The article recently placed on the Home page of the Meherrin-Chowanoke Nation website as” Words from the Longhouse” requires, at least one comment.

Who wrote the Article? Apparently it was someone not fully knowledgeable of the events during and after the CourtTrial. I wish to comment at this time only on paragraph eight (8).

The Meherrin group or” Faction” to which the author referred, did participate in the election process. The group, represented by Thomas Lewis, who signed the Consent Order, appointed two members of their group to the Election Board, as required by the Consent Order. One of these two reported to the Election Board that her group or “Faction” Did Not , repeat, DID NOT have any candidates or nominees for the offices of Chief and Council.

This means PARTICIPATION to me. They did not wish to provide candidates for these positions, and that was their choice. They were given an opportunity to do so. They are simply BAD LOSERS.

May I speculate why they didn’t fully participate and provide nominees for the office of Chief and the three council members? Could it be the group realized that the voting members of the Meherrin tribe would not vote for their nominees? Or, was it their intention all along to form a new tribe and call it “Meherrin-Chowanoke Nation”? Did they think they could have the community and public believe that this Meherrin-Chowanoke Nation was the same Meherrin tribe with an amended name change? Think about it. If this was their belief, in my opinion, it is the utmost in dishonesty and bad behavior.

The other paragraphs of the article may receive comments later. Stay tuned.      

This is a comment on an article posted recently on the HOME page of the Meherrintribe.com website and titled "Clarification of tribal roll".

The letter of intent to submit a Petition was sent by the group 119A to the BIA in 1990. About 800 thousand dollars of federal grant money (your tax dollars) was received by group 119A, between 1989 and 2003, to prepare a Petition for Federal acknowledgment. The money has been spent and yet NO petition has been completed and submitted. How much research was done? This is a big secret that is known only to a select few tribal members, which includes Thomas Lewis, the Chairman of the tribal council during the time period that most of the money was received, and Denyce Hall, who was Director of the Petition project. Incidentally, Denyce received a very generous salary and other benefits as project Director.

When the receipt of Federal money stopped in and about 2003, Denyce Hall stopped whatever she was doing as Director of the petition project, and the unknown 119A Petition Research came to a "screeching halt", as far as we know. Apparently, it was all about money and salary and little research. Gloria Long, a secretary to Denyce Hall, was also on salary for the Petition Project and stopped reporting for work on the project once the federal money ended.. 

The bottom line is that after about thirteen years of research, not much was done in preparation of a Petition for Federal recognition,  while spending about three quarters of a million dollars of Federal grant money, received for that purpose . Very little was produced,  in an organized fashion, to file for Federal Recognition.  If there was research recorded, it was not made available to several members of the tribal council and  to the general body of the tribe,

One might ask why wasn’t some kind of a petition completed and submitted to the BIA for federal recognition after all of those years of federal financial help? Didn’t the project staff of 119A know that after a Petition is submitted, that changes and additional information can be added, removed or changed until the Petition is given active status ?

The ANA (administration for Native Americans) which provided the petition grant money, was promised on several grant applications that a petition for federal acknowledgment would be submitted  at the end of the grant year, but no petition was submitted. The federal money was spent, but obviously promises meant nothing to group 119A. How was this money spent? Where is the research ? Where is the recorded results of this 13 year Research effort? Why wasn’t a petition submitted to the BIA? Those are Big Money  questions.

It is worth mentioning that the 119A staff knew as early as 1998 , if not earlier, that group 119B had submitted a Petition  to the BIA for Federal Recognition. Why wasn’t some objection put forward by 119A at that time? Why wasn’t  an effort made by 119A , at that time or later, to combine research efforts with 119B? Was it because group 119A had no intention of filing a Petition for federal recognition while receiving federal money for that purpose? Was there a question of competence on the part of the 119A Petition staff and the Chairman of the council, who signed the annual applications for petition  research grant money? Was there too much focus on other tribal office matters by the paid Petition Research Staff??  These are just some of the interesting questions that might be asked.

The  spokesperson for group 119A, or whoever wrote the article that now appears on the meherrintribe.com website, states that it takes many years  of research to complete a Petition for Federal  recognition and that the group is following the BIA Protocol. Does the protocol require a change of the tribe’s name?  This is precisely what the leadership of group 119A attempted to secretly do , in violation of the tribe’s Constitution and Bylaws. They tried unsuccessfully to change the name from the Meherrin tribe to the Meherrin-Chowanoke tribe. Does this make any sense if they were serious about a petition and any protocol? Wouldn’t this action have extended and complicated their research efforts?? How can any group, serious about conducting research of this kind even consider such an incompetent an irresponsible decision ?

Finally, group 119a should realize that the longest delay occurs after the Petition for Federal acknowledgement is submitted to the BIA.  Historically, it has taken 15 to 25 years or even longer for a Petition to be given active status for review by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. What has group 119A been waiting for, “An Invasion From Mars” ?? The biggest question is: Why is group 119A desperately trying to sabotage the honest effort of group 119B to obtain Federal recognition for the members of the Meherrin tribe ? Remember that Meherrin group 119B hasn’t received any Federal money to conduct its petition research.

P.S.   Speaking of the Clarification of a roll, the member supporters of group 119A should ask to view the official tribal ROLL. Many may be disappointed to learn that they have been illegally REMOVED. It is my understanding that many members may have been removed from the official tribal ROLL without reason or notification. Is the 119A tribal roll a well guarded secret?  I am told that it is not available for viewing by members of the tribe, is this true?

                   2008 Meherrin Powwow Success.

Was the 2008 Meherrin POWWOW a Success, as indicated by an announcement on the Web site, which is sponsored by the Thomas Lewis Splinter group of the Meherrin tribe? This group planned and executed the activities of this Powwow, which from all reports, was far from being successful compared to Powwows of the past.

This group of Meherrins is well known for inflating and exaggerating the success of events that it has sponsored or been a major part of in the past. Does this description of the 2008 Powwow fall in the same category? Do they have facts to support this “success story” as the web announcement indicates?

What criteria or “yardstick” did they use in deciding that the 2008 Powwow was a “SUCCESS”?

Was the decision based simply on the fact that the event was planned and did take place?? From reports that came my way, this may be the realistic reason for describing the event a “success".

The NEWS is that a much smaller group of school children showed up for “Children’s Day” on Friday, the first day of the Powwow. This is compared to previous Powwows. On Saturday, which is normally the big attendance day for the event, only about 20 to 30 or so people were reported to have been observed. By all standards this would  constitute a very, very small  attendance. Besides, I am told that many of those may have been from the Thomas Lewis group of supporters. Reports also indicate the final day of the Powwow, on Sunday, was basically a repeat of Saturday. Additionally, the word is that the Meherrin Museum was closed (locked up) and not available for viewing. Does this sound like a SUCCESSFUL POWWOW??

Where were the Drum groups, where was the entertainment of past Powwows, where was the dancing competition? Why weren’t there more cultural activities? Isn’t one of the major purposes of the Powwow, to teach the culture and history of the tribe to those that attend?? What happened?

Was this due to poor planning or to a “careless attitude?

Three people that paid to attend on Saturday and arrived about 4 PM described the Powwow “as like a dead area with no music or entertainment and no activity among the small group of vendors”. They reported that they were disappointed and departed shortly afterwards. I was told that the Museum wasn’t even open. But the Powwow was described as a SUCCESS on the Meherrin group’s web site…….Meherrintribe.com.

The chains were removed from the entrances at the Meherrin tribal grounds, but only a few people entered during the 2008 Powwow. May a real “SUCCESS” be achieved in 2009?    

Thomas N. Lewis was legally removed as chief of the Meherrin Indian tribe by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of tribal members attending a General Body meeting of the tribe on November 10, 2007. BUT he refuses to "GIVE UP" the position of chief in violation of the tribe's Constitution and Bylaws !!!!

WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS????...."GOD"???

Check this web site for updates.

What happened to the Meherrin tribe General Body meetings?? I have been told that there hasn’t been a schedule meeting since January 2007. This means that there have been nine (9) months since the last meeting.

The leaders, especially the chief of this 501c3 tribal organization, should be reminded of Article X - Section 1 of the 1996 tribal Bylaws, which states “Business meetings of the General Body shall be held monthly”.

Is the absence of these meetings a tactic of the leaders to avoid questions from the general membership concerning their administrative behavior, or is it intended to eliminate or severely reduce input from the organizational general membership in business matters that concern this 501c3 non-profit tribe??

No matter what else may be true, this behavior is unfair to the membership and grossly in violation of the 1996 tribal Bylaws for this Indian tribe. The membership should be highly concerned and take action to correct this undemocratic attitude of those responsible.

      (If there is an error in the number of unscheduled  General Body meetings, as  indicated

             above, please provide the correct number with supported information, and an

             appropriate correction will be posted to this web site. Please submit any correction

An article(Click here) was posted to the Meherrin website on July 24, 2007 concerning two groups within the Meherrin tribe that are seeking Federal recognition. The article was posted by the group that refers to its self as Group“A”, because it was the first group within the Meherrin tribe to file a letter of intent to Petition for Federal acknowledgement with the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs). This occurred in 1990. The BIA identifies this group as 119A and the second as 119B, since it filed its letter of intent later in 1995. This second group is identified in the posted article as group “B”. I will use the designations as listed in the article for consistency. Group “A” also operates the website where the referenced article is posted.

First of all, Group “A” has only pretended to be serious about Federal recognition while having spent lots of federal grant money to prepare a petition and has yet to file one. Where as Group “B” has received no grant money, but has managed to file a petition and is high on the BIA list to be considered for Federal recognition.

Obviously this matter is of great concern to Group”A”, but this group has done nothing to advance its position toward completing a petition, while spending the federal grant money received for that purpose. It’s failure to prepare and file a petition should have been the concern of this group’s leadership for many years, but it wasn’t and still isn’t. This group only stands on the sidelines and offers criticism. Group “A” can only blame its leadership for its past and present inefficiency. The referenced website article is a clear example of its destructive criticism and feeble justification for its leadership behavior.

The article mentions democracy in the first paragraph and that “everyone is entitled to a position”, but it is well known that when a tribal member attempts to exercise that right, the member is quickly ridiculed and even illegally suspended from tribal activities by the leadership on unfounded charges. There is no democracy in this group and this is one of the reasons for the Group “A” failures.

The article mentions “Sally Lewis” and her descendants. It must be emphasized that NC State recognition was given to this tribe based on the descendants of her. It follows that Group “B” has an inherent and reasonable right to petition for Federal recognition even if the leaders of Group “A” should disagree. Incidentally, the Chief of Group “A”, Thomas Lewis, and other members of this group are descendants of Sally Lewis and are among those listed on the membership role in the petition submitted by Group “B” to the BIA for federal recognition. These members have chosen to play the Federal Recognition “game” both ways.

A technical assistance letter, pertaining to Group “B” was noted in the article. When did Group “A” make it available to the General Body and why was it in Group’s “A” possession?? Did Group”A” obtain it through the “Freedom of Information Act” or through some other source.??

I read the article that was posted on the Meherrin Indian Web Site recently concerning “new initiatives” announced by the tribe.

This is a pathetic group that doesn’t seem to learn from mistakes and leaders that don’t seem to realize that others will recognize and see through their nonsense tactics.

This is nothing more than the same old story by the same old group of tribal leaders. Their message is…give us more of the tax-payer dollars, because we have learned from experience how to mismanage and waste it.

This time, however, the tribal leaders apparently think that the State of NC will be as generous with its grant dollars as other government sources have been in the past.

If this group really wants to be self sufficient, as it advertises, it should stop begging for grant money and start doing something about its own economic development. After all, the group has been “begging” for and wasting money for many years. It is time for a change in behavior.          

A Meherrin Indian group went to Raleigh, North Carolina on Feb 7, 2007 to attend a meeting with the State Senator that represents the district in which the tribe is located. According to the Meherrin tribe web site, the group included the tribe’s Chief, Thomas Lewis, George Lewis (his brother); Douglas Patterson and some other Meherrin members.

Senator Ed Jones represents the 4th District in NC, and was recently appointed to replace the former (and now deceased) Senator Holloman who previously represented this District.

The tribal delegation didn’t waste much time in arranging this meeting with the new Senator Ed Jones. What were the real reasons and motivation for the sudden visit? The tribal representatives indicated it was to discuss “items of interest to the Meherrin people that included economic opportunities, Federal Recognition, North Carolina Native American Burial Laws, and proposed future legislation.”

However, my guess is that the visit was designed to receive more "hard-earned NC tax payer dollars" to mismanage. I’m sure that Senator Jones will recognize this insincere effort by the visiting group and respond accordingly. I truly hope so.

Did they tell the Senator that after all of these years, since 1996 and probably earlier, that the only “economic opportunity pursued by the tribe has been the annual tribe’s Powwow, which has been badly mismanaged in many ways?

Did they tell the Senator that current and past tribal leaders of this group have talked about Federal Recognition for many years and spent close to a million dollars of Federal grant funds to prepare a petition to submit to the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) for Federal Acknowledgement consideration, AND STILL HAVEN’T COMPLETED A PETITION TO SUBMIT?? But they spent the Federal money!!! This isn't a good track record for managing money.

Did they tell the Senator that tribal leaders have even talked about placing a Casino on the tribal grounds upon Federal Recognition without having submitted a Petition for such recognition.

I dislike being repetitive, but it is necesary to emphasize that this group represents those who promised year after year to complete a Petition for Federal Recognition, while using federal grant funds, but never kept the PROMISE. Instead, they mismanaged the  money, and now they are searching for more funds to misuse. This group is identified by the BIA as 119A. And by the way, Chief Thomas Lewis, in the visiting group that met with Senator Ed Jones, was the tribe's contact person for the Federal grant money for many of those years prior to the ending of the Federal grants in 2003. I bet this wasn't brought to the Senator's attention.

Did they tell the Senator that another group within the tribe submitted a Petition for Federal Recognition to the BIA in 1995 and will be up for active consideration soon?? This group is identified by the BIA as 119B, and never received any Federal grant money to prepare a Petition. This may be one of the reasons for the recent tribal “name change” by the group that met with Senator Jones.

The 119B group more accurately represents the Meherrin tribe that was given NC State recognition in 1986. The group that met with Senator Jones and who recently changed its name to the “Meherrin-Chowanoke Nation” is not the Indian tribe that received State recognition in 1986 and should NOT BE so recognized. DID THEY TELL THE SENATOR THIS??

Did the Meherrin group tell the Senator that about thirteen (13) members, including the Chief, changed the name of the Tribe from the “Meherrin Indian tribe” to the “Meherrin-Chowanoke Nation” at the December 9, 2006 tribal meeting without notifying the general membership of their plans? This was, incidentally, another violation of the tribe's Bylaws

Did they tell the Senator about the current serious concern among many members of the tribe about this “name change” decision? I bet they didn’t.

Did they tell the Senator that the REMAINS excavated in Hertford County sometime in the past and given to the Meherrin tribe by the Smithsonian Museum for reburial, may not be Meherrin Indian remains?? I was told that the remains were being held by the Federal government for the Tuscarora Nation. How do we know that the remains are Meherrin?? Were the remains carbon dated?? Was DNA involved?? Was this discussed with the Senator?? Is this group trying to arrange for an appropriation of State funds for the reburial of these remains?? Is this why the group wanted to see the Senator?? 

Incidentally, it is my understanding that excavated Indian remains held by a Federal agency are only to be given to a Federal recognized tribe. The Meherrin tribe,Ooops, Meherrin-Chowanoke Nation IS NOT FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED. Then, how did this tribe manage to obtain the Remains??

The group that met with Senator Jones is quoted in the web site article as having said, “Our roles are to do what is best for the tribe”. Unfortunately, the current Chief and other members of the leadership have done the very opposite by changing the name of the tribe, preventing members of the tribe from voting in elections, conducting elections illegally, mismanaging funds, illegally closing the membership rolls, illegally suspending members, allowing honorary members and non-members to participate in business meetings, and frequently violating the tribe’s Bylaws. How can this Leadership behavior be justified and accepted as being “best for the tribe”?? No wonder there has been no economic progress, no sense of family, and no successful direction in this tribe for many years.

To top it off, after the group had its visit with Senator Jones, it had a “social meeting” with Greg Richardson, Director of the NC Commission on Indian Affairs, according to the Meherrin web site article. Afterwards, they returned to the tribal area and the tribal Chief cancelled the tribe’s General Body meetings for February and March without an explanation. The notification was only posted to the tribe’s web site and only one day prior to the scheduled monthly meeting of February 10, 2007.

Was this cancellation action in the best interest of the Tribe??? Is this consistent with the claim that “We Are Family”?? Does this cancellation action suggest that the tribe’s leadership is really seeking new ideas and encouraging participation from the general membership of the tribe??

I can only say that HYPOCRISY seems to flourish among many Leaders of this  501c3 nonprofit tribe, and certainly with some of the Meherrin group that attended the meeting with Senator Ed Jones, especially the tribal Chief.

THIS IS AN UPDATE ON THE MEHERRIN TRIBE "NAME CHANGE".

I was told that approximately thirteen members attending the Meherrin tribe’s December 9, 2006 General Body meeting, voted to change the name of the tribe from the Meherrin Indian tribe to the Meherrin-Chowanoke Nation. The vote was a “yea, nay” voice vote by the few members assembled at the meeting. Click here to view the minutes of that “historical meeting”.

The Turtle has been used to represent the Meherrin tribe for a long time, and I think the cartoon image to the right displays the concern of those Meherrins that were not present at that meeting. They are angry and disturbed at those few members who felt it necessary, for whatever reasons, to vote on such an important issue without informing the more than 900 member’s of the Meherrin tribe concerning the “name change” agenda item.

This action by a chosen few was not only in violation of the tribe’s Bylaws but was done without sufficient cause, and without proper notification to the general membership of the tribe, which incidentally, is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

The Meherrin Indian tribe was given recognition by the State of North Carolina in 1986 on the recommendation of the NC Commission for Indian Affairs based on the descendants of Sally M. Lewis, who was accepted by the commission as a full blood MEHERRIN Indian. What impacts will this “NAME CHANGE” have on State recognition??

 I am told that the tribal name change has been placed on the agenda for the next meeting of the NC Commission for Indian Affairs. Since this tribe was not previously given State recognition based on Choanoke (Chowan tribe) descendants, the Commission should carefully consider the legitimacy of the “name change” issue, with regards to State recognition.

Incidentally, can it be proven that some members of the Meherrin tribe are actually descended from the colonial Chowan tribe and how many are enrolled in the Meherrin tribe?? What was their claim to Indian heritage on their initial applications for membership in the Meherrin tribe?? These are interesting questions to be answered, as well as the motivations for claims to a different Indian heritage.

The following statement appeared on the 2007 January Announcement page of the Meherrin Tribe Web Site: “We had a great celebration at our Christmas dinner/meeting. If you missed it, shame on you”

My question is, what did “WE” celebrate?? I have heard that less that twenty (20) members of the tribe attended. The tribe, I understand, has over 900 enrolled members. Certainly the small “turn out” was not a cause for celebration. I think it was a cause for “Serious Concern”.

Then, what was celebrated?? Was it the unwise idea proposed at the meeting to change the name of the tribe to the “Meherrin-Chowan (Chowanoke) tribe?? Who are the Chowan tribe descendants in the Meherrin tribe?? What is the purpose of the “name change”?? Please let the tribal members know about it, and it might be wise to even let the Public in on the reasons for the proposed tribe “name change”, since the tribe is a 501C3 non profit organization.

If I recall correctly, the dinner/meeting in December 2006 was a repeat performance of the one in 2005…..a failure and not something  to describe as a “great celebration”.

A lack of member participation and interest in tribal activities might suggest ineffective tribal leadership and a desire on the part of the membership to make some changes. If this is true, I can think of no better time for tribal members to organize and exercise their right to vote on issues that will improve the tribe.

I would like to comment on the Certificate of Appreciation that was presented to Thomas Lewis, Chief of the Meherrin tribe, by Mr. Gregory Richardson at the 2006 Meherrin tribe Powwow. Mr. Richardson is the Director of the North Carolina Commission for Indian Affairs. The award was presented on behalf of the Commission as part of a honor ceremony.

Mr. Richardson, who is also a member of the Haliwa-Sapony tribe, has stated to me : “Chief Lewis was publicly recognized for his general service to the Indian tribe and community as the Chief Elected Official of the tribe and was not recognized for any specific accomplishment or activity”. He also stated: “The commission does not evaluate the performance of tribal leaders, the fact that he is the sitting Chief of the tribe is sufficient for him to receive a certificate from the commission”.

I find a problem with this kind of recognition from a State Agency. It appears to me that if a State Official or State Commission wishes to honor a recipient for services rendered to his community and Indian tribe, some research should be done to determine what services were rendered and what benefits were derived, if any, as a result of the services provided. How can a service provided be appreciated if you have no knowledge of the quality of the service or whether or not a quality service was even rendered?? There should be some criteria other than those mentioned above to support a certificate of appreciation.

Honoring an individual with a Certificate of Appreciation for services to his community simply because the recipient is an elected official of an organization or group is not meaningful and can be considered “blind Recognition”. This was an unwise decision and action, in my opinion, by the Commission and its Director.

If Chief Lewis has provided any quality service (or service at all) to the Meherrin tribal community and if his contributions and guidance to the Meherrin Indian tribe are worthy of special recognition, please provide me with some specifics and I will post it to this site.

A group from the present day Meherrin Indian  tribe met with the Executive Director of the NCCIA (North Carolina Commission on Indian Affairs) , Gregory Richardson and others on June 19, 2006 to discuss the return of “Native American Indian remains" to the Meherrin tribe. Click here to see a summary of the meeting that appeared on the Announcement page of the Meherrin tribe Web site in July 2006.

What is interesting is that this meeting occurred on the 20^th Anniversary of the day that the NCCIA recommended this tribe for NC State recognition. It is the opinion of some that the recommendation was a very questionable and generous decision, based on evidence available to the Commission. This is a reasonable subject for debate.

My question is : Does the present day Meherrin tribe qualify, as an Indian group, to request and receive the remains of those that may have been determined to belong to Meherrin Indians descended from the earlier Meherrin Indian tribe, for the purpose of reinterment, as is suggested in the meeting summary, that was posted to its Web site??

Assuming, that the remains in question, are those of Meherrin Indians, can the present day Meherrin tribe prove to the satisfaction of the Federal Government that this Indian group is descended from the colonial-era Meherrin Indian tribe, and therefore eligible for, and authorized to receive the remains? I think the tribe will encounter great difficulty, based on documents to which I have access and information of which I am aware. I don’t believe the Federal government will accept “hearsay” or hearsay evidence pertaining to this issue.

Furthermore, I understand that the remains in question are being held for the Tuscarora Nation by the Federal Government. Are the remains, those of a previous Meherrin tribe, or those of the federally recognized Tuscarora Nation? This is an important determination.

It will be interesting to see how this Indian Remains issue is resolved. The article posted on the Meherrin Web site stated that “we are seeking a resolution to this situation that will meet the satisfaction of all parties involved”.

Finally, it is obvious to me that one of the reasons for the meeting with the NCCIA on June 19, 2006 was to obtain the endorsement and support of the Commission in this “Remains” matter. I am curious to know if the Meherrin group succeeded. I posed this question, via e-mail, to Mr. Gregory Richardson, Executive Director of the NCCIA, several weeks ago, but he hasn’t responded.

 THE ARCHER REUNION

A Reunion for the descendants of George Thomas Archer was held at the home of Lorraine Archer Lau in Archertown, North Carolina on July 1, 2006. Many descendants from several States of the good old USA attended and it was a grand affair. Relatives gathered in a beautifully landscaped area and exchanged greetings and told stories of the past and present, while enjoying a fun day with lots of good food, music, and entertainment.

I met relatives that I had known in the past but had not seen for a long time. I was introduced to many young kinfolk that I had not had the pleasure of meeting before, and I chatted with those whom I had seen more recently. It was a delightful experience and one that I will remember and cherish for a long time. Everyone present appeared to have a great time among the relatives and the non-relative guests.

It was Reunion Time, and an event of immense enjoyment. I’m sure the next one will be even greater. I can hardly wait!!!

I want to thank Darlene, Lorraine Archer Lau’s daughter, who worked so hard with the planning and preparation for this First Archer Reunion. May I also congratulate those that served in a supporting role to ensure that the family reunion would be a successful event.

Some photos that I took during the family reunion will be posted in the Special Events album of the Photo Gallery on this Website. Please navigate to and view the album.

Sonny.

The Meherrin Tribe Chief is acting like a DICTATOR.

It is my understanding that the Meherrin Tribe is having a shortage of volunteers to “groom the tribal grounds”, that is, to join the grass cutting detail. The chief has threatened to set up a schedule and DRAFT members to cut grass and relocate benches. Since when did the members of this Tribe become his SLAVES?? Is he familiar with the Tribal Bylaws and understands his given authority?? I can remember reading an interview that this present chief gave to a reporter, from the Virginian Pilot Newspaper, at a recent Meherrin Pow Pow, in which he said “the chief of the Meherrin Tribe is only a ceremonial position”. He was chairman of the Council at the time (I have a copy of the newspaper article). Apparently, “the duties”, in his mind, have changed since he became chief!!!!

                  A  BOOK RECOMMENDED FOR READING

This Web Site is not supported by Advertisements. However, I am suggesting to all of my visitors, who may be interested in learning about the tribalization efforts, and the cultural identity search of Native American Indian community groups in eastern areas of North Carolina, to read a recently published book titled “KEEPING THE CIRCLE”.

This book was written by Christopher Arris Oakley, an assistant professor of History at East Carolina University, and published in 2005 by the University of Nebraska Press. It covers a period of research from 1885 to 2004.

I promise you a learning experience about these community groups and why and how they proceeded to identify with the heritage and culture of pre -colonial and colonial-era Indian Tribes. In my opinion, the primary goal of tribalism was to achieve Federal Acknowledgement, in order to receive associated benefits in the areas of housing, education and health. It was and still is the thought that if an organized group or Tribe could prove it descended from a colonial Indian Tribe that possessed Treaty and Claim rights, the chance of receiving Federal recognition from the present U.S. government would be promising.

I invite all who read this book to reach his or her own opinion, based on the information presented. I feel the author has done an excellent job in describing these ethnic Indian groups, the problems encountered during organization and the reasons for many of their actions.

Thomas N. Lewis(aka twofeathers), Chief of the Meherrin Tribe since May, 2005, was introduced on the “Meet The Chief” page of the recently launched Meherrin Indian Tribe web site. On that page he stated, quote, “I call upon each and every member of our proud nation to unite”, unquote. Why now?? Why didn’t he ask this during those eight years that he was Chairman of the Tribal council when he did his best to create dissention and disunity among the membership of the Tribe??? This is the 1000 dollar question!!

In my opinion, and that expressed by other tribal members, Thomas N. Lewis’ primary ambition and concern was to become Chief of the Meherrin Tribe. He was not interested in achieving Unity within the Tribe and moving the organization forward. His main objective was the achievement of personal recognition and any other personal benefits that might be available. In short, his main focus has been on his individual gain and welfare. I think he felt, that if there were too much Unity within the Tribe, it would interfere with his maintaining his Tribal Council Chairmanship and his progression to the elected office of Tribal Chief. After all, he wasn’t and still isn’t the most gifted person available to serve in these leadership positions.

So what did he do to create a tribal environment to further his needs?? He alienated honest and ethical members of the tribe by conspiring with a small group of supporters and office staff to violate the tribal Bylaws on several occasions, which included the illegal suspension of several tribal members on unfounded charges, because he felt they were a threat to his becoming Chief of the tribe. He also was the principle player in a group consisting of council members and office staff, who organized a small group of tribal members (25 to35) that could be called upon to be present at General Body meetings and elections, when needed to vote in support of his agenda. Frequently the agenda did not support the advancement of tribal Unity and the Tribe itself.

This alienation of tribal members not only served to decrease tribal Unity, but caused a substantial number of tribal members to lose their motivation to continue active with tribal matters, and even prompted some to leave and form another Tribe. As Chairman of the Council, to ensure his election to Tribal Chief, he declared that those tribal members holding older membership cards could not vote on issues at General Body meetings or in tribal elections until they received the newer cards, and then he proceeded to delay the process of issuing the new membership cards. This was all in violation of the Tribal Bylaws and certainly didn’t promote tribal Unity, but did serve his personal interest and ambitions.

Now after all those years as Chairman of the Tribal Council, and after satisfying his thirst to become Tribal Chief, he is asking for TRIBAL UNITY!!!! IT MAY BE TOO LATE!!!

It was very interesting reading the first paragraph on the “Meet the Chief page” of the Meherrin Indian Tribe website. Thomas N. Lewis (“two feathers”, which he calls himself) was elected Chief of the Tribe in May, 2005.  He mentions that he was Tribal Chairman for eight years and that one of the eight included serving as Acting Chief of the Tribe. This may be true, but do you know that year as Acting Chief was in violation of the Tribe’s Bylaws??? It seems that after all of those years serving as chairman of the Tribal Council, he would have learned something about the tribal Bylaws.

Calvin Hall’s term as Chief of the Tribe, terminated in May, 2004 and an election for his successor should have been conducted in May, 2004 as per the Tribal Bylaws. The Bylaws also state that if there is a vacancy in the elected office of the Chief, it will be the responsibility of the Tribal council to call a Special Election within 60 days of the vacancy to elect a tribal Chief. Please remember that Roberts Rule of Order, which is the parliamentary authority for the Meherrin Bylaws ( Article XVIII ), specifically states that Bylaws CANNOT be rescinded but only amended. There is a provision in the Meherrin Bylaws( Article XIX ) along with the operational procedures of the Standing Bylaws Committee, for amending the Bylaws, but no such action was taken. Therefore, not holding an election for a Chief until May 2005 was in violation of Article IX, Section 5 of the Tribe’s Bylaws and afforded Thomas N. Lewis the opportunity to occupy TWO tribal offices, Chief of the Tribe and Chairman of the Tribal Council, at the same time for A WHOLE YEAR. How opportunistic and self seeking can one be???

Remember, as Chairman of the Tribal Council, it was Thomas’ responsibility to conduct an election for tribal Chief in accordance with the Bylaws and he DID NOT. Could this have been because he wanted the power of the Council and the Chief at the same time??

This is another example of excessive personal greed, ambition and need for recognition. The unfortunate result of this behavior is that the Tribe becomes the loser.

But when this major violation of the Tribal Bylaws occurred, where were the Chairpersons of the Bylaws and Election Standing committees??? Ignorance of, or ignoring the RULES, is no excuse!!! This has become a common practice within the Meherrin Tribe.

In my opinion, the Meherrin Indian Tribe is not qualified to receive Federal Recognition from the USA government. It cannot meet the requirements of the BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) and even if it could, it doesn’t possess a present membership and the quality of leadership that could govern with the honesty and integrity needed with such recognition. If the present leadership and organization are an example of what can be expected in the future, any kind of Federal Acknowledgement would “spell” disaster for this Tribe. They simply aren’t ready and don’t have the potential for such status. The intelligent members of the Tribe are well aware of this fact.

What concerns me, is that the Tribe’s Chief and others in the tribe continue to promise such recognition as a long term goal even after spending more than three quarters of a million dollars in federal grant money to prepare a petition and still hasn’t completed one to submit to the BIA. This petition preparation has been going on since 1989 with hardly any effective results. This group will be using Federal recognition as a long term goal well into the next century, if for nothing more than to advertise it as a goal to keep the membership happy with inflated expectation.

The group to which I refer above, Is identified by the BIA, for federal recognition petition purposes, as group 119a. This group received all of that federal grant money and used it grossly ineffectively, but still promises to “work for federal recognition”. I hope the Federal government is less generous in the future, in giving our tax dollars to such organizations. Especially those that fail to use the money wisely, and for the purpose intended.

The Meherrin federal recognition mess is further complicated in that a second group within the tribe submitted a petition for federal recognition in 1995, five years after a letter of intent to petition was submitted by group 119a, discussed above. This second group is identified by the BIA as petitioner 119b and should be considered soon by the BIA for recognition, since it included a petition along with its letter of intent to petition. This group didn’t receive any federal funds to prepare a petition for federal recognition.

Now what can one reasonably expect from this Meherrin Tribe Federal acknowledgement petition mess? I think the answer is simple and uncomplicated. Neither Meherrin group will receive Federal Recognition from the BIA because neither can meet the Federal Regulation requirements for such status. I’m sure the BIA will research this Tribe very thoroughly and it will be easy to determine that it DOES NOT merit or deserve Federal recognition. I will explain my opinion in more detail in a subsequent comment on this site.

Denyce Hall is the former salaried tribal member that directed the preparation of the Federal Recognition petition for petitioner 119a from 1997 to September 2003. She was responsible for the research, budgeting and spending of federal grant money during that period. May I repeat, the petition for this group is still incomplete, but a lot of money was spent. There were many problems associated with that effort. The Federal grant money for the project was terminated in 2003 and so was the research for the petition. To my knowledge, there has been NO unpaid, volunteer work on the petition for Federal recognition for group 119a, since the end of September 2003.

 In the meantime, please view an article from the Indian Country Today newspaper about Federal Recognition Denial to a Vermont Band. This should provide a clue, even to Chief Thomas N. Lewis and Denyce Hall, the tribal rural health outreach worker. This article is in a pdf file and will require an acrobat reader program on your computer for viewing.