RALEIGH, N.C. _ President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will support full federal recognition for the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina, the second pledge from a candidate seeking the nation's highest office.
Earlier in October, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden vowed to back recognition for the Lumbee, North Carolina's largest Native American tribe, if he is elected.
While Biden lent his support to a House bill from U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield that has yet to clear the full chamber, Trump got behind a similar bill in the Senate _ Senate Bill 1368, or the Lumbee Recognition Act.
"As president, I am committed to looking out for the needs of every American, including those of Native American heritage," said Trump's office in a news release. "For more than a century, the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina has sought federal recognition, but has been met with indifference and red tape."
Situated largely around Robeson, Scotland and Hoke counties, the Lumbee make up the largest American Indian tribe east of the Mississippi River. Its 55,000 members hold annual powwows to display their Native American traditions, and the tribe's office is in Pembroke in Robeson County.
But while North Carolina has long recognized the tribe, the federal government has denied the Lumbee that status since 1956, when Congress acted to deny members that full legal status and corresponding access to benefits.
Earlier this month, Lumbee Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin Jr. said the recognition would have a significant impact, giving the tribe the right to self-government as a sovereign nation and access to funds for school and health care, The News & Observer reported.
Recognition would also mean grants to help the tribe combat poverty, not just for members of the tribe but anywhere the Lumbee reside, Godwin told The News & Observer.
But the federal recognition is symbolic of something more as well, he said.
"It gives us a sense of pride and belonging, for the young people and the elders who have been fighting for this their entire lives," said Godwin, who has been the Lumbee Tribal Chairman since 2016.
