Lumbee Tribe Seeks Recognition on Capitol Hill

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Lumbee Tribe Seeks Recognition on Capitol Hill

Special Report - July 12, 2006
The Committee on Indian Affairs conducted a hearing on Senate Bill 660—The Lumbee Recognition Act—today in Washington, D.C. The committee, chaired by Senator John McCain (R-AZ), first heard from North Carolina Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), who expressed her strong belief that the Lumbee Tribe should receive full federal recognition because it is the “right thing to do.” Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) also joined Dole in voicing support for Lumbee recognition.

Currently, there are 561 Indian tribes recognized by the federal government. The only Indian tribe with full federal recognition in North Carolina is the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.The Bureau of Indian Affairs (an agency of the Department of the Interior) has an established process through which tribes are evaluated when seeking federal recognition. The standard that each tribe must meet for recognition involves seven criteria. If passed, this Act would grant the Lumbee Tribe full recognition without going through the qualification process established by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Jimmy Goins, Tribal Chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, appealed to the committee by seeking to dispel myths about the Lumbee Tribe, and stated that the primary reason for past denials was based upon the cost it would bring upon the government. Dr. Jack Campisi, an anthropologist consultant for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and an expert in non-federally recognized Indian tribes, submitted research supporting the claim that the Lumbee Tribe qualifies for federal recognition. On the other hand, Michell Hicks, Principal Chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokees, clearly stated his opposition to the bill and noted that the Office of Federal Acknowledgment within the Bureau of Indian Affairs is fully equipped to recognize who qualifies as an Indian Tribe recognized by the government. Specifically, he noted that the Lumbees have sought federal recognition under four different tribe names in previous years—and failed each time.

The North Carolina Family Policy Council continues to raise concerns that the current version of Senate Bill 660 would grant the Lumbee Tribe the authority to pursue casino gambling along the I-95 corridor. The gambling issue did surface briefly in today’s committee hearings. In a question posed to the Lumbee Tribal Chairman, McCain asked, “Chairman Goins, have you thought about the issue of gaming operations in the event of recognition?” Goins replied that their recognition pursuit started over 100 years ago and “is not about gaming. It’s about jobs, health care and just doing what’s right for Lumbee people. It’s about honor and dignity. No, [gaming] has not been an issue with us.” McCain pressed Goins even further on the gambling matter, to which Goins stated that gaming has not been considered by the tribe during their pursuit of federal recognition.

Bill Brooks, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council, commented on the hearing. “It was disappointing today that no one at the hearing really wanted to talk about the issue of gambling and the impact that one or more casinos located in Robeson and surrounding counties will have on eastern North Carolina. Gambling is the elephant in the room and nobody wants to even talk about it. We were disappointed that our request to testify before the committee was rejected and we are very concerned that the Senate may move ahead with this legislation without the people of North Carolina ever having a chance to have their voice heard.”

To read more about the impact expanded Indian gambling will have on the state, download our paper Lumbee Casino Gambling: Would Another Casino Be Good for North Carolina?