Trump memo puts Lumbee Tribe one step closer to federal recognition

Memorandum directs secretary of the interior to aid Lumbee Tribe in gaining federal recognition

President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order relating to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina in the Oval Office on Thursday, in Washington, D.C. (Ben Curtis / AP Photo)

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe is one step closer to receiving federal recognition after action taken today by President Donald Trump.

“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,” Trump’s memorandum to the secretary of the interior states.

“I love the Lumbee Tribe,” Trump said while signing the memorandum among other items on Thursday.

The memorandum directs the secretary of the interior to submit a plan to aid the Lumbee Tribe in obtaining full federal recognition through legislation or other available mechanisms. The plan must include the right to receive full federal benefits.

A tribe can gain federal recognition in three ways: through an Act of Congress, through the Department of the Interior’s Office of Federal Acknowledgement process, or through a federal court decision.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) was among those who thanked Trump.

“Thank you, @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, for making federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe in North Carolina one step closer!” wrote Tillis in a post on X. “Now, Congress must do its job, fulfill its promise, and pass the Lumbee Fairness Act to make this federal recognition law.”

Trump had supported recognition of the Lumbee Tribe in his past presidential campaigns, including a promise in September 2024 that if he was elected he “will sign legislation granting the great Lumbee Tribe federal recognition that it deserves.”

In late December 2024, the U.S. House passed the Lumbee Fairness Act, which would give the tribe full federal recognition and benefits. The bill was introduced by Rep. David Rouzer (R-N.C.-7) earlier in 2024, but the bill has not yet been passed by the Senate.

“We will keep working to get the Lumbee Fairness Act passed and signed into law,” Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) said in a post on X.

In 1885, the Lumbee Tribe was recognized by the state of North Carolina. The tribe began seeking federal recognition in 1888 and has an estimated current membership of more than 55,000 living in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland and Scotland counties.

More than 30 bills recognizing the Lumbee Tribe have been filed in Congress over the years. In recent years, Rep. Richard Hudson (R- N.C.-9) introduced bills to recognize the tribe in 2020 and again in 2021. Both passed the House but did not receive a vote in the Senate.

About A.P. Dillon 1537 Articles
A.P. Dillon is a North State Journal reporter located near Raleigh, North Carolina. Find her on Twitter: @APDillon_