Lumbee Tribe Achieves Federal Recognition After Century-Long Struggle

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina secured federal recognition Wednesday when Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act, ending a quest that began more than a century ago. The historic legislation, awaiting presidential signature, transforms the tribe’s status and opens doors to substantial federal resources.

“It means a lot because we have been figuring out how to get here for so long,” said Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery while celebrating in North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis’ office. “We have been second-class Natives and we will never be that again, and no one can take it away from us.”

Over 200 Lumbee members gathered in a Pembroke, North Carolina gymnasium to watch the Senate vote live on television. When the bill passed, the crowd erupted in celebration with shouts, raised hands, and applause.

Federal recognition grants the tribe access to crucial resources, including federal funding streams, grants, and services like the Indian Health Service. The tribe will now be able to put land into trust, giving it greater control over taxation and economic development projects, potentially including casino operations.

Victor Dial, who attended the celebration with his 8-month-old daughter Collins, reflected on his grandfather’s work as a former tribal chairman. “He told us the importance of this, and he told us this day would happen, but we didn’t know when,” Dial said. “I’m so glad my kids were here to see it.”

A Winding Path to Recognition

The Lumbee Tribe’s journey toward federal acknowledgment spans generations. In the 1980s, the tribe attempted to gain recognition through the Office of Federal Acknowledgement within the Interior Department. However, the application was declined due to a 1956 congressional act that acknowledged the Lumbee but specifically withheld federal recognition benefits.

That decision was reversed in 2016, allowing the tribe to pursue recognition through federal administrative channels. However, the Lumbee chose to continue seeking recognition directly through Congress.

The recognition effort gained significant momentum when President Donald Trump endorsed the tribe during his 2024 campaign. The legislation, which had previously struggled to pass on its own, was ultimately incorporated into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.

Once officially recognized, the Lumbee will become one of the largest tribal nations in the United States, with approximately 60,000 members. Congressional Budget Office estimates indicate that providing the tribe with necessary federal resources will cost hundreds of millions of dollars in the initial years alone.

“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,” said Kevin Washburn, former assistant secretary of Indian affairs at the Interior Department and professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Controversy Over Heritage Claims

The recognition has not been without controversy. Some tribal leaders, historians, and genealogists have opposed the Lumbee recognition, arguing that the tribe’s claims cannot be properly verified and that Congress should require them to complete the formal recognition process.

“Federal recognition does not create us — it acknowledges us,” testified Shawnee Tribe Chief Ben Barnes before the Senate last month. Barnes, who opposes Lumbee recognition, warned against substituting political considerations for historical documentation.

Critics point to the tribe’s history of changing names, including previously identifying as Cherokee Indians of Robeson County, and note the lack of 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 counters that it descends from ancestors “from the Algonquian, Iroquoian and Siouan language families,” according to its website, and emphasizes that North Carolina has recognized the tribe since 1885.

Political Factors

The Lumbee recognition has received bipartisan support, though political considerations have played a role in its timing. Federal recognition became a campaign promise from both Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential race.

“He kept that promise and showed extraordinary leadership,” said Senator Tillis, who introduced the bill to recognize the tribe.

Robeson County, where most Lumbee members live, has undergone political changes in recent years. Once a Democratic stronghold, the socially conservative area has shifted toward the Republican party. The Lumbee population represents an important voting bloc in North Carolina, a swing state that Trump won by more than three percentage points.

In January, Trump issued an executive order directing the Interior Department to develop a plan for Lumbee recognition. That plan was submitted to the White House in April, with the department advising the tribe to pursue recognition through Congress.

Since then, Chairman Lowery has worked closely with congressional members, particularly Tillis, and appealed directly to Trump. In September, Lowery wrote to Trump revealing ancestral connections between the Lumbee Tribe and the president’s daughter Tiffany Trump, according to Bloomberg, which first reported on the correspondence.

The Lumbee now join 574 federally recognized tribal nations. Since the Office of Federal Acknowledgement was established in 1978, 18 tribes have been recognized through that agency, while about two dozen gained recognition through congressional legislation.