James Ernest Goins (August 31, 1948 – June 7, 2015) was an American

Lumbee The Lumbee are a Native American people primarily centered in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland and Scotland counties in North Carolina. They also live in surrounding states and Baltimore, Maryland. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-recog ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who served as the Chairman of the

Lumbee Tribe The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-recognized tribe in North Carolina. The tribe represents Lumbee people. They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe. With an estimated 55,000 members, the Lumbee Tribe of North Caroli ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

from 2004 to 2010. As Lumbee Tribal Chairman, Goins led efforts to gain

federal recognition This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...

for the Lumbee tribe during the 2000s. The 55,000-member Lumbee have achieved North Carolina state recognition, but have not yet received federal recognition. The Lumbee are the largest tribe living east of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

who have not received federal recognition. Goins was born on August 31, 1948, to Ernest and Ola Lee Goins. He was raised in

Prospect, North Carolina Prospect is a census-designated place (CDP) in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 690 at the 2000 census. Located due northeast of Pembroke, Prospect is a traditionally Methodist community, with its church members la ...

. In 1965, Goins was a member of the Prospect High School

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

team which won the Indian Basketball Championship. Goins later served as an infantry squad leader with the 504th Infantry Regiment of the

82nd Airborne Division The 82nd Airborne Division is an Airborne forces, airborne infantry division (military), division of the United States Army specializing in Paratrooper, parachute assault operations into denied areasSof, Eric"82nd Airborne Division" ''Spec Ops ...

during the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

.Jin Hyun Lee
"Lumbee Tribe"
''

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States Armed Forces, United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for Amphibious warfare, amphibious assault training, and its ...

news website,'' 26 November 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2019. Jimmy Goins served as the Chairman of the Lumbee Tribe for six years from 2004 until 2010. As Chairman, Goins led efforts to achieve federal recognition for the Lumbee during the 2000s. He testified before the

United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is a committee of the United States Senate charged with oversight in matters related to the American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples. A Committee on Indian Affairs existed from 1820 to 19 ...

in September 2007 in an effort to gain recognition. In 2010, Goins signed a controversial lobbying contract with a

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

-based gaming consultant. Goins ran for Chairman again in 2012, but lost the election his successor, incumbent Lumbee Chairman Paul Brooks, on November 12, 2012. Brooks received 2,559 votes, or 52% of the vote, while Goins placed second with 2,042 votes (42%). A third candidate, Lynn Bruce Jacobs, received 298 votes (6%). A resident of

Philadelphus, North Carolina Philadelphus is a census-designated place (CDP) in Robeson County, North Carolina, United States. The community is located between the towns of Pembroke and Red Springs. It was established between 1796 and 1799. Notable person *Jimmy Goins – ...

, he and his wife, Diane Goins, had three daughters, Rhonda, Jackie and Jamie. Jimmy Goins was killed in a car accident at 1:30 p.m. on June 7, 2015, at the age of 66. Goins was driving on

North Carolina Highway 71 North Carolina Highway 71 (NC 71) is a state highway that serves the communities of Maxton, North Carolina, Maxton, Red Springs, North Carolina, Red Springs, Shannon, North Carolina, Shannon, Lumber Bridge, North Carolina, Lumber Bridge, and Park ...

, approximately 4.4 miles from the town of

Maxton, North Carolina Maxton is a town in Robeson and Scotland counties, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,426 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. History The Maxton area was first settled in the 18th century. The community was incorporated in 1874 ...

, when the accident occurred. North Carolina

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Pat McCrory Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor o ...

and North Carolina First Lady

Ann McCrory Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

released a joint statement of condolence following Goins' death. McCrory ordered that all state flags be lowered to

half staff Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salu ...

in Goins' memory on June 11, 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goins, Jimmy 1948 births 2015 deaths 21st-century Native Americans United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War Lumbee people Military personnel from North Carolina Native American leaders Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina politicians North Carolina politicians People from Maxton, North Carolina People from Robeson County, North Carolina United States Army soldiers