For 136 years, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has fought for federal recognition in Congress.
This week, the tribe took a step closer to achieving precisely that.
On Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Arkansas, submitted on the House floor a bill supported by Rep. David Rouzer, a Republican from Wilmington, to recognize the tribe and provide its members with federal services and benefits.
The bill was passed 311-96 by the House, with only North Carolina Representatives Virginia Foxx and Chuck Edwards voting against it, but not all of the state’s House members were present.
Representative Richard Hudson, a Republican from Southern Pines, spoke in support of the bill and the tribe’s members.
“I rise in support of HR 1101, the Lumbee Fairness Act, which rights a historic wrong and provides long-overdue federal recognition for the Lumbee tribe,” Hudson told the crowd.
Hudson said his family has been in Robeson County for seven generations, and he has always heard stories about the Lumbee tribe.
“The Lumbees have deep cultural roots and traditions in our state, and have made significant contributions since North Carolina fully recognized the tribe in 1885.
” Hudson informed the audience. “And Congress recognized the Lumbee tribe in 1956, but they were discriminated against like no other tribe, and tragically denied the same protections and resources enjoyed by other federal tribes.”
The Lumbee tribe received federal recognition in 1956, but not the advantages that generally accompany it. This left the tribe with differing views over the years on whether they should pursue additional recognition.
Rouzer informed the House that the Lumbee Tribe has 55,000 members in Robeson, Hoke, Scotland, and Cumberland counties, making it the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth largest in the US.
“Now, despite their long history of cohesive culture, the Lumbee Tribe has never had access to the same resources exercised by every other federally recognized tribe during the termination era, when Congress ended the federal relationship with 60 tribes,” Mr. Rouzer added.
“The Lumbee Act of 1956 recognized the tribe’s existence while denying them the federal privileges and protections granted to other federally recognized tribes. This includes receiving benefits from the Indian Health Services and assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.”
Rouzer’s bill instructs the Department of the Interior and the Department of Health and Human Services to collaborate with the tribe to assess the need for qualifying services. The bill also requires the Department of Interior to put land into trust for the tribe’s benefit.
State officials are directed to retain jurisdiction over criminal offenses and civil actions on North Carolina lands owned by or held in trust for the Lumbee tribe or any dependent of the community, unless jurisdiction is transferred to the federal government via an agreement between the tribe and North Carolina officials.
The Lumbees originally sought recognition in 1888, hoping to secure federal money for the tribe’s educational requirements. At the time, the commissioner of Indian Affairs declined, citing a lack of funds.
Rouzer stated that a bill to recognize the tribe has been submitted 30 times with broad bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. And he warned that, although passing the House in each of the last two sessions of Congress, it never made it to the Senate floor or the president’s desk.
Rouzer’s bill was opposed on Tuesday by both Edwards, a Republican from Flat Rock, and Rep. Josh Brecheen, an Oklahoma Republican.
Both claimed that members of the tribe were unable to demonstrate that they are “historically tribal,” a traditional argument opposing Lumbee recognition.
Edwards swiftly acknowledged that he represented the area of North Carolina where the Eastern Band of Cherokee lives, describing the tribe as “a true treasure of the state.”
“In stark contrast, it must be noted that the Lumbee community has no standing treaties with the federal government, no reservation land and no common language,” Edwards told the crowd.
He stated that the Department of the Interior has a rigorous process for tribes seeking federal recognition, which includes genealogical and historical study.
“This legislation wholly bypasses the (Office of Federal Acknowledgment) process, and I believe that if the Lumbee community truly had a legitimate claim of federal recognition, they would go through that process like other prospective tribes have done,” Mr. Edwards said.
Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, both Republicans from North Carolina, have strongly supported the plan, which now moves to the Senate. Tillis was present on the House floor during Tuesday’s debate.