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Open Letter

Open Letter to Lumbee Tribal Members & Voters

Published by Lumbees United for Accountability in local newspapers. Reproduced here in full.

OPEN LETTER TO LUMBEE TRIBAL MEMBERS & VOTERS

Did you know that the Lumbee Tribe Constitution requires a referendum among the members to authorize gaming in our territory?

  • This declares the approval of gaming to be of fundamental importance, to be decided by the people
  • The referendum it requires must have at least 30% participation by tribal members to be valid, guaranteeing a public and vigorous debate among Lumbees

Did you know that the Lumbee Chairman and Tribal Council have proposed an amendment to the Lumbee Constitution to strip out this requirement for a referendum to authorize gaming?

  • If adopted, this amendment would deprive membership of its right to have the rigorous debate to authorize gaming in a referendum
  • This amendment can be adopted by a simple majority with no minimum voter participation, by a small handful of members and little or no debate

Did you know that the Lumbee tribal government has already scheduled this vote for June 23, with little or no public debate or knowledge?

  • If this quiet, quick vote succeeds, there will be no debate about gaming among our people and no referendum to authorize it
  • This proposed amendment also includes others that would place full power to approve and control gaming in our territory in the Chairman and Tribal Council to negotiate and approve gaming contracts

A group of concerned Lumbee citizens, who oppose this power grab, have organized to encourage the debate among our people on this important issue. We call ourselves LUMBEES UNITED FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. And one of our members has launched a website to provide information about this proposed amendment called https://votenodemandbetter.com. Visit our website, join us, make your voice heard, and preserve the integrity of our Constitution.

Please visit our booth as we gather on May 16 to celebrate Lumbee Recognition!

Sponsored by Lumbees United for Accountability

Chair

Dr. Jo Ann Chavis Lowery

Vice-Chair

Arlinda Locklear

Co-Secretary

Louise Mitchell

Co-Secretary

Brenda Jacobs

This open letter was published in local newspapers serving the Lumbee community. For the full constitutional analysis, visit the Amendment & Constitution page. To take action, visit the Take Action page.

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.

Vote NO. Demand Better!!