The strange history of the tribe courted by Donald Trump

For almost a century and a half, the federal government denied the Lumbee, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi, recognition. Now, nearly everyone in Washington is trying to give it to them. 'I love the Lumbee tribe,' President Donald Trump said on his third full day in office, as he signed a memorandum ordering the secretary of the interior to, within 90 days, submit a plan to help the Lumbee gain full federal recognition.
The president isn't the only one showing the Lumbee love. Last October, while campaigning on behalf of Kamala Harris in North Carolina, Bill Clinton made a swing through Pembroke, the seat of the tribal government. Donald Trump junior was nearby holding a rally filled with 'Lumbees for Trump' signs. During the campaign both presidential candidates called John Lowery, the Lumbee tribal chairman, to promise full federal recognition. Also last year, the House of Representatives passed the Lumbee Fairness Act, which would extend recognition to the tribe, 311 to 96, only to see it stall in the Senate.
The Lumbee have been accustomed to living in this federal limbo, which has been their state for more than half a century. In 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Lumbee Act, a measure that recognised the tribe as American Indians while also excluding them from federal money and the other privileges that most tribes have. Lacking full recognition, the Lumbee are still not able to get access to federal Indian health care, to put land in a reservation-like trust or to build a casino.
The main reason for this is the tribe's unusual history. There is no record of the Lumbee having spoken any language other than English. Your correspondent, whose great-great-great-grandmother was a Lumbee, grew up being told this was because the tribe was the remnant of Sir Walter Raleigh's 'lost colony'. A more plausible explanation is that the tribe's origin lies in multiple tribes escaping violence and disease in early encounters with English colonists. These different groups fled to the swamplands of North Carolina where they spoke English as a lingua franca.
Compounding the origin question is the fact that the Lumbee had trouble agreeing on what their name was. Outsiders branded them the Siouan, the Tuscarora, the Croatan and the Cherokee Indians of Robeson County. It was not until 1953 that most settled on the name Lumbee. 'The naming issue has continued to plague us,' said David E. Wilkins, a Lumbee tribe member and University of Richmond professor.
Today the biggest sceptics of Lumbee recognition are other Indians. Last October the National Congress of American Indians was forced to apologise when they found participants distributing cards warning Lumbee recognition would endanger the status of other tribes. Pretendian Watch, a self-appointed policer of those pretending to be Indians, called the Lumbee 'a made up tribe who is actively stealing Tuscarora culture'.
The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI), North Carolina's only fully recognised tribe, have become the Lumbee's main adversary, repeatedly arguing that they are not real Indians. 'The Lumbee have failed to meet the criteria to prove their claim of being a legitimate Native Nation and are relying on the sympathy of legislators to gain federal recognition,' the EBCI's principal chief, Michell Hicks, said in January. His attacks have earned him a reprimand from the state's Commission of Indian Affairs, which said his claims were 'shameful, counterproductive' and also 'baseless and have been disproved on numerous occasions'. This rivalry goes back decades. In 1974 the EBCI's then principal chief, John Crowe, threatened Vine Deloria, an Indian activist, saying that many Cherokee wanted to 'bury your heart and other assorted pieces of anatomy at Wounded Knee' for his support of Lumbee recognition.
The Cherokee point to questions about the Lumbee's identity, but the reason they resist recognising the tribe is money. If given full recognition, the Lumbee, whose land lies beside I-95, one of America's busiest highways, would probably build a casino and siphon off money from Cherokee gaming revenues. Of course, questioning a tribe's Indianness as a means to thwart an inconvenient casino is a strategy others have tried before. 'They don't look like Indians to me,' then casino mogul Donald Trump said in his 1993 testimony before Congress, explaining why he thought the Pequot should not be allowed to build a casino near his own.
Although the 90-day deadline passed in April, the Department of the Interior has still not issued its report. Representatives have reintroduced the Lumbee Fairness Act. But over the past 130 years, 29 similar bills have been introduced in Congress. Eight of them passed the House but failed in the Senate. Mr Wilkins, the historian, suggests this time might be different. But then he shrugged and said, 'I am not holding my breath. Otherwise, I would have turned blue many years ago.'

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Business Standard

23 minutes ago

• Business Standard

With US airstrikes, Trump aims to deliver decisive blow to weakened Iran

President Donald Trump with his decision to order US military strikes on Iran's nuclear facility is gambling that direct US involvement can deliver a decisive blow to a weakened Tehran while managing to avoid bringing the US into an expansive regional conflict. Trump announced the strikes on three Iranian enrichment facilities Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan and said that a full payload of BOMBS was dropped on Fordo. All planes are safely on their way home, Trump added in his post. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! It remained to be seen whether the attacks mark the totality of direct American involvement in strikes against Iran or the opening salvo of a larger campaign. The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. The strikes are a perilous decision for the US, as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault. The stakes are also high for Trump personally he won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism. US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and the US 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground, including at Fordo. It was not immediately clear if the US bombers did in fact drop the bunker busters on the Iranian facilities. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States in advance that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic would result in irreparable damage for them. And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the damage inflicted by the bombings. Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would motivate the country's leaders to give up their nuclear programme peacefully. But Trump appears to have made the calculation at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers that Israel's operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran's nuclear program, perhaps permanently. The Israelis have said their offensive has already crippled Iran's air defences, allowing them to already significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites. But to destroy the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel had appealed to Trump for the US bunker-busting bombs, the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, which uses its immense weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The penetrator is currently only delivered by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Trump's decision for direct US military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear programme. For months, Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice in April and again in late May persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time. The US in recent days has been shifting military aircraft and warships into and around the Middle East to protect Israel and US bases from Iranian attacks. All the while, Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a second chance for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Khamenei and making calls for Tehran's unconditional surrender. We know exactly where the so-called Supreme Leader' is hiding, Trump said in a social media posting. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now." The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Trump withdrew the US from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the worst deal ever. The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, US and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran's enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran too much in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran's non-nuclear malign behaviour. Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his MAGA faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who have suggested that further US involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end US involvement in expensive and endless wars. Vice President JD Vance in a lengthy posting on X earlier this week defended his boss, while acknowledging that "people are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy. But I believe the president has earned some trust on this issue, Vance wrote. He added, I can assure you that he is only interested in using the American military to accomplish the American people's goals. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Business Standard

23 minutes ago

• Business Standard

Trump wins immediate praise from Republicans after announcing Iran strikes

Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said Trump has made a deliberate and correct decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime AP Washington Congressional Republicans and at least one Democrat immediately praised President Donald Trump after he said Saturday evening that the US military bombed three sites in Iran. Well done, President Trump, Sen Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on X. Texas Sen John Cornyn called it a courageous and correct decision. Alabama Sen Katie Britt called the bombings strong and surgical. Oklahoma Sen Markwayne Mullin posted: America first, always. The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said Trump has made a deliberate and correct decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime. Wicker posted on X that we now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies. The quick endorsements of stepped up US involvement in Iran came after Trump had publicly mulled the strikes for days and many congressional Republicans had cautiously said they thought he would make the right decision. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Saturday evening that as we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm's way. Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson were briefed ahead of the strikes on Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it. Johnson said in a statement that the military operations should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford said he had also been in touch with the White House and I am grateful to the US service members who carried out these precise and successful strikes." Breaking from many of his Democratic colleagues, Sen John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel, also praised the attacks on Iran. As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS, he posted. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. Both parties have seen splits in recent days over the prospect of striking Iran. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican and a longtime opponent of US involvement in foreign wars, posted on X after Trump announced the attacks that This is not Constitutional. Many Democrats have maintained that Congress should have a say. The Senate was scheduled to vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Virginia Sen Tim Kaine requiring congressional approval before the US declared war on Iran or took specific military action. Connecticut Rep Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, posted on X after Trump's announcement: According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop.

Business Standard

24 minutes ago

• Business Standard

Iran's key nuclear sites 'totally obliterated' by airstrikes, says Trump

In his first speech after the US strikes on Iran, Trump warned that Iran faces "either peace or tragedy" and said many more targets remain within reach of the American military Reuters WASHINGTON US forces struck three Iranian nuclear sites in a "very successful attack," President Donald Trump said late on Saturday, and he warned Tehran it would face more attacks if it did not agree to peace. After days of deliberation and long before his self-imposed two-week deadline, Trump's decision to join Israel's military campaign against its major rival Iran represents a major escalation of the conflict. "The strikes were a spectacular military success," Trump said in a televised Oval Office address. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated." In a speech that lasted just over three minutes, Trump said Iran's future held "either peace or tragedy," and that there were many other targets that could be hit by the US military. "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." The US reached out to Iran diplomatically on Saturday to say the strikes are all the US plans and it does not aim for regime change, CBS News reported. Trump said US forces struck Iran's three principal nuclear sites: Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. He told Fox News six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Fordow, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired against other nuclear sites. US B-2 bombers were involved in the strikes, a US official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity. "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow," Trump posted. "Fordow is gone." "IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR," he added. Reuters had reported earlier on Saturday the movement of the B-2 bombers, which can be equipped to carry massive bombs that experts say would be needed to strike Fordow, which is buried under a mountain south of Tehran. Given its fortification, it will likely be days, if not longer, before the impact of the strikes is known. An Iranian official, cited by Tasnim news agency, confirmed that part of the Fordow site was attacked by "enemy airstrikes." Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran's state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago. “The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots,â€� he told the channel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump on his "bold decision". "History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime, the world's most dangerous weapons," Netanyahu said. Diplomacy unsuccessful The strikes came as Israel and Iran have been engaged in more than a week of aerial combat that has resulted in deaths and injuries in both countries. Israel launched the attacks on Iran saying that it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. Diplomatic efforts by Western nations to stop the hostilities have been unsuccessful. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Saturday's strikes a "dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge â€' and a direct threat to international peace and security." In recent days, Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans have argued that Trump must receive permission from the US Congress before committing the US military to any combat against Iran. Republican Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi applauded the operation but cautioned that the US now faced "very serious choices ahead." One Republican lawmaker, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, simply said, "This is not constitutional." Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said it was "absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment." Many in Trump's MAGA movement have opposed US entanglement in foreign military operations. Trump ally Steve Bannon said on his War Room podcast that the president's address was probably not what a lot of MAGA supporters wanted to hear, and he called on Trump to offer a "deeper explanation" for why US involvement was necessary. Trump-aligned commentator Charlie Kirk posted on X: "America stands with President Trump." Israel launched attacks on June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies. At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the health ministry. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, according to local authorities, in the worst conflict between the longtime enemies. More than 450 Iranian missiles have been fired towards Israel, according to the Israeli prime minister's office. Israeli officials said 1,272 people have been injured since the beginning of the hostilities, with 14 in serious condition.