Lumbee Tribe members meet with lawmakers to discuss full federal recognition
PEMBROKE, N.C. (WTVD) — Members of the Lumbee Tribe traveled to Washington, D.C. and met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to discuss full federal recognition.
“This is really correcting a wrong that was done all the way back to 1956, and it’s bringing it to pass where we can take care of it today,” said Congressman Mark Harris, a Republican who represents the 8th District.
“For nearly 70 years, the Lumbee people have been recognized in name but denied the same protections, services, and dignity afforded to every other federally recognized tribe. This is a wrong that we have a moral obligation to right. This bill, the Lumbee Fairness Act, does exactly that,” said Rep. Richard Hudson, a Republican who represents the state’s 9th District.
North Carolina recognized the Lumbee Tribe in 1885, and while Congress did the same in 1956, it did not provide the full federal benefits of other tribes.
