NC Commission of Indian Affairs
NC Commission of Indian Affairs
History of the Commission
The NC Commission of Indian Affairs was established to:
- deal fairly and effectively with Indian affairs.
- utilize local, state, and federal resources to provide aid and protection for Indians as needs are demonstrated.
- hold land in trust for the benefit of State-recognized Indian tribes.
- assist Indian communities in social and economic development.
- and promote recognition of and the right of Indians to pursue cultural and religious traditions considered by them to be sacred and meaningful to Native Americans.
Legislation
- Creation of NC Commission of Indian Affairs NCGS § 143B-404
- Legal Recognition of American Indian Groups 01 NCAC 15 .0200
November is American Indian Heritage Month!
About the Commission
The Commission of Indian Affairs consists of 28 members: 21 representatives of the American Indian community, two representatives appointed by the General Assembly, and one representative or their designee appointed by the secretaries of DHHS, DOA, Commerce, DEQ & DOL each.
The following American Indian communities have members on the commission selected by tribal or community consent from the Indian groups that are recognized by the State of North Carolina:
- The Catawba Nation of Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Mecklenburg, Rutherford, and Union counties
- The Coharie of Sampson and Harnett Counties
- The Eastern Band of the Cherokee
- The Haliwa-Saponi of Halifax, Warren and adjoining counties
- The Lumbee of Robeson, Hoke and Scotland Counties
- The Meherrin of Hertford, Bertie, Northampton and Gates Counties
- The Waccamaw-Siouan from Columbus and Bladen Counties
- The Sappony of Person County
- The Cumberland County Association for Indian People of Cumberland County
- The Guilford Native Americans Association of Guilford and surrounding counties
- The Metrolina Native Americans Association of Mecklenburg and surrounding counties
- The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation of Orange and surrounding counties
- The Triangle Native American Society of Wake and surrounding counties
| Commission Meetings |
|---|
| March 4, 2026 (in conjunction with the 2026 Indian Unity Conference) |
| June 5, 2026 |
| Sept. 4, 2026 (View photos from the meeting) |
| Dec. 4, 2026 |
About the Chair
On March 10, 2025, Governor Josh Stein appointed Greg Bryant chair of the NC Commission of Indian Affairs. Bryant is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and was first appointed to the NC Commission of Indian Affairs by the Board of Directors of the Metrolina Native American Association with an effective appointment date of July 1, 2023.
Bryant is a health advocate engaged in the health care service business. He owns Southeastern Integrated Care, a mental health care facility. He owns a nonprofit organization that feeds 500 people weekly in the Robeson County School system, where he provides food backpacks for children identified as homeless by the school system to ensure that they have food after school on weekends. He also sponsors a food truck that feeds the homeless throughout the Robeson County Community.
He is also involved in the real estate business; he is an avid golfer, and loves ball sports. He takes pride in sponsoring Metrolina Native American Pow-Wows and the Metrolina Golf Tournaments in Charlotte, NC, and has done so for several years.
Commission Members
| Name | Representing |
|---|---|
| Brian Harris | Catawba Nation of South Carolina |
| Patricia Leach | Catawba Nation of South Carolina |
| Lenora Locklear | Coharie |
| Ed Simermeyer | Coharie |
| Vacant | Cumberland County Association for Indian People - Lumbee |
| Harrison Jones | Cumberland County Association for Indian People - Coharie |
| Dr. Michael Lambert | Eastern Band of Cherokee |
| Jarrett Crowe | Eastern Band of Cherokee |
| Amanda Jacobs Ballard | Guilford Native American Association - Lumbee |
| Perry Lynn Hunt, Jr. | Guilford Native American Association - Lumbee |
| Alfred Ray Richardson | Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe |
| Pamela Sunshine Richardson | Haliwa-Saponi Indian Tribe |
| Ricky Burnett | Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina |
| Aaron Butler | Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina |
| Vernanda (Vee) Oxendine | Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina |
| Edward Livingston | Meherrin Indian Tribe |
| Walter David (WD) Baucom | Metrolina Native American Association - Lumbee |
| Greg Bryant, Chair | Metrolina Native American Association - Lumbee |
| Vacant | Occaneechi Band of Saponi Nation |
| Dorothy Stewart Yates, Vice Chair | Sappony Tribe |
| Craig D. McMillian | Speaker of the House Appointee - Lumbee |
| Danny Bell | Triangle Native American Society - Coharie/Lumbee |
| Reah Jacobs | Waccamaw Siouan Tribe |
| Nadine F. Patrick, Secretary/Treasurer | Waccamaw Siouan Tribe |
| Gerald Goolsby | President Pro Tem Appointee |
State Officials
| Name | Representing |
|---|---|
| Gabriel J. Esparza, Secretary | Department of Administration (DOA) |
| Noelle S Talley | Designee |
| Lee Lilley, Secretary | Department of Commerce |
| Emily Roach | Designee |
| D. Reid Wilson, Secretary | Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) |
| John A. Nicholson | Designee |
| Devdutta Sangvai, Secretary | Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) |
| Debra Farrington | Designee |
| Commissioner Luke Farley | Commissioner Dept. of Labor |
| Chris Bullard | Designee |
| Chris Southerly | Cultural Resources Advisor |
Commission of Indian Affairs Meeting Minutes
2025 (Archived)
- Dec. 5, 2025
- Sept. 5, 2025
- June 6, 2025
- March 13, 2025 (Special Meeting)
- March 6, 2025