aid. I thought she was
going to cry She had really good
grades
She left West Robeson High
School with no scholarship search at
all If these counselors can not do their '
jobs, we ought to demand that they be
replaced with a competent counselor
Indians who ask questions, or
protest against the present system, are
immediately Libelled as "trouble
makers " I am proud to be one of
them We need some changes, people.
The Law And You
Consumer Protections For Finance :
Company Customers
State law allows finance
companies to charge interest rates
much higher than the rates on credit
cards and other consumer credit
sources. But the North Carolina
Consumer Finance Act also provides
strong protection for finance company
borrowers. *
This act defines how a finance
company must be licensed, the interest
rates it can charge, and bow it can
conduct business But consumers are
often not aware of these protection,
contained in North Carolina General
Statue Chapter 53. Article 15
The most important protection is
that the towdeylares a loan void if the
Finance Act or if it othSrwSS^agM
in any unfair or deceptive trade
practices in making a loan or
attempting to col led payment In short,
that means the finance company is not
entitled to colled adime on the loan
So what are the most important
rules of the Consumer Finance Act?
No loan may discriminate on the basis
of race, color, religion, national origin,
sex or martial status. Terms of a loan
must be in writing in clear and distinct
terms and given to the borrower at the
time of the loan.
For loans up to S3.000. interest
rates can be 36 percent on the first
$600 loaned and 15 percent on the
balance Alternatively, for loans up to
$7,500, the finance company can
chitfge 30 percent on the first SI.000
and 18 percent on the balance For
loans of $7,500 to $10,000. the
company can charge 18 percent. The
rates must be computed based on a
simple interest method
Finance companies may not
charge more than eight percent interest
on any judgment for loan collection.
The Consumer Finance Act also limits
fees and credit insurance and the time
limit that can be included in the loan
It does not allow the splitting of loans
to obtain higher interest, and the law
prohibits any provisions for confession
of judgment, power of attorney,
attorney fees, assignment of earnings
or security interest in real property
The law also limits the loans that
affiliates of a finance company may
make when operating out of the same
office. The Act prohibits more that
one office operated by the satpg"
mmwmmmmn ?i i m ^
same consumer
When collecting a loan, a finance
company may not engage in any unfair
debt collection practices including
harassment, improper threats, and
improperly revealing information
about a consumer's account
The company cannot require
borrowers to refinance their home or
to deposit funds in a bank as a condition
for a loan Under a related Federal
regulation finance companiesmay not
take a security interest in the
consumer's clothing, furniture,
appliances, only television or radio,
linens and other personal and
household effects, unless the consumer
is purchasing those items with the
loan
The Consumer Finance Act
regulates companies that make loans
ofless that S10.000 and charge interest
rates that are higher than otherwise
permitted by the North Carolina
interest rate law The Act regulates
only finance companies, which do not
include banks, trusts, savings and loan
associations, mortgage lenders, credit
unions, pawnbrokers or other special
purpose lenders.
This Act inquires all covered
lenders to be licensed by the North
Carolina Banking Commission
Affiliates of finance companies such
as mortgage lenders must be approved
by the Banking Commission and may
not make first mortgage home loans
of less than $3,000. Violation of the
Consumer F nance Act is a
misdemeanor punishable by
imprisonment of up to two years and
mis: }*<
TommissKiner of Banks W*ihe
Banking Commission to supervise
these finance companies and m$ke
rules needed to protect borrowers
The Commissioner can investigate
violations of the Consumer Finance
Act and suspend or re voice the license
of a lender found to have violated the
Act. The Department of Justice
Consumer Protection Section can also
help consumers with complaints about
finance companies. (919-733-7741 )?
Questions or complaints about a
finance company should go to the
North Carolina Banking Commission,
P.O. Box 29512. Raleigh. NC 27626
(919-733-3016) or the Departmetfoif
Justice Consumer Protection Section?
P O Box 629, Raleigh. NC 27602
(919-733-7741) Borrowers might also
need to contact a private attorney: or
the local Legal Services office if tou
are low-income 2 '
Lumbee People Deserve ;
ATribal GovernmentThat
Represents The Interest
Of All Lumbee People
IfYou Want Tribal Government that is
ACCOUNTABLE to the People it
represents;
If you want a VOICE in the* decision
making of the Tribe, then I
VOTE YES!
i
LUMBEE CONSTITUTION
PfeM for b* the People for the Liobee Constitution, Dr.
Adotph Dial ud Rev. Hubbard Lowery, Co-Chainaeu
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