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March 2024 Open Meeting Summary

Tribal Open Meeting Summary 3/1/2024  held at the tribal office and via Zoom


  1. CM’s Marion, Chris, Robert, Emily, Susan, Glenn, and Dalton were present. Elders Becky and Larry were present. Vice Chief Cheryl, 2C Alan, and 2C John were present.

  2. Members Phil W, Jerry S, Carolyn D, Randy W, Jennifer R, Tracey J, Stephen W, Steve T, David B, and Starla were present.

  3. Financial Report (as of 2/27/2024 at 3:02 pm)

  4. General Fund: $41,851.32

  5. Building Fund: $1866.61

  6. Cemetery Fund: $407.00

  7. Online Votes

  8. 2/26 Approve February Meeting Summary

  9. Marion-yes, Chris-yes, Robert-yes, Emily-yes, Susan-yes, Glenn-yes, Dalton-yes

  10. CoC Dalton: 2C John was nominated to the Council of Elders; Tribal Council needs to approve

  11. Marion-yes, Chris-yes, Robert-yes, Emily-yes, Susan-yes, Glenn-yes, Dalton-yes

  12. 2C John: going to turn down the position until he speaks with Chief Hatcher

  13. Votes retracted

  14. New Business

  15. Committee Reports

  16. Buildings & Grounds

  17. Sen. Greg Hembree put in a request for $140k for our bathhouse

  18. Grants

  19. SCAC grant deadline extended to 4/16/2024

  20. Attended a coaching call on 2/28 to go over old and new items for this grant

  21. Apprenticeship coaching call is next week

  22. Pauwau

  23. Looking for pictures of our older members

  24. Start selling ads/ memorial pages for the program book

  25. Working on demonstrators to finalize the flier earlier

  26. PW2023 P&L Report is on the website

  27. CCU Archiving Project

  28. Contemporary SC Tribes Reading List maintained by Joshua Shumak:

  29. https://libguides.library.cofc.edu/indigenous_south/welcome

  30. Files

  31. Marion motioned; Chris seconded to make Jennifer Randall a full member

  32.  Marion-yes, Chris-yes, Robert-yes, Emily-yes, Susan-yes, Glenn-yes, Dalton-yes

  33. New honorary apps: Steve T, Stephen W, Kathy N

  34. Susan: someone would like to buy the hotdog stand and cook for us during events

  35. We’ve never used it

  36. Marion: we got it, tried to keep it covered, and never used it

  37. Glenn: the tires probably need to be replaced

  38. Glenn: out of respect, get the opinion of the person who gave it to us

  39. Chris: why sell it? If he’s cooking for us, it would balance

  40. Emily: want a contract in writing whether we give it to them or sell it

  41. Reminder: Fire Ceremony Dates 2024: 3/16, 6/22, 9/21, 12/14

  42. Survey

  43. Marion: VC Cheryl & I went to the courthouse; the survey on this property was done in the 1970s

  44. Some of the property goes all the way to Hwy 501

  45. Surveyors: Will Ferry in Conway

  46. Chris: Rhett Johnson in Aynor

  47. Glenn: motion to get survey prices; Marion seconded

  48. Marion-yes, Chris-yes, Robert-yes, Emily-yes, Susan-yes, Glenn-yes, Dalton-yes

  49. VC Cheryl: should we get 3?

  50. Susan: yes

  51. 2C John: who’s getting prices?

  52. Glenn: Susan and I can

  53. The Longhouse Project

  54. VC Cheryl: Ronnie Floyd did cordage with students and they will be out here on 4/16 for the exhibit opening

  55. Catawba Chief asked if there was anything they could do to help

  56. Policy Letters: Susan will send copies by email and the Council can update them

  57. 2C John:  tribal chief lineage requirement

  58. One article of our constitution says all members can hold office

  59. One article says under Chief that it has to be a lineal descendent

  60. Dalton: it doesn't say that

  61. 2C John: give me an example

  62. Dalton: under the country’s constitution, Arnold Schwarzenegger 

  63. 2C John: we talk about 7 generations unborn; their children can’t be Chief

  64. In my opinion, full rights, you have the same rights as all members

  65. You can’t be a true Waccamaw

  66. If there are no lineal descendants to be Chief, you have no Chief

  67. Which isn’t covered by the constitution

  68. It wasn’t in the 2000 constitution

  69. Y’all think lineal descendants don’t have the heart of the tribe

  70. Marion: don’t we have a core foundation from the Dimery settlement? Wouldn’t it eliminate those not tracing back to the Dimery settlement?

  71. 2C John: there is a percentage of lineal descendants so it is Waccamaw from Dimery

  72. Phil W: And why was that done to start with? It had to go back to recognition

  73. Dalton: it was done through a referendum in 2010

  74. Phil W: when we were told by the federal government what would happen to our tribe and without recognition, we added it

  75. 2C John: can you show me where in the federal requirements that it has to be lineal

  76. I’ve looked and it’s not there

  77. I think there are things in the requirements that we won’t meet, so why not solidify it?

  78. Dalton: reread the referendum from 2010

  79. 2C John: why was it added?

  80. Dalton: stated in the referendum: recognized as descendants of the Dimery settlement

  81. VC Cheryl: Santa Clara vs Pueblo cadr shows how restrictive some tribes are

  82. 2C John: so we do make exceptions?

  83. VC Cheryl: yes, but this change would be far-reaching

  84. 2C John: not in the state-recognized constitution

  85. Susan: we only sent 100 letters to core members

  86. You also have to look at what the CMA required for state-recognized tribes, not just our constitution

  87. 2C John: then we need to have a referendum to change the constitution

  88. Elder Larry: why would you jeopardize everything just to make a point?

  89. 2C John: what if there’s no lineal descendants?

  90. Dalton: then the tribe is gone; people who aren’t lineal descendants would form a group

  91. VC Cheryl: we need to build membership and engage in the community to reach them

  92. 2C John: was there a Chicora tribe?

  93. Susan: yes, Chicora, Chicora-Waccamaw, Waccamaw

  94. 2C John: so they couldn’t be Chief

  95. Susan: not unless they’re lineal

  96. 2C Alan: Lowcountry PW next weekend

  97. Dalton: John, are you still 2C?

  98. 2C John: as far as I know

  99. Dalton: well Chief nominated you to be an Elder

  100. 2C John: have we pursued another bank account that accrues interest?

  101. Dalton: I will look into it this week

  102. VC Cheryl: Dr. Dillian & I are looking to apply for a catalyst grant

  103. I will work with my employer to apply for another grant

  104. Capacity Building: not structure

  105. For a better CRM system

  106. For a better way of getting money from donors

  107. Having someone work in the office full-time

  108. Organizing policy letters

  109. Leadership development

  110. Youth program

  111. I ask everyone to think about it and send suggestions

  112. Did a presentation on rematriation

  113. With foundations that help tribes

  114. Richard Turner says 400 houses are being built on the Dimery land by the Holliday family

  115. He lost the lease to farm land because a family used it for housing

  116. 2C John: if you were to file a suit saying the land was Waccamaw, wouldn’t that stop the building?

  117. VC Cheryl: it would hold it up while the case was pending

  118. Susan: Chief and I went to a legislative event

  119. Hembree put $140k in the budget to help with the bathhouse project

  120. 2C John: any decision on the floor in the kitchen?

  121. Elder Larry: Susan pointed out that you won’t be able to get into the cabinets turning the bar you originally wanted to


Susan motioned to close the meeting; Marion seconded.

Marion-yes, Chris-yes, Robert-yes, Emily-yes, Susan-yes, Glenn-yes, Dalton-yes

The meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Michelle Hatcher on 3/21/2023 at 5:17 pm.



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