Trump Orders Interior Department to Explore Lumbee Federal Recognition | Currents
Category: News & Politics
Via: kavika • yesterday • 7 commentsBy: Neely Bardwell (Native News Online)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Details By Neely Bardwell January 24, 2025
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a memorandum Thursday directing the Secretary of the Interior to explore paths toward federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.
The memorandum, which does not grant federal status to the 55,000-member tribe, directs the Interior Department to submit a plan within 90 days outlining options for the Lumbee to gain full federal recognition and benefits. Trump is the first president to sign such a memorandum.
"Considering the Lumbee Tribe's historical and modern significance, it is the policy of the United States to support the full Federal recognition, including the authority to receive full Federal benefits, of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina," the memorandum states.
North Carolina recognized the Lumbee in 1885. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the 1956 Lumbee Act which recognized the tribe but denied federal benefits that federally recognized tribes receive. Based in Pembroke, N.C., the Lumbee has an estimated 55,000 members, making it the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth-largest tribe in the Nation. There are 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States.
"This is a great step for the new Administration and we encourage Congress to move forward with codifying this policy of President Trump toward full federal recognition of the Lumbee People," Lumbee Chairman John L. Lowery said in a statement.
Tribes can gain federal recognition through congress legislation, federal court decisions, or through the Department of Interior's Office of Federal Acknowledgement (OFA) process. Trump's memorandum directs the DOI to investigate any and all legal avenues in advancing the Lumbee Tribe's recognition.
In 2024, the House of Representatives passed the Lumbee Fairness Act, which would have granted Lumbee full federal recognition, but the legislation died in the Senate. Similar legislation has passed the House of Representatives multiple times.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump promised to support the tribe's efforts to be federally recognized.
"Today, I'm officially announcing that, if I am elected in November, I will sign legislation granting the great Lumbee Tribe Federal recognition that it deserves," Trump said on Sept. 23, 2024.
Principal Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, based in Cherokee, N.C., urged the Department of the Interior to ensure that due diligence and factual analysis guide their recommendations to President Trump in order to protect the integrity of federal recognition.
"The Lumbees have a history of shifting claims, including claiming Cherokee ancestry and other historical tribes. Experts have repeatedly found that their claims cannot be verified through historical or genealogical evidence," Hicks said in a statement. "Any process for evaluating Lumbee's claims must be rooted in objective standards and a thorough, evidence-based review. Self-identification and sincere belief in Indian ancestry, while meaningful on a personal level, cannot mean tribal nationhood and sovereignty."
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For tribe’s to gain federal recognition is a long and arduous time period and requires following the letter of the law. One of the Lumbee problems is the have tried to circumvent the procedure and have switched their basic responses a number of times.
The single biggest problem that they have is that cannot prove that they are predomintly Indian. Numerous genetic testing shows them a majority white and black with a small amount of Indian blood.
I understand why they want to be federally recognized as they have been state recognized for a century, but so have many other tribes. There are close to 400 tribes in the US that are requesting federal status, the Lumbee are far from the only ones. There are numerous tribes that have been waiting decades that are without doubt qualified for federal recognition. The Duwamish of the state of Washington where the city of Seattle is named after the great Chief Seattle. The Chinook who history goes back a 1,000 years and other tribes that that they states taken away illegally in the 1953 to 73 area of tribal termination that are still fighting for thei just due.
If, because they voted for Trump they are granted status, it will have destroyed the whole recognition status and mean nothing any longer except for someone that promises you recognition and you buy your way in and the US sold it for votes.
Is there any indication that this might have been the motive other than, according to your information, lots of tribes are in their situation but not being afforded the same treatment, which I admit is suspicious? Not asking to be controversial or to make a point of some sort. Just looking for more info if you have it.
The main reason is that they do not qualify under existing rules for federal recognition and have been rejected before because of this. Extensive genetic testing shows that they are predominately white with a large % of black and small native DNA.
NC is a swing state and Robson county is the home of the Lumbee and after Trump promised to push their application they voted 63% for Trump. That is not normal at all.
They should have to play the game like the other 400 unrecognized tribes but they choose not to and for a tribe with 55,000 members in a swing state promises for recogniztion can buy a lot.
That is a pretty obvious statement to back my concern.
The Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee made the best remark on this:
Given the info, I'd have to agree. Had Trump included all groups in that same situation it might be able to be seen differently.
Since I have a large streak of cynicism in my nature, my first gut reaction to what the Lumbee are trying to do, regardless of Trump, is that they are trying to get federal money for something that does not actually apply to them. To be more specific, I suspect that they are, to use a figure of speech only, to take advantage in the manner welfare queens are accused of due to their apparent miniscule claim to native blood.
What do you think?
P.S. I suppose my initial impression could be modified if the Lumbee actually have and try to live by actual Native traditions. Do you know the score on that?
If Trump or any president gave all the tribes wanting for decades for fed recognition the exact same rules it would be different, but if the president did then every rule of sovereignty would be broken and not worth anything.. It is simple they are not qualified after numerous investigation and genetic evidence.
Yes, I agree somewhat they are somewhat trying to muscle in for profit but I can also understand their frustration.
The Lumbee do live by actual traditions which makes it more difficult. Let me give you an analogy.
In 1880 The Pembina Band of Ojibwe in ND and Canada were in treaty negotiations with the US government and Chief Little Shell wanted $1.00 per acre of land and a reservation of 100,000 acres. The Government had been paying $1.00 per acre to other sellers but told Chief Little Shell they would give him .10 cents per acre which Little Shell refused, it was called the Ten Cent Treaty, so the government said fine, we are just going to take the land and gives you nothing and will not give you a reservation which of course ended in some battles but the Little Shell band of Ojibwe were landless they had NO homeland, they were known as the landless Indians and federal recognition was withheld from them. They fought it in the courts and finally in the early 2000s they were granted federal recognition with a tiny 700 acres in Montana. Chief Little Shell is buried in ND on the Pembina Band cemetery, sadly.
So you can see why tribes are not happy with the Lumbee situation. That is one story out of hundreds where native have been screwed by the government so it looks like special treatment when the Lumbee might get federal recognition with qualifying.
Yeah, I can see that. However, did you mean to say "federal recognition without qualifying"? Also, I thought there was some sort of fraction of NA one had to be in order to be considered NA so if the Lumbee are that disqualified, how are they even still able to fight this in the courts in the first place?
My type, it should read ‘’without’’.
The blood quantum is used by the tribes for enrolled membership in the tribes and it ranges from 1/8 to 1/2. Some tribes have no blood quantum but your family that you can trace have to be on the Dawes rolls of the later 1800s and a few other rolls. The government requires 1/4 blood quantum for scholarships etc.
The government does not require a blood quantum for fed recognition since the existing rules take care of that.