Lumbee Tribe Seeks Federal Recognition

screenshot_019The House is considering two bills today that will grant the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and six Virginia tribes hundreds of millions of tax dollars in housing, education, and health benefits. The name "Lumbee" is derived from the region near the Lumber River in Robeson County, North Carolina. In 1956, the United States Congress passed House Resolution 4656, know as the Lumbee Act, which recognized the Lumbee as American Indians but prohibited them from receiving federal services ordinarily provided to federally recognized tribes. The Lumbee is the only American Indian tribe caught in these circumstances and there has been lots of opposition from other tribes, especially the eastern branch of the Cherokee, who do not consider the Lumbee's genetic make-up pure enough for full Native American status. Obama's administration has pledged to support recognition of the Lumbee tribe, but has yet to pledge support for recognition of the Virginia tribes. (AP)MP3: Andy Griffith - North Carolina, My Home State