Congress has approved and President Trump has signed the Lumbee Fairness Act, granting federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe and making its members eligible for a wide range of federal programs and services.
“The history of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina long predates the history of the State of North Carolina itself,” said Governor Josh Stein in a press release. “The state has long recognized the Lumbee Tribe. Full federal recognition will allow members access to the federal health care, education, housing, child care, and disaster relief benefits afforded other federally recognized tribes. These benefits will, in turn, create economic opportunities for the Tribe and the surrounding community. I applaud this long-delayed recognition, which will reap benefits for the Lumbee and North Carolina.”
More than 130,000 Native Americans live in North Carolina; more than 40% of those are Lumbee. With more than 56,000 members, the Lumbee is the largest tribe in the state and the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River.
“We celebrate with the Lumbee people in this long-awaited federal recognition that both acknowledges their history and provides access to much-needed resources for tribal members,” said Secretary Gabriel J. Esparza, who leads the Administration Department that includes the Commission of Indian Affairs.
Since 1974, some form of legislation to provide federal recognition to the Lumbee passed the House of Representatives nine times but never succeeded in the Senate. This year, Governor Stein sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging the Senate to pass legislation to confer the benefits of full federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe. The NC Commission of Indian Affairs has advocated for federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe since the advisory body was legally established more than 50 years ago.
“Generations of Lumbee have been waiting decades for this day,” said Greg Bryant, Chair of the NC Commission of Indian Affairs. “Words cannot adequately capture how meaningful and impactful this formal federal recognition is for our Lumbee tribal members, yes, but also for all the other native tribal members who call North Carolina home.”
Federal recognition will enable the Lumbee Tribe to apply directly to the federal government for grants and receive services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Indian Health Service. These programs and services include disaster assistance, education, natural resource management, housing, health care, transportation, and broadband internet access. Access will, in turn, benefit the state as a whole.
“Full federal recognition will boost economic opportunity in southeastern North Carolina and cement the legacy of a tribe that has made so many important contributions to our state and nation,” said Pamela B. Cashwell, Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources. “I am excited for the future both as someone of Lumbee heritage and as the cabinet Secretary overseeing the North Carolina American Indian Heritage Commission.”
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Contributed article. Photo courtesy Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
