Supporters hold up “Lumbees for Trump” signs as President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at the Robeson County Fairgrounds in Lumberton, North Carolina.
Chris Seward/Associated Press
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Chris Seward/Associated Press
President Trump signed a memorandum Thursday urging the Interior Department to move toward full recognition of North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe as a Native American. It’s a move that could bring legitimacy and federal benefits to the tribe, whose identity has long been scrutinized by other Native American groups.
The Lumbee Tribe has more than 55,000 members, making it one of the largest indigenous groups in the United States. Located in impoverished and diverse Robeson County, Trump won the county with 63% of the vote after pledging to recognize tribes during his 2024 campaign.
“I love the Lumbee people,” President Trump told reporters before signing the order. “They’ve been with me the whole time.”
The tribes have long asked the federal government to recognize them as Native Americans and provide them with financial resources such as federal funds for housing and education.
In a press release praising President Trump’s order, Lumbee Tribal Chairman John Lowery said he is “thrilled” the group is moving closer to federal recognition.
“The Bureau of Tribal Management expresses our deep gratitude to President Trump as he moves forward with this executive action,” Lowry said. “This action is a direct fulfillment of a campaign promise by the President and demonstrates his commitment to the people of Lumbi.”
The tribe has been recognized by the North Carolina government since the 1800s, but has faced backlash, especially from other Native American groups, who say the group is not a legitimate Indian tribe.
According to them, tribal historyThe Lumbee are “the remnants of Algonquian, Iroquois, and Siouan tribal nations, including the Hatteras, Tuscarora, and Cheraw.”
While other tribes remained relatively isolated from surrounding communities, the Lumbee tribe assimilated into the surrounding culture, spoke English, practiced Christianity, and intermarried with their black and white neighbors.
But groups like the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians argue that the Lumbee have no right to claim an indigenous identity.
“We understand President Trump’s desire to conduct due diligence when considering federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe, and that instinct is correct,” Principal Michelle Hicks said in a statement. statement.
However, “the Lumbee people have a history of changing their claims, including claiming Cherokee ancestry and other historical tribes, and experts say their claims cannot be verified by historical or genealogical evidence.” “I keep discovering things that can’t be done,” he continued.
“The process of evaluating Lumbee claims must be rooted in objective standards and thorough evidence-based consideration. If anything, it does not imply tribal statehood or sovereignty.”
But the Lumbee tribe says they will continue fighting for recognition, just as they have for the past 100 years.
