Trump executive order on Lumbee recognition sparks pushback

President Donald Trump’s recent executive order directing the Department of the Interior to create a pathway for federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has raised concerns among tribal leaders about bypassing established procedures. According to NBC News, the order follows campaign promises to support the Lumbees’ long-standing efforts for federal recognition.

Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Chief Brad KillsCrow of the Delaware Tribe of Indians criticized the move for circumventing the Office of Federal Acknowledgment, which has recognized over 500 tribes through a formal process since 1978. “Don’t try to take a back door,” KillsCrow said. Hicks emphasized the need for a “diligent process,” urging that recognition not become a political tool.