The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina has moved closer to achieving full federal recognition. 

On Tuesday, the U.S. House passed HR 1101 with a vote of 311-96. This legislation would grant the tribe full federal recognition and provide its members with complete federal services and benefits.  

Rep. Richard Hudson, R-NC, spoke in favor of the bill on the floor which was sponsored by Rep. David Rouzer, R-NC. 

“I rise in support of HR 1101, the Lumbee Fairness Act, which rights an historic wrong and provides long overdue federal recognition for the Lumbee tribe,” said Hudson. “My family goes back seven generations in Robeson County, which is the home of the Lumbee people, and I represent many Lumbees and Hoke and Cumberland counties. The Lumbees have deep cultural roots and traditions in our state that have made significant contributions since North Carolina fully recognized the tribe in 1885.” 

In 1956, the Lumbee Tribe was granted federal recognition through the passage of the Lumbee Act. However, this recognition was limited and came with a significant caveat: the tribe was denied the federal benefits, services, and protections that are typically provided to federally recognized tribes. These benefits often include funding for healthcare, housing, and education, as well as access to programs administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

In his outgoing comments on the House floor, Dep. Dan Bishop, R-NC, said he couldn’t think of anything he would rather do than speak in support of the Lumbee Tribe. 

“I can’t think of a better way to spend my final words on the floor than in support of recognition for the Lumbee Tribe,” said Bishop. “The Lumbee Tribe has been pursuing justice since the mid 1800s. As I’ve previously stated on the floor some of the specifics of the Lumbees Native American heritage, there struggle as a people against racial discrimination and their deep and abiding community orientation around the life-changing power of education, especially represented by UNC Pembroke.” 

Rouzer, whose congressional district was recently redrawn to add Robeson county, posted praised of the resolution passing on X. 

Notably, Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-NC, and Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-NC, voted against the resolution, with Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-NC, and Rep. Wiley Nickel, D-NC, not being present. 

The resolution is now headed to the Senate, where it has strong backing from North Carolina Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Ted Budd. This marks the final week of the current congressional session. 

In North Carolina, Rep. Jarrod Lowery, R-Robeson is sounding the alarm on Governor-elect Josh Stein’s appointment of Chief Michell Hicks of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians as chairman of the transition team for the Department of Administration.

Chief Hicks released a statement following the vote in congress urging the US Senate to block the resolution calling it “harmful”.

“Today’s passage of H.R. 1101 in the House marks a concerning departure from the rigorous standards that protect the integrity of tribal sovereignty and identity,” Chief Hicks said. “This bill, if enacted, would establish a dangerous precedent for federal recognition, abandoning the requirement of historical, genealogical, and cultural evidence. The Lumbee cannot even specify which historical tribe they descend from, and recent research has underscored the dangers of legislative recognition without proper verification.”