Gov. Cooper Declares an American Indian Heritage Month
Community, News November 2, 2021
Governor Roy Cooper has declared November as American Indian Heritage Month, an observance that celebrates the history and heritage of our nation’s first inhabitants. North Carolina is home to eight state recognized tribes including the Coharie, Eastern Band of Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Lumbee, Meherrin, Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, Sappony and Waccamaw-Siouan. The state also has four urban Indian associations including the Cumberland County Association for Indian People, Guilford Native American Association, Metrolina Native American Association and the Triangle Native American Association.
“We are grateful for North Carolina’s American Indians and all of the contributions they’ve made to our state,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “The rich history and traditions of our tribes make our state a more vibrant place for all.”
“As a native of both the Coharie and Lumbee Tribes, this month is particularly dear to me, as we not only celebrate family, culture and traditions but also educate North Carolinians on the rich diversity of our state,” said NC Department of Administration Secretary Pamela Brewington Cashwell. “We’ve lost many tribal members throughout the pandemic, but our roots are strong and so are the American Indian people.”
In April 2021, Secretary Cashwell made history as the first American Indian woman to head a state cabinet department in the state’s history. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau, more than 130,000 American Indians reside in North Carolina, making our state the second largest American Indian population east of the Mississippi River and the seventh largest American Indian population in the nation.
This year marks another milestone as the department celebrates the 50th anniversary of the creation of the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs . Established by the NC General Assembly, the Commission was formed to focus local, state and federal resources to support and advocate for the state’s American Indian population. For the past half century, the Commission and its staff have aided tribal communities by serving as a hub for information on housing assistance, educational resources, scholarships, healthcare, workforce development and more. The Commission and staff also have worked to promote the culture and traditions of North Carolinian’s American Indians.
The theme for this year’s American Indian Heritage Month is, “Strong Roots in Changing Times,” reflecting the resilience of American Indians throughout the pandemic and the continued preservation of their rich culture and traditions.
To celebrate American Indian Heritage Month, the Commission is again partnering with the NC Museum of History, North Carolina’s American Indian tribes and urban Indian organization to coordinate a weekend of special events. The 26th annual celebration will be virtual and is free and open to the public. This year, students and teachers can view live dancing and music during the celebration’s Education Day on November 19 from 9:30 am – 3:30pm. The main celebration will be held Saturday, November 20 from 11 am – 4pm and will feature live panel discussions and presentations.
To learn more about the upcoming American Indian Heritage Month Celebration visit the North Carolina Museum of History website for details. Read the proclamation here.
Cooper comments on Confederate monuments on State Capitol Grounds
Press Release, State & National June 22, 2020
RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper shared the following statement about Confederate monuments on Capitol grounds:
“I have ordered the Confederate monuments on the Capitol grounds be moved to protect public safety. I am concerned about the dangerous efforts to pull down and carry off large, heavy statues and the strong potential for violent clashes at the site. If the legislature had repealed their 2015 law that puts up legal roadblocks to removal we could have avoided the dangerous incidents of last night.
“Monuments to white supremacy don’t belong in places of allegiance, and it’s past time that these painful memorials be moved in a legal, safe way.”
The monuments being removed from the Capitol grounds include: the remainder of the North Carolina Confederate monument, the monument to the Women of the Confederacy, and the figure of Henry Lawson Wyatt.
In 2017, Governor Cooper called for Confederate monuments on State Capitol grounds to be relocated to museums or related historical sites where they can be viewed in context. Read the Governor’s Medium post on the monuments.
A North Carolina law passed in 2015 after the Charleston Emanuel AME Church killings prevents removal or relocation of objects of remembrance that are on public property. Governor Cooper has called on the legislature to repeal that law, which it has not done. The law includes an exemption if the monument is determined to pose a threat to public safety.
Feature image taken from Cooper’s medium post.
North Carolina Receives Federal COVID-19 Employment and Training Grant
Press Release, State & National May 29, 2020
RALEIGH: Governor Roy Cooper has announced that North Carolina has received a $6 million federal grant to support jobs and workforce training to help address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Getting more North Carolinians back to work in a safe way is a critical part of rebuilding our economy,” Governor Cooper said. “This grant will help workers and families that have been struggling financially due to COVID-19 get back on their feet.”
The North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Solutions (DWS) requested the funds, which were awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor. North Carolina is among a number of states and territories receiving these national Dislocated Worker Grants, which are funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“While our state is focused on making sure North Carolinians are healthy and safe, we also want to enhance their economic security,” N.C. Commerce Secretary Anthony Copeland said. “To support our state’s recovery, we will use these resources to help people find new jobs that provide vital services and to pay for needed job training, so that both workers and employers can thrive.”
Through the grant, eligible North Carolina residents may receive certain employment services or workforce training for industries that are hiring workers. Opportunities funded by the grant will vary depending on local needs, but may include:
- On-the-Job Training (OJT), in which a wage reimbursement incentive may be provided to a business to help offset the cost of training a new employee with limited skills.
- Temporary Employment, in positions that either conduct humanitarian assistance and public health duties (such as contact tracing and delivery of food and medical supplies to those in need) or assist with disaster clean-up and sanitizing areas to prevent the spread of disease. Employers for these positions must be either nonprofit organizations or government agencies.
- Occupational Skills Training and Supportive Services, including short-term training to dislocated workers, allowing them to pivot into jobs that are in-demand and services that provide transitional support to ensure jobseekers have the tools they need to be successful entering a new career.
To administer this grant, DWS will partner with 14 participating local workforce development boards (WDBs) that, collectively, serve 59 counties. These boards include:
- Cape Fear WDB (Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender counties);
- Capital Area WDB (Wake and Johnston counties);
- Centralina WDB (Anson, Cabarrus, Iredell, Lincoln, Rowan, Stanly and Union counties);
- Charlotte Works WDB (Mecklenburg County);
- Cumberland WDB (Cumberland County);
- Eastern Carolina WDB (Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Greene, Jones, Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico and Wayne counties);
- Gaston WDB (Gaston County);
- Guilford WDB (Guilford County);
- High Country WDB (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Watauga, Yancey, Mitchell and Wilkes counties);
- Kerr-Tar WDB (Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren counties);
- Lumber River WDB (Bladen, Hoke, Richmond, Robeson and Scotland counties);
- Mountain Area WDB (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties);
- Piedmont Triad Regional WDB (Caswell, Davie, Forsyth, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties); and
- Regional Partnership WDB (Alamance, Montgomery, Moore, Orange and Randolph counties).
Workers may be eligible for participation in the grant by being temporarily or permanently laid off as a consequence of COVID-19, or by meeting certain other criteria.
Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker training and employment programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses. DWS has recent experience administering federal grants of this type, in partnership with local workforce development boards, including grants that came in the wake of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
For more information about participating in the grant, employers in counties served by a participating local Workforce Development Board should contact that board, which can be found at www.ncawdb.org/local-boards/.