The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has achieved full federal recognition from the U.S. government, concluding an effort that spanned 137 years. President Trump signed legislation granting this acknowledgment, which was incorporated into a $900 billion annual military spending package. This designation provides the tribe, comprising 55,000 members, access to federal resources and programs, though it also met with opposition from another federally recognized tribe regarding the recognition process.
Federal Recognition Granted
On Thursday in Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump signed legislation that extended full federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. The Lumbee Fairness Act, which grants this recognition, was included within the annual military spending package. Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery was present at the White House for the signing. Prior to this legislative action, President Trump had issued a memo in January directing the Interior Department to develop a plan to assist the tribe in achieving full federal recognition.
The Lumbee Tribe
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina consists of 55,000 members. Its territory is located in the southeastern part of the state, encompassing Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland, and Scotland Counties.
Implications of Recognition
Full federal recognition provides the Lumbee Tribe with access to federal resources and funding administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). These benefits are intended to support housing, education, and health care services. Tribal Chairman Lowery identified Indian Health Services as a significant benefit, stating it would provide services to members without health insurance or those with high health care costs. In 2022, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that providing health benefits to Lumbee Tribe members through the Indian Health Service would cost the federal government approximately $250 million over four years.
Additionally, federally recognized tribes acquire specific rights to self-governance. The designation enhances tribal control over economic development by authorizing the BIA to take land into trust for the tribe's benefit.
Historical Background
The Lumbee Tribe first petitioned Congress for federal recognition in 1888. The tribe received partial recognition in 1956.
Official Reactions and Opposition
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein acknowledged the recognition, noting that the state has recognized the Lumbee Tribe for an extended period. He stated that full federal recognition would provide members with access to federal health care, education, housing, child care, and disaster relief benefits available to other federally recognized tribes, which could potentially foster economic opportunities for the tribe and its surrounding community.
Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who sponsored the bipartisan Lumbee Fairness Act, issued a statement on the designation, describing it as an action allowing the Lumbee people to access federal benefits.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians expressed opposition to the recognition. Tribal leaders stated that the Lumbee Tribe circumvented established federal eligibility procedures, which require historical evidence of Native heritage. Before this recognition, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians was the sole federally recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. The Lumbee Tribe now represents the 575th federally recognized tribe in the United States.
Federal Acknowledgment Process
More than a dozen tribes from various states are currently petitioning the Interior Department for federal acknowledgment. The Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) evaluates petitions based on criteria that include anthropological, genealogical, and historical research. The Department denies petitions that do not meet its seven-part criteria, which define an Indian tribe under federal law, including the requirement that a petitioner demonstrates existence as a distinct community from 1900 until the present. Petitioners may experience lengthy waiting periods for resolutions.