Lumbee Tribe Federal Recognition: Senate Hearing on Membership and Ancestry

Lumbee Tribe Membership Requirements

• 📜 To be enrolled in the Lumbee Tribe, individuals must trace their lineage back to the 1900 or 1910 federal census.
• 🏠 A key requirement is maintaining contact with the tribe, necessitating visits to the homelands every seven to eight years.
• 👥 The Lumbee Tribe currently has just over 60,000 enrolled citizens.

Historical Ancestry and Naming

• 🌳 Historical reports, including the 1915 OM McFersonson report and 1934 testimony by John Swanton, identify the Lumbee ancestry as stemming from coastal North Carolina Siouan-speaking tribes.
• 🏞️ The tribe's name has evolved through state recognition, from "Croatan" and "Indians of Robinson County" to "Cherokees of Robinson County," before the tribe overwhelmingly chose the name Lumbee in a 1952 referendum.
• 📍 The Lumbee people have historically resided around the Lumber River (formerly Drowning Creek), indicating a consistent community presence regardless of name changes.

Federal Recognition and Administrative Process

• 📜 The proposed legislation directs the Secretary of Interior to verify the Lumbee Tribe's role for service delivery, limited to confirming documentary proof of membership criteria.
• ⏳ The administrative process for recognition can acknowledge an entity that has existed for at least 50 years, even with changes in name, as is the case with the Lumbee Tribe since 1885.

Cost Estimates for Federal Recognition

• 💰 Differing cost estimates for federal recognition are influenced by factors such as the duration of the financial score (e.g., 4 vs. 5 years) and the adequate inclusion of all relevant federal agencies (IHS, BIA, BIE).
• 📊 The Lumbee Tribe estimates the cost over a 5-year period to be in the range of $2 to $2.3 billion, assuming all agencies are included.