Following the Senate's approval of the National Defense Authorization Act this Wednesday, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina stands on the brink of obtaining federal recognition as a tribal nation.
This state-recognized tribe, whose historical and genealogical assertions have sparked debate, has pursued federal acknowledgment for many generations. Congressional deliberations on this matter have spanned over three decades, with momentum building after former President Donald Trump expressed support for the tribe during his campaign last year.
"It's going to be a very, very emotional time for us. It's going to be a time to rejoice and a time to be happy," stated Charles Graham, a member of the Lumbee Tribe, retired special education teacher, and former state legislator. "We'll be able to stand on our principles in terms of who we are, where we've been, our sovereignty, and we can speak to that with a lot of pride."
Federal recognition will grant the tribe access to various federal resources, including new funding streams, grants, services like the Indian Health Service, and the authority to place land into trust.
Path to Acknowledgment
In the 1980s, the Lumbee Tribe attempted to gain recognition through the Office of Federal Acknowledgement in the Interior Department, which assesses tribal applicants' historical and genealogical claims. The office rejected the application, referencing a 1956 congressional act that acknowledged the tribe but denied the benefits of federal recognition.
This decision was overturned in 2016, permitting the Lumbee to seek recognition via the federal administrative route. However, the tribe opted to continue pursuing acknowledgment through congressional legislation.
Currently, there are 574 federally recognized tribal nations. Since the Office of Federal Acknowledgement was created in 1978, 18 tribes have been approved by the agency, while approximately two dozen have gained recognition through acts of Congress. Nineteen applications are pending before the agency, with at least one under congressional review.
Upon federal recognition, the Lumbee Tribe would become one of the largest tribal nations in the United States, with around 60,000 members. Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office suggest that providing the tribe with essential federal resources could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in the initial years.
"Hopefully, Congress will expand the pie in appropriations so that the other tribes, many of which are poor, don't suffer because there's suddenly such a larger number of Native Americans in that region," commented Kevin Washburn, former assistant secretary of Indian affairs at the Interior Department and a professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.
More than 200 Lumbee members assembled in a gymnasium in Pembroke, North Carolina, to watch the final Senate vote on television. They erupted in cheers, raised hands, and applause as unofficial results indicated the bill would secure final congressional approval.
After the vote, a drum circle performed and chanted for the elated crowd, who had waited patiently in folding chairs and gym bleachers.
Controversies Over Claims
Not all in Indian country are rejoicing. The move has faced opposition from some tribal leaders, historians, and genealogists who contend that the Lumbee's claims cannot be verified and that Congress should mandate the tribe to complete the formal recognition process.
"Federal recognition does not create us — it acknowledges us," testified Shawnee Tribe Chief Ben Barnes, an opponent of Lumbee recognition, before the Senate last month. He cautioned against substituting historical documentation with political factors.
Critics have pointed out that the Lumbee have a history of altering claims and previously used different names, such as Cherokee Indians of Robeson County, and argue the tribe lacks a documented historical language.
"If identity becomes a matter of assertion rather than continuity, then this body will not be recognizing tribes, it will be manufacturing them," Barnes told lawmakers.
The Lumbee Tribe responds that it descends from a blend of ancestors "from the Algonquian, Iroquoian and Siouan language families," as per its website, and highlights its recognition by North Carolina since 1885.
Political Dynamics in Recognition
While the Lumbee Tribe has garnered bipartisan support over time, federal recognition became a campaign pledge for both Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during the recent presidential election.
"President Trump traveled to Robeson County and pledged to get federal recognition done. He kept that promise and showed extraordinary leadership," said Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who proposed a bill to recognize the Lumbee Tribe.
Robeson County, home to most Lumbee members, has undergone political changes in recent years. Once a Democratic stronghold, the socially conservative area has leaned Republican. The Lumbee Tribe's approximately 60,000 members in North Carolina form a significant voting bloc in this swing state, which Trump won by over three points.
In January, Trump issued an executive order directing the Interior Department to formulate a plan for Lumbee recognition. The plan was delivered to the White House in April, and a department spokesperson indicated the tribe was advised to seek recognition through Congress.
Since then, Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery has collaborated closely with congressional members, especially North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, and made direct appeals to Trump. In September, Lowery wrote to Trump citing ancestral connections between the Lumbee Tribe and the president's daughter Tiffany Trump, according to Bloomberg, which first reported on the letter.
"We are confident that with your continued support and advocacy, we will successfully achieve full federal recognition of our nation," Lowery wrote.
