The vote is Tuesday, June 23, 2026 — four days before Homecoming begins. Request your absentee ballot now → · Deadline: Must be received in the PO Box by 5PM on May 22
Section 07
Take Action
Every tribal member has a role to play — public or behind the scenes. The vote is Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Here is everything you can do before then.
The vote
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Vote NO. Demand Better!!
01 — Vote NO on June 23
The most important thing you can do is show up and vote. The vote is Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Watch for official announcements from the tribe on exact times and polling locations in your area.
Bring your tribal enrollment card. Make sure your tribal enrollment is current before Homecoming. Contact the Lumbee Tribe Enrollment Office at the main tribal office: (910) 521-7861.
02 — Share this website
Send https://votenodemandbetter.com to every Lumbee tribal member you know. Post it on Facebook. Share it on Instagram. Text it to your family. The vote is June 23 — four days before Homecoming begins. Every tribal member deserves to know the facts before they vote.
Share on Facebook
Copy and paste this message to your Facebook page or in Lumbee community groups:
"Fellow Lumbee members — the gaming amendment vote is June 23, four days before Homecoming begins. Lumbees United for Accountability is NOT anti-gaming. But this amendment gives one man the power to negotiate all gaming contracts, appoint the gaming board AND the oversight board — confirmed by a council that voted 17-2 in his favor. That is not real oversight. That is concentration of power.
Vote NO! Demand Better!! We need a referendum or a better amendment — one with truly independent oversight, transparent revenue reporting, and revenues directed to tribal services for members. Not to outsiders, insiders or Wyoming shell companies.
Voting NO does not stop gaming. It forces a referendum or a better amendment. The Lumbee people deserve better. VoteNoDemandBetter.com
⚠️ ABSENTEE BALLOT DEADLINE: The Absentee Ballot Application must be received in the PO Box by 5PM on May 22. Mail to: PO Box 1799, Pembroke, NC 28372. Anyone can vote absentee."
Share by text message
Send this to family members and friends who are enrolled tribal members:
"Hey — Lumbee gaming amendment vote is June 23, before Homecoming. We're not anti-gaming but this amendment has NO real independent oversight — one man controls contracts, the gaming board AND the oversight board. Vote NO! Demand Better!! We need a referendum or a better amendment with independent oversight and revenues directed to tribal services for members — not outsiders or insiders. https://votenodemandbetter.com — led by Dr. Jo Ann Chavis Lowery and Arlinda Locklear. ⚠️ ABSENTEE BALLOT DEADLINE: Application must be received in PO Box by 5PM on May 22. Mail to: PO Box 1799, Pembroke NC 28372."
Share on Instagram
Post this caption with a photo — a photo of you, the flyer, or anything that shows you are Lumbee and care about this vote. Tag @LumbeesUnited so we can share it.
🗳️ Lumbee tribal members — the gaming amendment vote is June 23, BEFORE Homecoming starts.
This amendment gives one man control of all gaming contracts AND the oversight board — confirmed by a council that just voted 17-2 in his favor. That is not real oversight. That is concentration of power.
Vote NO. Demand Better!! We need a referendum or a better amendment with independent oversight and revenues directed to tribal services for members — not outsiders, insiders or Wyoming shell companies.
Led by Dr. Jo Ann Chavis Lowery and Arlinda Locklear.
⚠️ ABSENTEE BALLOT DEADLINE: The Absentee Ballot Application must be received in the PO Box by 5PM on May 22. Mail to: PO Box 1799, Pembroke, NC 28372. Anyone can vote absentee.
🌐 https://votenodemandbetter.com
📲 Tag a Lumbee member who needs to see this
#Lumbee #LumbeeNation #VoteNO #DemandBetter #LumbeesUnitedForAccountability #NativeVote #IndigenousRights #LumbeeHomecoming
03 — Request a yard sign
A yard sign in your yard — or your neighbor's yard, your cousin's yard — keeps the message visible every day before June 23. Request signs for yourself and for any friends, family or neighbors willing to put one up.
Request yard signs
Every sign that goes in a yard is a conversation starter — and a reminder to every Lumbee driving by that June 23 is coming. Request signs for yourself and for any friends, family or neighbors willing to put one up.
Where to put them: Your front yard · a family member's yard · a neighbor willing to display one · anywhere visible along roads in Robeson, Hoke, Scotland and Cumberland Counties.
04 — Contact your tribal chairman and council member
The most powerful thing you can do right now — beyond voting NO on June 23 — is contact your tribal chairman and your council member directly and demand answers about the concerning $3.6M profit land flip deal. This is your tribal government. You pay for it. You have every right to answers. Keep your message respectful and factual — stick only to documented public records. Do not make accusations. Ask questions and demand a response before the June 23 vote.
The ground rule: Every word you write or say should be something you can back up with a deed record or published article. Be firm. Be respectful. Be factual. A respectful, documented question is far more powerful than an angry accusation — and it protects you legally.
Tribal Chairman John Lowery
Chairman Lowery is the primary decision-maker on the gaming amendment and the land purchase. He is the person who must answer the key questions about the $3.6 million.
Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
Main office: (910) 521-7861
Address: 105 School Road, Pembroke, NC 28372
Website: lumbeetribe.com
Your tribal council member
Find your district's tribal council member on the Lumbee Tribe website. Your council member represents you directly — they voted on this amendment and they answer to you.
Note the two council members who voted NO on the amendment — Billy Oxendine and Eric Chavis — have already shown they share your concerns. Consider thanking them as well.
Choose the letter that best reflects your concern — or send both. Replace [YOUR NAME], [YOUR DISTRICT] and [YOUR CONTACT INFO] with your own information. Every word sticks strictly to documented public facts.
Use this letter to ask the chairman to publicly answer questions about the December 2025 land transaction before tribal members vote on June 23.
Chairman Lowery,
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe from [YOUR DISTRICT]. I am writing respectfully as a tribal member who cares deeply about the future of our tribe and the integrity of our tribal government.
I am writing about the December 2025 land purchase made by Lumbee Tribal Holdings. According to Robeson County public deed records, our tribe paid $6.8 million for two tracts of land near Interstate 95, Exit 10. Those same tracts had been purchased just days earlier by a company called Western Agricultural Holdings, registered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for $3.2 million. Our tribe paid $3.6 million more than that company paid — in a matter of days — with no public explanation.
I am respectfully asking you to publicly answer three questions before tribal members vote on June 23:
1. Who owns Western Agricultural Holdings?
2. Who in tribal leadership authorized this purchase, and under what authority?
3. What is the legitimate business reason for paying $3.6 million more than the land sold for just days earlier?
I am not making accusations. These questions are based solely on Robeson County public deed records. Every tribal member who votes on June 23 deserves honest answers to these questions before casting their ballot. I am asking you to provide those answers publicly and promptly.
About the need for a better amendment with real oversight
Use this letter to ask the chairman to support a better gaming amendment — one with genuine independent oversight rather than concentrated power in one office.
Chairman Lowery,
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe from [YOUR DISTRICT]. I am writing respectfully to share my concerns about the gaming amendment that will be voted on June 23.
I am not opposed to gaming. I believe a casino on I-95 could bring long-overdue prosperity to our elders, our children and our families across Lumbee territories. But I cannot support this amendment as written — because it does not provide real, independent oversight.
Under this amendment, the Tribal Chairperson would negotiate all gaming contracts, nominate all members of the gaming board, and nominate all members of the gaming oversight board. Those nominations would be confirmed by a Tribal Council that voted 17-2 in your favor. That is not independent oversight. That is one person overseeing himself — confirmed by a body aligned with him.
Real oversight means the people who oversee gaming have no financial stake in it and are not chosen by the person they are overseeing. I am respectfully asking you to support a better amendment — one that includes:
1. An independent gaming oversight board whose members are elected by tribal members, not nominated by the chairman.
2. Constitutional protection ensuring gaming profits flow to healthcare, education, housing, infrastructure and elder care across Lumbee territories — not to outsiders or insiders.
3. Full transparency on all gaming compacts before they take effect.
Voting NO on June 23 does not stop gaming. It gives our tribe the opportunity to get this right. I am asking you to support a better amendment that the Lumbee people can truly be proud of.
Find your district's council member at lumbeetribe.com. Your council member represents you directly — they voted on this amendment and they answer to you.
Ask your council member to demand a full public accounting of the land transaction before the June 23 vote.
Dear [COUNCIL MEMBER NAME],
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe from [YOUR DISTRICT], which you represent on the Tribal Council. I am writing respectfully as your constituent.
I am writing about a concerning land transaction that I believe every tribal member deserves answers about before voting on June 23. According to Robeson County public deed records, Lumbee Tribal Holdings paid $6.8 million in December 2025 for two tracts of land near Interstate 95, Exit 10. Those same tracts had been purchased just days earlier by a Wyoming company called Western Agricultural Holdings for $3.2 million. Our tribe paid $3.6 million more than that company paid — in a matter of days — with no public explanation given to tribal members.
I am respectfully asking you, as my elected representative, to:
1. Request that Chairman Lowery provide a full public accounting of this transaction before the June 23 vote — including who owns Western Agricultural Holdings, who authorized the purchase, and why our tribe paid $3.6 million more than the market price.
2. Ensure that tribal members have complete and honest answers to these questions before they are asked to vote on any gaming amendment.
These questions are based solely on public deed records. I am not making accusations — I am asking for transparency that every tribal member deserves. I hope you will stand with your constituents on this.
About the need for a better amendment with real oversight
Ask your council member to oppose the current amendment and support a better one with genuine independent oversight.
Dear [COUNCIL MEMBER NAME],
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe from [YOUR DISTRICT], which you represent on the Tribal Council. I am writing to share my concerns about the gaming amendment scheduled for a vote on June 23.
I am not opposed to gaming. I believe a casino on I-95 could transform our communities and bring real prosperity to our elders, our children and our families. But I cannot support this amendment as written — because it concentrates too much power in one office with no real independent oversight.
Under this amendment, the Tribal Chairperson would negotiate all gaming contracts, nominate all members of the gaming board, and nominate all members of the gaming oversight board — with the Tribal Council's confirmation. One man controlling the contracts, the board and the oversight is not a separation of powers. It is a concentration of power. And that concentration has no place in a governance structure meant to protect 67,500 tribal members.
I am respectfully asking you to:
1. Vote NO on or oppose the current amendment, and support a better amendment that includes truly independent oversight — a gaming oversight board elected by tribal members, not nominated by the chairman.
2. Ensure gaming profits are constitutionally protected to flow to healthcare, education, housing, infrastructure and elder care across Lumbee territories — not to outsiders or insiders.
3. Support holding any future gaming vote during Homecoming over multiple days — the way it was done in 1994 when over 30% of our people participated — so that all 67,500 tribal members have a genuine opportunity to decide.
Voting NO does not stop gaming. It forces a referendum or a better amendment — one our tribe can be truly proud of. I hope you will stand with your constituents and demand better.
If you prefer to call, use this script as a guide. Speak calmly and respectfully. You do not need to argue — just ask your questions and request a response.
When someone answers:
"Good morning / afternoon. My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am an enrolled Lumbee tribal member from [YOUR DISTRICT]. I am calling respectfully to ask about the December 2025 land purchase by Lumbee Tribal Holdings.
According to public deed records, our tribe paid $6.8 million for land that a Wyoming company had purchased just days earlier for $3.2 million. I have four questions I would like answered before the June 23 vote:
Who owns that Wyoming company? Where did the tribe get $6.8 million? Who authorized the purchase? And why did we pay $3.6 million more than the land had just sold for?
I am not calling to argue. I am calling because I love my tribe and I believe our people deserve honest answers before we vote. Can you please tell me how I can get a response to these questions?"
If they say they will pass the message along:
"Thank you. My name is [YOUR NAME] and my number is [YOUR PHONE]. I would appreciate a response before June 27th."
Keep the call brief, polite and factual. Do not argue. Hang up respectfully regardless of the response.
Important reminder: Everything you say or write should be based strictly on the Robeson County deed records (December 2025) and Business North Carolina reporting (February 2026). Do not make allegations beyond these documented facts. A respectful, factual question is the most powerful tool you have — and it protects you legally.
06 — Write a letter to the editor of your local paper
A letter to the editor reaches thousands of Lumbee community members who read local papers — and it puts the coalition's message on the public record. The Robesonian, Carolina Indian Voice, and other regional papers serve the Lumbee community directly. Copy, personalize and submit.
Sample letter
Letter to the editor — local newspapers
Dear Editor,
I am an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, and I am writing about a vote that most tribal members do not yet know is happening.
On Tuesday, June 23 — four days before Homecoming begins — the Lumbee Tribe will hold a vote on a constitutional amendment that would fundamentally change who controls gaming in our territory. The Tribal Council voted 17-2 on April 16, 2026 to put this amendment on the ballot with little public notice or debate.
The amendment would give the Tribal Chairman the power to negotiate all gaming contracts and nominate every member of every gaming board and oversight board — confirmed by the same 17-2 council. That is not real independent oversight. That is concentration of power in one office.
Before any gaming vote was scheduled, our tribal funds were reportedly used to purchase land near I-95 Exit 10 at $6.8 million — more than double what the same land sold for days earlier, with $3.6 million going to a Wyoming company that nobody in tribal leadership has identified. These questions have never been answered.
A group of concerned Lumbee citizens — Lumbees United for Accountability, led by Dr. Jo Ann Chavis Lowery and Arlinda Locklear — is asking tribal members to vote NO on June 23 and demand a better amendment: one with real independent oversight, transparent revenue reporting, and gaming revenues directed to tribal services for members, education, healthcare and infrastructure — not to outsiders or insiders.
Voting NO does not stop gaming. It forces a referendum or a better amendment — one the Lumbee people can be proud of.
For more information: https://votenodemandbetter.com
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Enrolled member, Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
[City, State]
More information: https://votenodemandbetter.com
Where to submit
The Robesonian — letters@robesonian.com — Robeson County's daily paper
The News-Journal (Hoke County) — Jessica@thenews-journal.com — hokenews.com
The Laurinburg Exchange — amyjohnson@laurinburgexchange.com — serving Scotland County
Your local paper — whatever paper serves your community, they want to hear from local readers
Fayetteville Observer — letters@fayobserver.com — reaches Cumberland County Lumbee members
The News & Observer (Raleigh) — newsobserver.com/letters — the largest paper in North Carolina, reaching Triangle-area Lumbee members
Your city's paper — if you live in Baltimore, Detroit or elsewhere, write to your local paper too — Lumbee communities across the country deserve to know
Your local paper — whatever paper serves your community, they want to hear from local readers
Most papers ask for your name, address and phone number for verification. Letters are typically 150–300 words — feel free to shorten the sample above.
07 — Get involved with the coalition
The Lumbees United for Accountability needs people in every role — public voices, behind-the-scenes organizers, social media volunteers, church connectors, researchers, and donors. Whatever your comfort level, there is a place for you.
Express your interest
Your information will be kept private and used only to coordinate coalition activities.
We are Lumbee.
We fought 137 years for recognition. We will fight however long it takes to get this right.
Vote NO. Demand Better!!
Vote Date · Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Lumbees United for Accountability is not an anti-gaming coalition. Our members hold a range of views on gaming. What unites us is this:
01
The Lumbee people deserve a referendum or better amendment on gaming — with real oversight and real transparency and a real balance of power, not the currently proposed concentration of power.
02
Voting NO does not stop gaming. It forces a referendum or a better amendment — one with independent oversight, transparent revenue reporting, and a balance of power.
03
If gaming eventually passes, revenues must be directed to tribal services for members — healthcare, education, housing, infrastructure and elder care — not to outsiders, insiders or a Wyoming shell company.