Lumbee tribe to study homicide rate among American Indians

By Venita Jenkins

PEMBROKE — The Lumbee tribe has received a $30,000 grant to study the homicide rate among American Indians.

Tribal leaders say the number of homicides, especially among Lumbees, is at a crisis level in Robeson County.

According to information provided by the tribe, the homicide rate for American Indians in Robeson County is 27.1 cases per 100,000 people. The national rate for all races is 5.5 cases per 100,000 people.

The American Indian homicide rate is based on death certificates filed with the N.C. Division of Public Health State Center for Health Statistics between 1999 and 2004.

“This is a large problem within the tribe,” Tribal Administrator Leon Jacobs said. “We are seeing the same things happening here that are happening in inner-city areas, and that is unfortunate. We need to zero in and address the problem.”

The grant also will look at motor vehicle deaths, diabetes and other health-related issues. It is funded through the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, an agency within the state Department of Health and Human Services.

In 2004, 17 American Indians/Alaskan Natives were victims of homicide, which amounted to 3.4 percent of all murders statewide, according to the North Carolina Uniform Crime Report. Nine American Indians were charged with murder that same year. Information on murders committed by Indians against Indians was not available.

Lawmen and criminologists attribute Robeson County’s high murder rate to drug abuse, poverty and domestic violence.

State officials found statistics for homicides and motor vehicle deaths in the county alarming, said Jan Lowery, a public health consultant with the Office of Minority Health.

“Robeson County jumped out when compared with other counties in the state,” she said. “The tribe worked with our office to write the grant to begin educating the community and forming a countywide coalition to address these issues.”

The tribe is developing a program to look at the issue, Jacobs said.

“We want to look at all the different resources,” he said. “This is not just a law enforcement problem. It is a family and tribal situation.”

Tribal leaders, lawmen and representatives from the Office of Minority Health have held several meetings to discuss possible strategies.

“People are ready to do something about the problem,” Lowery said.

The group hopes to work with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Health to development a plan, Lowery said.

“There are some educational things that we can do,” she said. “We want to get some billboards up. The Highway Patrol has come up with some great ideas toward community education to address motor vehicle deaths.”

Lumberton Police Chief Robert Grice said it will take partnerships such as one with the tribe to reduce violent crimes in the community.

“Partnering with folks is what it is about now; partnering and bringing our resources together,” he said. “We will certainly do anything that we can to help.”

Drug problems

A majority of the homicides for the past several years were drug-related, Grice said.

“In order to have an impact on the homicide rate, we will have to do something about drugs and have more resources to deal with the aftermath of drug use,” Grice said. “As far as intervention, when it comes to homicide, that would be pretty hard to do.”

The tribe will have to look to its members for additional help. Tribal leaders want Indian communities and churches to get involved by assisting in planning community meetings and events.

“We want to try to let the membership know there are ways to spend their time in positive situations rather than just getting involved in drinking, drugs and other things that could lead to major crimes,” Jacobs said.

Tribal leaders will also have to focus on changing some members’ mentality. There is a lack of respect and value for life among fellow tribal members, Jacobs said.

In 2005, six of the 21 homicides investigated by the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office involved Lumbees who were killed by other Lumbees. Investigators are uncertain whether two unsolved murder cases involved Lumbees.

“It won’t make a dent into the problem unless the entire tribe buys into the situation of respecting each other and unity,” Jacobs said. “It’s a terrible situation. Some people don’t have the level of respect for life or their own life. That needs to be reversed.”