Biden backs Lumbee tribe’s push for federal recognition

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will back full federal recognition for the Lumbee tribe, the largest in North Carolina, his campaign said Thursday.

The former vice president pledged to back a bill from U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield granting the Lumbee that status. The bill, introduced last year, has not passed the House.

“Six decades ago, Congress recognized the Lumbee Tribe but denied it the benefits that all other federally recognized tribes receive,” said a statement from the campaign. “It is past time for the federal government to rectify this injustice and fully recognize the Lumbee tribe, providing it with the critical resources it needs to prosper.”

Situated largely around Robeson, Scotland and Hoke counties, the Lumbee make up the largest American Indian tribe east of the Mississippi River. Its 55,000 members hold annual powwows to display their Native American traditions, and the tribe keeps its office inside a turtle-shaped building in Pembroke in Robeson County.

But while North Carolina has long recognized the tribe, the federal government has denied the Lumbee that status since 1956, when Congress acted to deny members that full legal status and corresponding access to benefits.

“We are just hopeful that this is our time,” said Harvey Godwin Jr., Lumbee Tribal Chairman, in a phone interview with The News & Observer Thursday night.

Last year, Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, sponsored the Lumbee Recognition Act. Though hearings were held in December, it has yet to pass.

With recognition, the tribe could win the right to self-government as a sovereign nation and gain access to funds for school and health care.

Godwin has been the Lumbee Tribal Chairman since 2016. His great-grandfather was fighting for recognition in 1888 when the tribe applied for recognition with the Department of the Interior.

The federal recognition is important for several reasons, he told The N&O.

“It gives us a sense of pride and belonging, for the young people and the elders who have been fighting for this their entire lives,” he said.

The biggest impact of recognition, he said, will be on the tribe’s health care, considering the prevalence of diabetes, heart problems and strokes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recognition would also mean grants to help the tribe combat poverty, not just for members of the tribe but anywhere the Lumbee reside, Godwin said.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee in western North Carolina is the state’s only federally recognized tribe, having a reservation within the Qualla Boundary.

Godwin believes the bill already would have passed if it weren’t for the pandemic. He said he appreciates the bipartisan support for the Lumbee tribe.

“We thank Vice President Biden for making a commitment,” Godwin said. “We thank Congressman Butterfield for introducing the bill.”

This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 3:45 PM with the headline "Biden backs Lumbee tribe’s push for federal recognition."