Lumbee tribe urged to seek recognition through Congress

The Department of the Interior has told the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina to continue pursuing federal recognition through Congress, according to The Assembly. Elizabeth Peace, a department spokesperson, was quoted as saying, “We anticipate the tribe will work with Congress on a path forward to be formally recognized.”

The Lumbee have been asking Congress for federal recognition for decades, according to The Assembly. The largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi with 55,000 members, the Lumbee have had state recognition since 1885 and partial federal recognition since 1956, which does not provide financial benefits afforded to fully recognized tribes. Tribal Chairman John Lowery said legislative action is “the only clear and concise way to amend the Lumbee Act of 1956.”