NAFPS Forum

thoughts on their possible federal recognition?

i dont really have an opinion on them, seen evidence to suggest they are legit, and evidence to suggest they werent

if i remember right there may have been other tribes opposing their recognition for years.......and legit tribes usually have a good reason for doing so

Seems that federal recognition is coming up in the following months:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-directs-administration-to-advance-lumbee-tribe-recognition/

QuoteOn September 23, 2024, President Trump stated: "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."

See also: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/federal-recognition-of-the-lumbee-tribe-of-north-carolina/

Why is Trump doing this? (I found several more links, but I have to wait and post at a later time.)

I found some TV stations covering the subject, about a week ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx9mhJHgQ2A [WCNC — Trump pushing for federal recognition of Lumbee Tribe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djrptAPro6A [WRAL — Long wait almost over? Trump pushes for federal recognition of Lumbee Tribe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J7Oqt6KaUY [PBS NewsHour — North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe gets Trump's endorsement for federal recognition]

In the last one (5:16) we see Trump signing the papers (from 2:37) stating "I love the Lumbee Tribe. They were with me all the way. They were great." — Reporter Geoff Bennett discussed this and more more with Lumbee chairman John Lowery.

141 recognized tribes have come out against Lumbee recognition. There was a bill which also would have recognized the MOWA, who we have a thread on. The Lumbee are not really like the obvious fakes the MOWA. But it does show recognition is pretty broken.

There have only been a few tribes recognized recently even though there are plenty that deserve it, most of them applying in California and Alaska and any tribe that lost it in the 50s during Termination. Though they are legit, the Pequot were the first to sidestep the Office of Federal Acknowledgement. It can take 20 years and cost millions, and most of the ones that deserve it just don't have the means.

The Pequot obviously got approved because of money they made for so many. It's likely the same with Lumbee. Possible casinos or resources. As bad as Trump is, Harris favored recognition for them too.

DNA says the Lumbee are mostly Black and white mixed, with under 10% of them having Native ancestry. So what? There's plenty of others that are, most of the tribes here in Virginia, the Pequot, to a lesser extent the Seminole, and tribes in Latin America like the Garifuna. All of them are made up of multiple tribes shattered by invasion that had to join together to survive and adopted outsiders, esp Black slaves and sometimes whites running from the authorities.

Problem is the Lumbee have changed their stories of who they are several times. They've claimed to be Tuscarora, Cherokee, and Croatan before they were Lumbee. Those 141 tribes are mainly worried this will break the recognition process, let anyone in if there's money to be made or votes to help swing a politician's election. Plus Trump's people are openly challenging Native citizenship itself. They already argued before the courts the 14th Amendment doesn't or shouldn't protect either immigrants or enrolled Natives.

meanwhile didnt he want to terminate and/or "privatize" other legit tribes?

i dont think many people realize how important this is

United Indian Nations of Oklahoma (https://www.uinoklahoma.com/) has posted a 19-page PDF named
"Executive Summary: Analysis of Lumbee Historical and Genealogical Claims — By Jean M. Kelley, M. A."

https://www.uinoklahoma.com/_files/ugd/b4d05d_a41fcb736a9c4c9f82464d321243bff2.pdf

See also: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/trumps-push-lumbee-recognition-causes-concern-native-tribes-rcna208174

so the house passed the NDAA which will recognize the "lumbee" frauds

now it goes to the senate which is expected to pass

Quote from: milehighsalute on September 24, 2025, 08:16:41 PM
so the house passed the NDAA which will recognize the "lumbee" frauds

now it goes to the senate which is expected to pass

Latest development:

https://nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/lumbee-recognition-debate-rekindled-in-senate-hearing

https://nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/breaking-lumbee-tribe-set-for-federal-recognition-under-ndaa-passed-by-senate

QuoteBreaking: Lumbee Tribe Set for Federal Recognition Under NDAA Passed by Senate
By Levi Rickert  December 17, 2025
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is set to gain federal recognition once President Donald Trump signs the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2026 into law.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed the $900 billion defense policy package, a 3,086-page bill, sending it to the president's desk. The measure cleared the chamber with strong bipartisan support by a 77–20 vote.

Following the vote, Lumbee Tribe Chairman John Lowery met with his tribal council and tribal citizens who traveled to Washington on Tuesday to witness the historic moment.

Lowery, who became chairman of the tribe in 2022, grew emotional as he reflected on the milestone, noting his only regret was that his father, Eddie Lowery, was not there to see it. Eddie Lowery died Dec. 31, 2024.

The Lumbee Tribe has been seeking recognition since at least the 1880s, and full federal recognition for nearly 70 years since the 1956 Lumbee Act. The Lumbee Tribe counts about 50,000 members, a figure that would make it the largest federally recognized tribe east of the Mississippi River.

Under the legislation, the Lumbee Tribe would be granted the same legal status as other federally recognized tribes, including coverage under the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Tribal members would become eligible for federal services and benefits, subject to verification of the tribal roll and assessments by federal agencies.

The bill also authorizes the Interior secretary to take land into trust for the Lumbee Tribe in designated counties, with land in Robeson County to be treated as on-reservation under federal regulations. Any claims against the United States predating the law would still require separate congressional approval.

So yep the hobbyist tribe got federally recognized

What could go wrong?