Who are the Lumbee people of North Carolina? The Lumbee tribe is the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River, with over 50, 000 members. Many centuries ago the tribe was awarded state recognition but failed to be recognized federally. The tribe did not get benefits such as a reservation, health care benefits or a casino that would help bring in funding for the tribe.
As a member of the Lumbee Tribe out of Robeson County, federal recognition of my people is very important to me. For many years, we have rallied together to fight for the right to receive benefits that other Native American tribes have obtain in the United States. Being recognized would enable others to learn about, not only the struggles of the Lumbee people but their achievements.
About Me
- April
- Living in Robeson County for all of my life, I have been surrounded by a large Native American community. I am a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. I enjoy attending Powwows and learning more about my Native American culture. My interests include forums on diversity issues, politics, and history. I am currently a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC is known as a major research institution in the Southeast. Federal recognition of the Lumbee tribe has been an ongoing debate that needs to be settled once and for all. I chose to this topic to make the importance of the recognition of my people more known.
3 comments:
I also believe the Lumbee tribe does need federal recognition and all the other benefits that other Native American tribes get. For the government to say that one tribe deserves more benefits than another is ridiculous as most Native American tribes faced most of the same hardships such as racist governments and political leaders. With the tribe being the largest east of the Mississippi River, it needs funds to help support such a large populace. As long as the money is spent wisely to help the tribe, federal funding and rights to run a casino should be provided for the Lumbee tribe.
I have never heard of the Lumbee Tribe before, but it is very interesting to hear that they don't have federal recognition like other Native American Tribes even when they are the 'largest tribe east of the Mississippi River'. 50,000 members is a very large number especially for a Tribe that is not recognized by the government of the United States. What would funding from the federal government help in the actual tribe? What type of things are needed in the tribe that are not present at this time?
The Lumbee tribe is state recognized tribe receiving a small amount of funding from North Carolina. With federal recognition they would receive health and education benefits that would change the future of the Lumbee tribe. I agree completely that it is stunning to believe that a tribe composed of 50, 000 members seems to go unnoticed. All Native American tribes deserve the right to be federally recognized, what makes one tribe better than the next?
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