RAYNHAM — A blessing and groundbreaking ceremony for Pineneedle Estates, a Lumbee Tribe elder site, will be held Saturday at the Raynham-McDonald Volunteer Fire Department on U.S. 301. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m.
Pineneedle Estates is for elders residing in Tribal District 1, which encompasses Gaddy, Rowland, Orrum, Sterlings, Whitehouse, Thompson and Raynham. The $1.6 million project is funded with federal Native American Self-Determination Act money that the tribe receives through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to Alex Baker, a tribal spokesman. The complex will consist of 10 separate housing units, capable of providing housing for up to 20 elders.
“There are eligibility requirements that must be met,” Baker said.
Audrey Hunt, who represents District 1 on the Lumbee Tribal Council, said that the blessing and groundbreaking ceremony for an elder site in her district is a long-awaited event.
“We’ve been waiting five years for this day,” Hunt said. “This is a major event.”
Hunt thanked the members of the 21-member council for supporting the development of the site by approving the money needed to make the site a reality.
“The money has been allocated over the past couple of years,” Hunt said. “The funding allocation had to be approved by the full council.”
According to Hunt, her district doesn’t usually receive such a large amount of funding for projects such as the elder site.
“It’s an ongoing battle to see that our seniors in District 1 are taken care of,” she said.
Baker said that the ceremony, which will include participation by the District 1 Heritage group, is being held at the fire department rather than on the site of the housing complex as a convenience for elders and others who attend the ceremony. The site in Raynham, Baker said, is a field that currently has some corn growing on it.
Refreshments will be available, Baker said.
Reach staff writer Bob Shiles at 910-272-6117 or bshiles@heartlandpublications.com.
Your justification is the same as just shuffling cards, moving something around and in this case it's someone elses money being moved around. Leave it to the ones who earned it. This is racism. Say what you want to make it all better, but if Jesus needed a home he would be turned away since he's not a lumbee....
I'm sorry folks, but this is just so sad. If you think this makes other races of people want to help fight for federal recognition for you guys, you're wrong.
To you "indian elders", have your kids to provide you somewhere to stay or move into an elderly care facility.... Have you no shame?
I get what you're saying about us needing to be as self-sufficient as we can but consider that 1.6 million dollars are going to be spent in our county. Not building these homes would only result in those dollars being spent in someone else's community to help their economy and their tax base so please allow that some common benefits to all Robesonians will come from this. We don't have to live with the mindset that what helps me has to hurt you unless we choose to. And as far as Federal recognition goes, there is the same argument that every single person in this region CANNOT HELP but benefit from that money coming into our economy. Just a thought.
No I don't attend church, but this is how to get across to "do gooders" around here. Would GOD provide housing for Jews only?...