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The Senate Could Finish It Next Week
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina just cleared the biggest hurdle in their 137-year fight for federal recognition.
On December 10, 2025, the U.S. House passed a defense bill with the Lumbee Fairness Act tucked inside, and the Senate is expected to vote next week.
If it passes, the tribe’s 60,000 members will finally receive the federal benefits that were specifically denied to them in 1956.
They live in one of the poorest counties in North Carolina, and recognition could bring health care, education funding, and the authority to build a casino along Interstate 95.
The tribe has been asking Congress for this since 1888, and what happened in between explains why this vote matters so much.
Wikimedia Commons/Momlumbee
House Passes Recognition 312 to 112
The U.S. House voted 312 to 112 on December 10 to approve the National Defense Authorization Act, which included the Lumbee Fairness Act as an amendment.
The $900 billion defense bill is considered must-pass legislation, and North Carolina lawmakers used that leverage to finally push recognition through.
Tribal Chairman John Lowery thanked President Trump for keeping the issue a priority during negotiations.
The bill now moves to the Senate, where a vote is expected next week.
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The Tribe First Asked Congress in 1888
The Lumbee have been fighting for federal recognition. Archaeological evidence shows Native people have lived in that area continuously for at least 14,000 years.
North Carolina officially recognized them in 1885, and they petitioned Congress for federal status just three years later.
The tribe’s ancestors were survivors of several nations from the Algonquian, Iroquoian, and Siouan language families who came together along the Lumber River in what is now Robeson County.
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Eisenhower Signed the Problem Into Law
In 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Lumbee Act, which acknowledged the tribe as the “Lumbee Indians of North Carolina” but explicitly denied them federal benefits.
The law recognized their existence while cutting them off from the services available to every other federally recognized tribe in the country.
That half-measure has defined the Lumbee’s legal status for nearly 70 years.
Congress has passed recognition bills in the House several times since then, but the Senate has blocked every attempt.
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60,000 Members in Deep Poverty
The Lumbee are headquartered in Robeson County, one of the poorest places in North Carolina.
About 28% of residents live below the poverty line, and the median household income sits around $38,000, roughly half the national average.
The tribe has nearly 60,000 enrolled members, making them the largest tribe in America east of the Mississippi River and the ninth-largest overall.
Most Lumbee live in Robeson County and the adjacent counties of Cumberland, Hoke, and Scotland.
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Recognition Unlocks Federal Health Care
Federal recognition would give the Lumbee access to the Indian Health Service, which provides medical care to members of federally recognized tribes.
It would also open up education grants, housing programs, and the authority to take land into federal trust.
The tribe estimates recognition could bring millions of dollars annually to a region that has struggled economically for decades.
Tribal Chairman John Lowery has called it “a promise long overdue that will provide economic benefit to everyone in Robeson County.”
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A Casino Could Follow Along I-95
Federal recognition would allow the Lumbee to build a tribal casino under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
The most likely location would be somewhere in Robeson County along Interstate 95, where about 40,000 cars pass through daily.
Some experts believe a Lumbee casino could generate more business than the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ casino in western North Carolina because of the heavy traffic on the East Coast’s main north-south highway.
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The Tribe Routed the KKK in 1958
Two years after Eisenhower signed the Lumbee Act, the Ku Klux Klan tried to hold a rally near Maxton to intimidate the tribe.
On January 18, 1958, about 50 Klansmen gathered in a field near Hayes Pond. What they did not know was that 500 armed Lumbee men had surrounded them.
When someone shot out the single light bulb illuminating the rally, the Lumbee opened fire into the air. The Klansmen fled, leaving their robes and banner behind.
The Klan never held another rally in Robeson County.
Wikimedia Commons/Jackson A. Lanier
Trump and Harris Both Made Promises
The Lumbee’s political clout in battleground North Carolina drew attention from both presidential candidates in 2024.
Donald Trump promised recognition at a September rally in Wilmington, and Kamala Harris made the same pledge during her campaign.
Trump won North Carolina by more than three points.
Just three days after his inauguration in January 2025, he signed a memorandum directing the Interior Department to create a plan for full Lumbee recognition.
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Trump Ordered a Recognition Plan in January
The January 23 memorandum established that supporting full federal recognition for the Lumbee is official U.S.policy.
It directed the Interior Secretary to review all legal pathways and submit a plan within 90 days. The Interior Department sent its report to the White House in April but has not released it publicly.
Officials reportedly advised the tribe to continue pursuing recognition through Congress, which led to the strategy of attaching the Lumbee Fairness Act to the defense bill.
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The Cherokee Oppose the Move
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in North Carolina, has publicly opposed Lumbee recognition.
Principal Chief Michell Hicks says the Lumbee have never proven they descend from a historical tribe and should go through the standard federal acknowledgment process instead of bypassing it through Congress.
Other tribes from western states have also objected, citing concerns about competition for federal funding and skepticism about Lumbee ancestry.
Supporters dismiss the opposition as protection of casino competition.
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The Senate Could Vote Next Week
If the National Defense Authorization Act passes the Senate and President Trump signs it, the Lumbee will finally receive the recognition and benefits denied to them since 1956.
Chairman Lowery has asked tribal members to pray for the legislation’s passage.
The tribe would become eligible for Indian Health Service care, Bureau of Indian Affairs programs, and the legal authority to establish gaming operations.
After 137 years of trying, the Lumbee are closer than they have ever been.
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Visiting Lumberton, North Carolina
The Lumbee call the Lumber River region home, and you can learn about their history at the Museum of the Southeast American Indian on the UNC Pembroke campus in nearby Pembroke.
The museum sits in the historic Old Main building and features artifacts, art, and exhibits focused on Southeastern Native peoples, with special emphasis on the Lumbee.
Admission is free, and hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is located at 1 University Drive, Pembroke, NC 28372.
Call 910-521-6282 for group tours.
This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.
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