"U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's bill to give federal recognition to the Lumbee Indian tribe of North Carolina -- and make it eligible for federal aid -- has cleared a Senate committee and appears headed to the Senate floor. Good.

Her bill would correct a half-century-old inequity. While the State of North Carolina has recognized the Lumbee tribe since 1885, the federal government has not -- at least not in the way that counts. In 1956, Congress passed the Lumbee Act, declaring that the tribe was American Indian but exempting it from eligibility for federal benefits now worth an estimated $77 million.

Her sponsorship doesn't guarantee the bill will pass, however. As Observer reporters Tim Funk and Anna Griffin reported in 2004, there was considerable opposition to full recognition of the Lumbees from other tribes, as well as political controversy among Republicans. When Sen. Jesse Helms held what is now Sen. Dole's seat, he opposed recognizing the Lumbee tribe for full benefits even though the House twice approved such legislation in the 1990s."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Recognizing reality (The Charlotte Observer 8/4)

Hearing Info:
LEGISLATIVE HEARING on S. 660, the Lumbee Recognition Act (July 12, 2006)

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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