Trump Pushes for Federal Recognition of North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe

President Trump signs executive order directing the Interior Department to develop a plan for full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe, fulfilling a campaign promise.

The Lumbee Tribe, recognized by North Carolina since 1885, has long sought federal recognition, which would grant access to critical benefits and resources.
Trump's executive order instructs the Interior Department to collaborate with Lumbee leadership and propose a pathway toward recognition within 90 days.
Federal recognition would provide the Lumbee Tribe with healthcare through the Indian Health Service, land protections, and access to federal programs.
Efforts to recognize the tribe through Congress have repeatedly passed the House but stalled in the Senate, with some opposition from other tribes citing procedural concerns.
The Lumbee Tribe, the largest Indigenous group east of the Mississippi River, traces its ancestry to survivors of multiple tribal nations and has over 60,000 members.