Tribal Chairman Purnell Swett said Thursday that he hopes the office, located in the former Pembroke Hardware building on West Third Street and staffed by volunteers, will symbolize the unity that exists among tribal members when it comes to their desire for federal recognition.
“I feel it’s important to show unity among our people, and to keep the activities of our federal recognition effort separate from the activities of our tribal office,” Swett said. “This office, it is my hope, will demonstrate that.”
Tribal officials are hoping that the Lumbee Recognition Bill, now pending in the U.S. Senate, will be approved before the current congressional session ends late this year. Federal recognition would result in the tribe receiving hundreds of millions of dollars for housing, education and health care.
The campaign office is part of Swett’s overall plan for getting community support and individual tribal members involved in the recognition effort. He declined on Thursday to discuss specific lobbying strategies to be used in obtaining federal recognition.
“People are getting excited because they feel recognition is going to happen this time,” the chairman said. “... This is a broad, comprehensive campaign. We are reaching out to the membership all over the country.”
At the new office, tribal members — and others who support the cause — can get copies of letters and postcards that can be sent to elected officials urging them to support Lumbee recognition. The office will also serve as a site for community members to receive assistance from the Benefit Bank of North Carolina in such areas as: voter registration; food stamps and Medicare prescriptions; and income taxes and federal student aid applications.
Swett told The Robesonian on Thursday that more than $120,000 in cash and pledges have been raised to fund recognition efforts.
“Our goal was originally $120,000, but since we are doing so well we raised the goal to $200,000,” he said.
The money will be used to pay for lobbying services provided by the Washington-D.C.-based American Indian law firm of Anderson Tuell LPL. The firm was hired last month after Nevada-based Levin International and the Lumbee Tribe canceled their contract.
“These people (Anderson and Tuell) have experience with Indian issues,” Swett said. “They know a lot of people and the people know them.”
Swett said that at least more fund-raiser will be held this year.
“We’ve been talking about a community fund-raising meal, but no date has been set,” he said. “We want to expand our base and give more people the opportunity to participate in the recognition process.”
Tribal spokesman Alex Baker said that additional volunteers are needed to man the recognition office.
“Volunteers are always needed,” he said. “We need everyone’s help.”
The Lumbee Tribe, with about 55,000 members, has been recognized by North Carolina since the 1880s. Congress granted partial recognition in 1956, but denied the tribe full benefits.
If the recognition bill fails to pass the Senate by the end of the year, the legislative process for gaining recognition will have to start again.
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