Gilbert Blue, the longtime chief of the Catawba Nation of South Carolina, resigned unexpectedly on Saturday. Blue, 73, led the tribe for 34 years. His biggest achievement was securing a land claim settlement and federal recognition in 1993. But the tribe has been through turbulent times since then. A new constitution hasn't been adopted and elections that were supposed to be called after passage of the land claim settlement were never held. As rival factions battled in and out of court, one of the tribe's top executives was indicted for misusing funds. Revenue at the tribe's bingo halls dropped dramatically after the state legalized the lottery, prompting layoffs, a temporary governmental shutdown and a legal dispute with the state. Blue survived it all but said he got tired of the bickering. "I don't mind people disagreeing with me. But we have some that are so mean-spirited, you can't reason with them. I'm really getting tired of fighting it," he told The Rock Hill Herald. The Catawba Nation is the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina. Get the Story:
Battle-weary Catawba chief set on leaving: 'It's just not worth it' (The Rock Hill Herald 3/20)
Longtime Catawba chief steps down (The State 3/20)
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Catawba chief leaves complex legacy (The Charlotte Observer 3/20)
pw1 Relevant Links:
Catawba Cultural Preservation Project - http://www.ccppcrafts.com Related Stories:
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