The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina heads to Washington, D.C., this week to make the case for federal recognition.

A hearing will be held on Wednesday by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. It is the third hearing in three years on the tribe's federal status.

The tribe is in legal limbo due to a special act of Congress passed during the termination era. The law states that the "Lumbee Indians" are descendants of a "once large and prosperous tribe" but that they shall not be treated as a federally recognized tribe.

S.660 and H.R.21, its companion in the House, would clear up once and for all that the Lumbees are eligible for services as a federally recognized tribe.

A rival bill, H.R.4171, would rescind the termination-era law but force the tribe to go through the Bureau of Indian Affairs for recognition. The bill is supported by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in North Carolina.

A third group, the Tuscarora Nation of North Carolina, is opposing the Lumbee recognition bill.

Get the Story:
Lumbees head to Washington to seek recognition (The Fayetteville Observer 7/10)

Lumbee Recognition Bills:
S.660 | H.R.21 | H.R.4171

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

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