Federal legislation to recognize the Lumbee Tribe will be named for tribe activist and leader Julian Pierce who worked to provide resources and recognition for the Lumbee people and marginalized communities, the Lumbee Tribal Council voted Feb. 18.
The Julian Thomas Pierce Memorial Lumbee Recognition Act of 2021 is new legislation calling for federal recognition of the Lumbee people, a long sought-after effort that Pierce advocated for in the late 1970s and 1980s.
Lumbee Tribal Council voted unanimously to name the legislation after Pierce. There has been an outpouring of support on the tribe s Facebook page. It was an easy vote for them and I m very grateful to them for doing that because it shows the collaborative effort in the tribal government, Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin said. That is what our bill means.
Lumbee leader works to ease fears about the COVID-19 vaccine Chris Hemric
The Lumbee Tribe is one of the many underrepresented communities in North Carolina taking steps to get its population vaccinated against COVID-19. The tribe s leaders are working to ease the concerns of those who are skeptical of the vaccine.
Tribal chairman Harvey Godwin Jr. is trying to set a good example for the Lumbee people. To protect the next seven generations, you have to start with the now. And I think we are at that point and time where it s critical to protect the next seven generations right now, Godwin said.
WHAT S NEW
Statements of support by both the current president and president-elect seemed to re-energize the Lumbees push for federal recognition.
President Trump said to a crowd on Oct. 24 at the Robeson County Fairgrounds in Lumberton that he would support the act. President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris also said they support recognizing the Lumbee tribe, according to an October Fayetteville Observer article.
WHAT S NEXT
Lumbee Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin Jr. posted a statement Sunday on Facebook that said federal recognition would not be included in Congress’ year-end spending bill.
“Even after our dedicated recent efforts to get Lumbee recognition legislation enacted, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you we have not been successful,” he wrote.
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The chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina says it appears that the tribe will not secure federal recognition this year.
Harvey Godwin Jr. posted a statement on Facebook on Sunday that said federal recognition would not be included in Congress’ year-end spending bill.
“Even after our dedicated recent efforts to get Lumbee recognition legislation enacted, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you we have not been successful,” he wrote.
The Lumbees’ push to receive recognition from Washington had been re-energized this fall when both President Donald Trump and now President-elect Joe Biden expressed their support for the move. Federal recognition would bring with it access to millions of dollars in community benefits for the tribe, which consists of around 55,000 members and is headquartered in Pembroke in Robeson County, south of Fayetteville.