North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe, which has sought full federal recognition for decades, has the attention of President Donald Trump.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump promised to fight for full federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe. This recognition would grant the group resources such as federal funds toward education and housing. The tribal territory and service area includes four counties: Robeson, Scotland, Hoke and Cumberland. Trump won Robeson County with 63% of the vote.
In the first week of his second term, Trump signed a presidential memo directing the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan for full federal recognition of the tribe, including full tribal benefits. The memo asked the Department of the Interior to develop a plan within 90 days.
Those 90 days have come and gone, and the Lumbee Tribe is waiting for that plan. We look at why the path to federal recognition has taken so long, what it would provide to the Lumbee Tribe, and the obstacles the tribe has faced — both from the government and some other Native groups. That’s next time on Charlotte Talks
GUESTS:
Dr. Ryan Emanuel, (Ph.D.) associate professor, Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment and also a member of the Lumbee Tribe
Dr. Mary Ann Jacobs, (Ph.D.) professor of American studies and chair of the department at UNC Pembroke, member of the Lumbee Tribe
Dr. David Wilkins, (Ph.D.) professor at Richmond University, member of the Lumbee Tribe
