By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Washington, DC — The Lumbee Tribal leadership recently traveled to Washington, DC, to lobby for full federal recognition through the Lumbee Fairness Act. Introduced by outgoing Senator Thom Tillis in January of 2025, the Lumbee Fairness Act seeks to make the Tribe and its members eligible for all services and benefits provided by the Federal Government to federally recognized Indian tribes, like education and healthcare. The purpose is for Federal services and benefits to be provided to those members of the Tribe residing in Robeson, Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland counties in North Carolina, who shall be deemed to be residing on or near an Indian reservation. Section seven of the act mentions, “With respect to land located within the State of North Carolina that is owned by, or held in trust by the United States for the benefit of, the Tribe, or any dependent Indian community of the Tribe, the State of North Carolina shall exercise jurisdiction over all criminal offenses that are committed; and all civil actions that arise.”
According to ABC11, “North Carolina recognized the Lumbee Tribe in 1885, and while Congress did the same in 1956, it did not provide the full federal benefits of other tribes.”
"During the 20th century, the Lumbee were among the dozens of victims of the termination era, one of the darkest periods in federal Indian policy. In 1956, Congress passed the Lumbee Act. It acknowledged the Tribe, but cruelly denied them the benefits and the recognition that every other tribe receives. The federal government has since worked to correct the grave injustices of the termination era for nearly every single tribe, except for the Lumbee. Time and again, the Lumbee have proven their case," said Sen. Thom Tillis, who has led efforts on the Lumbee Fairness Act, a bill co-sponsored by Senator Ted Budd and 18 other Senators. Tillis went on to share, “These days, it's rare to see Republicans and Democrats come together on anything. But when it comes to Lumbee recognition, the support is overwhelming, and it's bipartisan.”
Recognition will need to come through legislation, with over 60,000 members of the tribe largely residing in Robeson County; this is a popular issue in North Carolina politics, yet not everyone is on board. There is pushback coming directly from the Native American Community. Ben Barnes, the Chief of the Shawnee Tribe, has stated, "The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma turned to a respected historian and genealogist to examine the record. That research did not attempt to define who the Lumbee are. It simply asked a single question: Can the Lumbees' tribal claims be verified by historical and genealogical evidence? The resounding answer was no."
Known as the "People of the Dark Water," the Lumbee are descendants of multiple tribes from the Siouan, Algonquian, and Iroquoian language families. While the State of North Carolina officially recognized them as a tribe in 1885, the Lumbee have been seeking full federal recognition since 1888. We will keep you updated regarding this issue.
