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From: Ruth Dial Woods
Date: 22 Dec 2003
Time: 09:12:30 -0500
Remote Name: 172.128.99.90
Thank you for writing about the Lumbee Tribal Housing Program. It is unfortunate that our tribal members cannot obtain information through open and honest communications with tribal official and tribal staff. More recent than the action by HUD, the Tribal Administrator attempted to coerce tribal staff into a gag order that prohits them from discussing tribal operations without prior permission of the tribal administrator or a supervisor (Fayetteville Observer, December 7, 2003). According to this article, employees were asked to sign a document sayting that they would not disclose information about the tribal operations. This followed statements by Rev. Jimmy Hunt, Chairman of the Housing Project (The Robesonian, November l9, 2003) after the Tribal Administrator and Chairman Hunt had denied that there was a problem with the housing grant, and then admitted "we just dropped the ball ball somewhere - it was just a procedural error and we are still in the learning process." Both the Tribal Administrator and Chairman Hunt had previously denied that there was a problem and the a Robesonian editorial cited them as lying to the press and the people. Let me respond based on my working relationship with Reverend Hunt. He has served as Housing Chairman for two full years and was a member of the Lumbee Self-Determination Commission and also a member of the Lumbee-Cheraw Constitutional Assembly. Actually, Mr. Hunt has been involved in tribal affiars for six or seven years. He took the position as Chairman that he is responsible for the housing grant and that all information and decisions should come through him. He frequently harassed both me and housing staff trying to persuade us to do exactly what he wanted to do with no regard to federal statues and guidelines. During the past two years, he has also served by gubernatorial appointment through the NC Commission of Indian Affairs to the NC Indian Housing Authority. He has participated in numerous local, state and national training programs related to HUD and NAHASDA. What Mr. Hunt has not learned in his "learning process" is that there are federal rules and regulations and statutes that govern administration of the housing program and that while he works with outside influences to guide the housing program, he actually puts the program in jeopardy with his leadership. It is a matter of fact that Mr. Hunt advocated and persisted n providing services to ineligible housing applicants durings my administration. He currently serves as Chairman of the Housing Committee while recommending contracts for rehabilitation and new construction and at the same times works as a subcontract for one of the contractors whom he has recommended to receive tribal housing contracts. Mr. Hunt represents a districts that in the last election counted more votes than there were voters recorded on the poll books. Who has been asleep at the wheel? The Tribal Chairman and the Tribal Administrator are responsible for working with the Legislative Branch of the Tribal Government and for supervision and oversight of all programs. From March until August, no Housing Director was employed as such and therefore this opened the door to abuse, irregularities and fraud. Under Reverend Hunt's leadership as Housing Chairman and a former councilmember who has since assumed the position of Housing Director, the Tribe has found itself in a contractual relationship for the purchase of 60 mobile homes. They violated their own tribal procurement policy that requires public bidding and had a legal interpretation that it was a matter of public exigency. This is not the federal statute or federal procurement policy. Mr. Hunt cannot claim all the responsibility for this abuse because it must be shared with the Tribal Administrator and the Tribal Chairman. It is unfortunate that the Lumbee people have an opportunity to move forward and upward and to demonstrate their ability to manage their affairs. However, as long as a government is designed to represent people, it must consider in all of its deliberations the welfare of the people - not the benefits that can accrue to council members in terms of jobs, taking care of friends who can provide kick-backs, or being influenced by money hungry and power hungry people who want to continue to oppress and control Lumbee people.