I need to get a medicine bag sent into my man. Tehre is an elder who is gonna get us the medicine bag and he asked for me to contact the Lumbee Tribe office. I did...but they are not being very helpful. they keep telling me they can't do it because they are not federally recongized. They don't have to be! All they need to do is contact the chaplin at the prison and let them know they will be sending one for approval...
does anyone know who I may be able to get to mail this in?

Diane

You need to contact whatever Elder goes in to conduct ceremonies in the prison he's in. He'll know what to do and maybe if it's required to contact the Lumbee Tribal office, he can make them understand what it is that's needed. The Elder who goes in for the ceremonies (if there is one at that prison) doesn't need to be Lumbee himself, but he'll be the best one to be able to help you and the Chaplain would be the one you could call and ask. If he's no help, ask your man what the Elder's name is and how to contact him. Failing that, contact the Warden and see if he can help you. Now, all of this is providing that your man is allowed to have a medicine bag, because they're still not allowed in some prisons. If you can't send him one, he can make himself one using whatever is available to him to contain what he wants in there. It doesn't have to be a medicine bag made by someone out here. The "medicine" is in the artifacts themselves, not in the container being made of buckskin or to look like what the common idea of them might be. If you're Native American yourself, then you'd already know this, but in case you're not, it might be of help to you. It's customary to make one's own medicine bag anyway.

I am not Native...so thanks for your info! They will allow him one to be sent in but it has to be arranged with a tribe and the chaplin there. Thanks for your help

You're very welcome. Does it have to be his tribe? If not, then that would make it easier. Good luck to you. You're more than welcome for the help. I hope you can get it in to him.

thats the whole thing. I don't think it has to be his tribe...and since they are not working with us here...if I could find any "tribe"...it might work. I will find out more.
Thanks

You're very welcome. Do an internet search on "eastern Native American tribes" or something like that, if you haven't already, and see if you can find some websites for the recognized as well as non-recognized tribes. Here's an url you might find helpful:

http://www.500nations.com

The page loads slow, but be patient. There's also

http://www.gatheringofnations.com

If that last one doesn't help you, at least you're guaranteed a wonderful website to browse on and you can listen to Native American radio there online, too.

While I'm at it, here's one purely for browsing pleasure:

http://www.powwows.com