Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

On January 7, 2016, Harvey Godwin Jr. was sworn in to his new position as Tribal Chairman for the Lumbee Tribe. His inauguration was held at Givens Performing Arts Center, which is located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Godwin beat out incumbent Paul Brooks, standing on a cultural platform focused on: a cultural revival and awareness of the tribal history, emphasis on educating and mentoring the tribal youth, and economic development for the tribe to achieve sustainability.

Godwin also urged people to stop social media attacks on one another and use the platform to uplift and show love instead of tearing down others. Many people are very optimistic about the new leadership, and they believe Godwin’s word when he said the administration under him will be open and transparent to the public.

Many also believe that Godwin will improve the relationship between the Tribal Chairman and the Tribal Council. Many chairmen before him, including Brooks, did not get along with the council. People hope that Godwin will be able to have a positive relationship with the council, whereas Brooks was known for not being able to compromise on issues. Brooks also had a poor reputation with the media, hardly ever making himself available.

The seven new Tribal Council members were also sworn in. For a full list of names for the previous members, as well as the new ones, please refer to the original article.