Lumbee tribal members overwhelmingly voted against a constitutional amendment during a historic tribal election on Tuesday held in Robeson County, the Lumbees’ homeland.
Almost 10,000 enrolled tribal members voted in the election across 21 different voting precincts and through absentee voting.
The constitutional amendment proposed changing the tribal constitution to give the tribal chairperson and tribal council more power over casino gaming development.
The vote reflects the division and fierce debate that emerged over tribal governance.
Lumbees United for Accountability, an opposition campaign, argued the amendment concentrated power among tribal leaders and undermined democracy by removing a referendum voting system for gaming decisions that is part of the existing Lumbee constitution.
