CHEROKEE, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is opposing the Lumbee Tribe’s push for federal recognition.

North Carolina’s Lumbee Tribe was part of a hearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday considering a bill that would give the tribe full recognition.

The Lumbee Act, passed by Congress in 1956, acknowledged the tribe’s existence but denied them access to federal resources. NC Senator Thom Tillis and Gov. Josh Stein, as well as Pres. Donald Trump, have been supporters of the tribe receiving federal recognition.

Leaders of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, however, have said that the Lumbee Tribe does not have extensive proof that their tribe fully existed in the past. They believe the tribe should go through the process of having the Office of Federal Acknowledg

See Full Page