Path to Lumbee federal recognition remains uncertain amid political hurdles

An executive order issued by President Donald Trump his first week in office directed the Interior Department to create a plan for recognizing the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, according to The Associated Press. The plan was submitted to the White House in April, but last week the White House told The Associated Press that recognition for the tribe must come through legislation.

The tribe has been lobbying for decades to be recognized as a sovereign nation and has been working with U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina to pass the Lumbee Fairness Act, which was referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in January. Critics, including Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Principal Chief Michell Hicks, have questioned the Lumbee's genealogical claims. Lumbee Chairman John Lowery said the federal application process could take decades to complete and has instead urged congressional action. A 2022 estimate by the Congressional Budget Office put the cost of recognition at more than $360 million over four years.