(The Center Square) – Full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is included in the newest version of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2026.
The $900.6 billion bill is for Department of Defense authorizations, military construction, energy security, military pay raises, border security and strategic competition. Text was released Sunday following multiple weeks of negotiation between the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.
In a message to his Tribe on Sunday, Chairman John Lowery wrote, “We move forward with hope and determination, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our friends in Congress and the White House to secure final passage. I remain deeply involved every step of the way, helping unite and focus all of our allies as we push toward this long-awaited victory. Keep the prayers going up as we know the enemy will continue to fight our efforts.”
Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C., authored the legislation. Others from the state cosponsoring included Republican Reps. Rev. Mark Harris, Richard Hudson, Dr. Greg Murphy, Addison McDowell and Rep. Tim Moore, and Democratic Reps. Valerie Foushee, Deborah Ross and Don Davis.
“For decades, the Lumbee People have sought full federal recognition – and today, we are closer than ever to making it a reality,” Harris said. “We have used every tool at our disposal to secure recognition in this year’s NDAA. I’m deeply grateful to President Trump for his longstanding championship of the Lumbee Tribe and for working across both chambers of Congress to deliver the full federal recognition and rights our people deserve.”
The House of Representatives may vote on the 3,086-page proposal this week, and the Senate before the end of the month.
The Lumbees have about 55,000 in Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland and Scotland counties in the southeastern part of the state between South Carolina and the Sandhills. Pembroke is the economic, cultural and political center of the tribe.
The Lumbees are the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River. The state recognized the tribe in 1885. In 1956, Congress passed legislation and Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it recognizing the tribe but without benefits that every other federally recognized tribe receives.
Their efforts for full recognition have been consistently challenged by the Eastern Band of Cherokees, a tribe of about 16,000 making its home on the Qualla Boundary adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Principal Chief Michell Hicks, in a statement to TCS, said, “A national defense bill is not the appropriate place to consider federal recognition, particularly for a group that has not met the historical and legal standards required of sovereign tribal nations. Placing recognition in the NDAA risks tying tribal identity to unrelated negotiations, with consequences that extend far beyond this bill or any single community.”
Hicks, in a November congressional hearing, said the Lumbees should go through the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office in the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. He said then, “If there is a tribe, the process will show it.”
