Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

The Lumbee Tribal Council voted on February 18, 2016 for the members of the council to receive a $200 stipend each month for occupational transportation and the time that they are to spend at meetings. This money will not be coming from the stipends that the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocate to the tribe annually.

This is not the first time that stipends for these aspects were approved for the council members. However, the last time, HUD money was used, and it was eventually deemed unacceptable by the department.

Also at the meeting, $60,000 to support operations at the tribe’s Veterans Service Office was approved by the council. Before the money is appropriated, the HUD must approve.

The council also approved Ron Oxendine’s request that the economic development committee chairman be made a permanent member of the council. Permanent means the position will be filled for 15 years. This will make it easier to conduct business under the United States Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Business Development Program certification granted two years ago because it is owned by an American Indian tribe.

Other news that was addressed at the meeting: Jada Brooks gave a report on a grant for the prevention of substance abuse for tribal youth, Chairman Harvey Godwin Jr. spoke about the plans for the spring powwow, and Dock Locklear announced that tribal members can use their tribal enrollment cards as identification in the upcoming North Carolina primary election.