Meet the 2023 Catawba Nation Election Nominees: Roo George-Warren
"Citizen trust, government accountability, and transparency are one of my top priorities."
Update (May 10, 2023): This and other articles has been updated to reflect the title of “nominee” rather than “candidate”. Sources from the Catawba Nation Longhouse have advised that the final list of candidates may not be available until late May 2023.
Editor's Note: Catawba Future is publishing these statements word for word as received through our Catawba Nation Election Candidate Survey - no edits have been made. Our goal is to provide transparent insight directly to Catawba Citizens from Catawba Nation election nominees independent of the Catawba Nation tribal government. The nominee responses have been verified by phone to ensure they are straight from the source. The responses of the candidates represent their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or opinions of the Catawba Future team. This article is not intended nor should be interpreted to endorse any specific nominee or candidate.
Roo George-Warren is running for the position of Executive Committee Member at Large. Check out his responses to our questions below:
What is the most important issue for your platform in this election?
The most important issues to me are culture and education. For the last 150 years Catawbas have had little-to-no say in how our children are educated. First through the Boarding Schools and now through the public education system; those systems were not created for us and don’t prioritize our needs. As a sovereign nation we have the right - and I would say, the responsibility - to take back control of educating our children. There are many ways to do this (tribal public school, a charter school, a private school, community-supported school, etc) and thankfully we don’t have to start from scratch as many, many other tribes have already built schools from the Akwesasne Freedom School up north to the Keres Learning Center out west. It’s important that however we decide to do this we don’t simply copy the type of schooling that most of us grew up with - sitting in a chair for 8 hours a day while an adult talks to us - but one built around our community and cultural values, that respects who children are, prepares them for who will they become, and teaches them about what it means to be a Catawba person.
What do you believe qualifies you to be elected for this position?
In 2017 I moved back home from Washington, DC to work for our community. I came back specifically to work on our Language Project but since then I’ve been able to work on a number of projects in the nation including the return of our traditional corn, educational projects, public programs, various tribal boards, and lots of grant-writing. I’ve also been lucky through my work to visit lots of other tribal communities to see how they are addressing governance, education, food sovereignty, justice, housing, and more. Through these experiences I’ve not only developed a deep understanding of the programs we have in Catawba Nation but also what’s possible when tribal nations come together to tackle big challenges. I want to use these experiences to serve my community through thoughtful consideration and leadership.
What do you feel you can do for the Catawba Tribe?
We are at such an exciting moment in Catawba history. After many, many years of fighting to be able to build a Casino we are finally able to start enjoying the fruits of that labor. But at the same time I think this is a scary moment for our tribe. I’ve seen and heard from tribes who have had gaming for decades how quickly the influx of gaming dollars can warp politics. I also know from learning about our history how quickly things can change. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act was only established in 1988; that’s less than 40 years ago! Federal Indian Law can change rapidly and we have no guarantee that any gaming we undertake will be in existence 1, 5, 10, or 50 years from now which is why it’s so crucial to use this moment and these gaming dollars to invest in the things that matter: culture, the health and wellness of our community, the integrity of our land, the care of our elders, and the nurturing/education of our youth. As a member of the Executive Committee I will bring forthrightness, responsibility, and deliberateness to decisions related to gaming, accountability, and transparency. But more than that I will work to ensure that the fruits of that work are going towards things to improve the lives of Catawbas - not just now but for many, many generations to come. Of course, nothing can happen through the work of 1 person or even 5 people. Any good that comes to Catawba Nation will be accomplished through all of us working together.
What steps would you take to build Citizen trust in Catawba institutions?
Citizen trust, government accountability, and transparency are one of my top priorities. It’s admirable that we as citizens of Catawba Nation hold our government to the highest standards and that we demand accountability and transparency. One important step in honoring those demands is expanding access to Executive Committee and General Council resolutions. These are the laws of our Nation and if they are to be taken seriously as laws they have to not just be technically available but easily accessible. In addition to transparency it’s also crucial that our government is responsive to the needs of the citizens. We are very lucky as a tribe to have such incredible, hard-working employees. As someone who has worked for the tribe, albeit not as an employee, what I have seen is that many programs and projects are paused or stopped at the EC approval level. Obviously Executive Committee review is a crucial part of oversight and not every proposal that is brought to the EC will be approved, but that oversight function can happen more swiftly, with more thoughtful deliberation, without halting projects for weeks, months, or even years.
What do you believe is the best way for the Election Committee to stay in touch with Catawba Citizens?
The Executive Committee should be interacting with the community in a number of ways. One way is through community events, group conversations, and individual conversations. Another way is through the General Council meetings as well as the Executive Committee sessions, most of which are open to the tribal community although there are probably better ways of advertising that opportunity. It’s also 2023 so I believe individual Committee members as well as the EC as a whole should be making use of social media to communicate with our citizens. Good leadership is an ongoing conversation with the community, not a small group of people making decisions in an isolated bubble.
What's one policy or project you would work to implement during your time in office?
As a Catawba citizen I know how important land is to our ancestors, our descendents, and our people today. That’s why I will work as an Executive Committee member to resolve issues surrounding the piece of land that many of us refer to as the “Church Farm”. This was a piece of land that Catawbas sold to the Church of Latter Day Saints in the 1960’s as a way to protect that land and ensure Catawbas could still use it for agriculture. We sold it for $1 in exchange for the church holding it in trust for the use of Catawba citizens. This is where my grandpa took me to grow potatoes, tomatoes, and other food in the ‘90’s. Unfortunately the Church has begun plans to transform the land for other uses, contradicting the promise made to us in the ‘60s. As an Executive Committee member I will work with the other Committee members to come to the table with church leadership to have this difficult but important conversation to ensure that this land is available to Catawbas for generations to come. In addition to opening a conversation with church leadership about the future of that land, I also think it’s important for the Executive Committee to meet with York County about the planning of the Catawba Bend Preserve, a piece of land that connects our two reservations in which no Catawba input was taken during the Master Planning Process.
What is your favorite food?
Anyone who has walked with me on our trails knows that I love snacking on some of the delicious plants we have growing here on our lands. When I’m at home cooking I love making soups (you gotta try my butternut squash soup) and when I’m out for a meal I love a Nashville style hot chicken or a mustard-based BBQ.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
I’ve shared a few of my ideas but I’d love to hear your ideas: how can we make our Nation better, stronger, more beautiful, and resilient enough to last another 6,000 years. Please feel free to reach out to me on FB, insta, or email me at delesslingw@gmail.com. Hawu kuri niitemp!