Tuscarora Nation seeks recognition from state of North Carolina

Thursday, October 3, 2019  

The Tuscarora Nation is continuing efforts to gain recognition in North Carolina following a setback at the state level.

The group submitted a 50-page petition to the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs earlier this year but was denied status last month following a review of the evidence and a vote of the commission, The Robesonian reported. An appeal is in the works.

“We want a voice in state Indian affairs and to participate in cultural affairs with the 11 state-recognized Indian tribes,” Tamra Lowry, a representative of the group, told the paper.

The state recognized Lumbee Tribe opposes the effort, The Robesonian reported. According to the Lumbees, the Tuscaroras are a splinter group within the larger Lumbee community.

Prior to European contact, the historic Tuscarora Nation was based in an area that includes present-day North Carolina and South Carolina. Some citizens eventually moved north, where they are part of the federally recognized Tuscarora Nation in New York. Others are in Canada, where they are part of the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation in Ontario.

The Lumbee Tribe was identified as a group of "Indians" by Congress during the termination era. The Lumbee Act of 1956, however, denied them the benefits associated with federal recognition.

The Lumbees are seeking to reverse that law by gaining full recognition of its status through bills in the 116th Congress: H.R.1964 in the U.S. House of Representatives and S.1368 in the U.S. Senate.

Tuscaroras plan to appeal recognition rejection (The Robesonian October 2, 2019)