Lumbee Tribe added to federal recognition list

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has been added to the official list of federally recognized tribes, formalizing its government-to-government relationship with the United States, according to the Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior Indian Affairs published the updated list in the Federal Register following President Donald J. Trump’s signing of legislation in December 2025 granting full federal recognition to the tribe.

According to the Department of the Interior, the action carries out federal recognition enacted into law and adds the Lumbee Tribe to the annual list of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal entities. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said federal recognition reflects respect, accountability and self-determination and acknowledges the tribe’s history of tribal governance. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Billy Kirkland said the list documents tribes with a government-to-government relationship with the United States and supports tribal sovereignty. The list is maintained and published annually by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Indian Services, Division of Tribal Government Services, according to the Department of the Interior.