The House Resources Committee will hold a hearing April 1 on a bill to recognize the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.) and Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) have introduced nearly identical bills to recognize the tribe. The tribe is currently barred from seeking status through the Bureau of Indian Affairs due to a termination-era law.

The Senate version has cleared the Senate Indian Affairs Committee but has not gone to a floor vote. The House version is getting its first hearing.

A rival bill introduced by Rep. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) would force the tribe to go through the BIA. That would delay recognition of the tribe for at least a decade. Taylor's bill is supported by the Eastern Band of Cherokees.

Get the Story:
Lumbee hearing is April 1 (The Fayetteville Observer 3/22)

Relevant Documents:
Senate Testimony, Witness List (September 17, 2003)

Get Lumbee Bills:
Dole: S.420 | McIntyre: H.R.898 | Taylor: H.R.1408

Relevant Links:
Official Lumbee Tribe website - http://www.lumbeetribe.com
Lumbee Regional Development Association - http://www.lumbee.org

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