Lumbee Tribe receives full federal recognition after 137-year effort
December 20, 20253:57 PM ET
John Lowery, chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and a state representative (center) is comforted, as he cries tears of joy. Lowery and other members of the tribe gathered in Washington, D.C., to mark the passage of a bill granting full federal recognition on Wednesday.
After a 137-year struggle, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has finally received full federal recognition from the U.S. government. Members of the Native American tribe shed tears as it reached the historic milestone in Washington, D.C., this week. Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery witnessed President Trump sign the bill that extended acknowledgment to the tribe at the White House on Thursday.
"I'm so thankful today for everyone who has helped us along this way — everyone from our ancestors from the late 1880s all the way up to present day. So many people have been a part of this fight," Lowery said in a video posted to the tribe's social media accounts. Federal lawmakers included the Lumbee Fairness Act in the $900 billion annual military spending package.
The Lumbee first petitioned Congress for federal recognition in 1888. The tribe then only received partial recognition in 1956.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein applauded this week's milestone. "The state has long recognized the Lumbee Tribe," he said in a news release. "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."
Trump issued a memo in January directing the Interior Department to develop a plan to assist the tribe in obtaining full federal recognition.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opposed the recognition. Tribal leaders said the Lumbee circumvented proper federal eligibility procedures that require historical evidence of Native heritage. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians had been the only federally recognized Native American tribe in North Carolina. The Lumbee is now the 575th federally recognized tribe in the United States.
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