Lumbee Tribe Seeks Federal Recognition
3 Jun
The House is considering two bills today that will grant the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and six Virginia tribes hundreds of millions of tax dollars in housing, education, and health benefits. The name “Lumbee” is derived from the region near the Lumber River in Robeson County, North Carolina. In 1956, the United States Congress passed House Resolution 4656, know as the Lumbee Act, which recognized the Lumbee as American Indians but prohibited them from receiving federal services ordinarily provided to federally recognized tribes. The Lumbee is the only American Indian tribe caught in these circumstances and there has been lots of opposition from other tribes, especially the eastern branch of the Cherokee, who do not consider the Lumbee’s genetic make-up pure enough for full Native American status. Obama’s administration has pledged to support recognition of the Lumbee tribe, but has yet to pledge support for recognition of the Virginia tribes. (AP)
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To all of you Eastern Cherokee who oppose the recognition of the Lumbee Tribe~ you are really showing your ignorance of Native history! How dare you say that we are not of Cherokee desent! How dare you say that we do not belong! It is very UNnative to put away you brothers and sisters~ very selfish to be exact! Before you even consider responding, you best learn the facts of where “we” come from. To continue to spout off in regars to something you know nothing about is nothing short of ignorant!!! If you want to stand for something, then stand for the truth. You selfserving, arrogant jerks!!!
Yeah A Lumbee is a Lumbee but is Not native Indian Indigenous American of this continent!! this forum is here to make people aware that false groups with false reasons (CASINOS)that selfidentify as native Americans are out there for financial gain and will try to convince and persuade you that they are so really native American(dont even have indian DNA) and need a Casino to go with it!! its greed and has nothing to do with native american cultural preservation, how can you preserve a made up Indian Tribe that has no culture,no historical connections and have been completely assimilated?? With a Casino?? The lumbee mimic other tribes dress and dance ,cultural vampires.If your so called Indigenous tribe doesnt have any native American Culture and you say Oh its because we were totally assimilated 300 years ago after colonist arrived then you have no Indian culture left or indian Dna to preserve at all you only want to called an Indian for the modern day monetary gains and rips of the tax payers.
In the late 20th century, genealogists Paul Heinegg and Dr. Virginia E. DeMarce performed extensive research of primary source documents, such as deeds, land records, wills and court records to develop genealogies of free people of color in the Chesapeake Bay area during the colonial years. They have been able to trace the migration of numerous primary Lumbee ancestral families from the Tidewater region of Virginia into northeastern North Carolina and then down into present-day Robeson County, North Carolina. They found that 80% of those identified as free people of color (or other) in the Federal censuses in North Carolina from 1790-1810 were descended from African Americans free in Virginia during the colonial period. From researching family histories through original documents, Heinegg and DeMarce have traced most Lumbee ancestors and have been able to construct genealogies that show the migration of people from Virginia to North Carolina. Most of those free African-American families in Virginia were descended from unions between white women (servant or free) and African men (servant, slave or free), reflecting the fluid nature of relationships among the working classes in early colonial years.The Lumbee are only using a Indian Identity to hide what they considered shameful long ago better to pass as Indian than Black and it worked.DNA results have backed this research up since Indian DNA is not found in your typical Lumbee,none.This explains why the Lumbee have no Indian language or customs or heritage.
Casino Chasers,Well for an explanation of how and when the group formerly known as Croatan began calling themselves Indian was when a senator Politicain Mcmillan after reconstruction 1897 wanted to form a republican voting block to keep and divide newly freed slaves from joining with the mulatto population(black/white mixture) from joining together a forming a large voting block so the Senator implied that the Croatan group must be Indian(based on no evidence it was a political move) and this would put the mulatto apart from the full Black and divide them.well it worked !! most mulattos could avoid some degree of discrimination and put themselves above full black by claiming anything but black blood even if it was not true. So henceforth the myth of the croatan Lumbee indian of robeson/lumberton was born from a false notion and the divide was formed the mulattos asked for seperate schools so they wouldnt have to attend schools with Blacks and they called them croatan indian schools ,they had no indian lannguage or culture ,not because of assimilation as Lumbee will tell you but because they were actually just euro-african mulattos because of racism in the south the croatan group held onto those beliefs even in the face of no evidence in their favor as being Indigenous.Artifacts have been found their dating thousands of years old but they are not connected to Lumbees who came down from virginia as colonist genealogist have traced Lumbee founding familys to colonial virginia freed blacks and whites.and DNA test have turned up negative for Native American Dna among their Lumbee enrolled members.This is why the Lumbee members believe they are Indian because some Parent told them this all their lives so they have beleived the lie and false myth based on no historical records no Dna and no indian culture.
Proud Lumbee, I suggest that you be proud of being from a unique white/black community, because DNA evidence and total lack of an Indian history, language, and culture leaves you with an uncomfortable truth; you are not a First Nation. This sort of debate, long-term Indian identity theft properly concerns all legitimate First Nations. Your response? Threats and anger. Why? Pathetically, false claims and emotion-based responses are all you got. Yes, there are many one-zillionth Choctaws and Cherokees now, but I dare you to come to Oklahoma and try to fit into our full blood Choctaw and Cherokee communities alleging that you’re Indian. Some of my relatives might be too polite to say anything directly, but after you leave they will ask… who was that strange white man? BTW the Mississippi Choctaw minimum for tribal membership is one-half, meaning that a single Mississippi Choctaw has more real Indian DNA than your entire community combined. I realize that originally your group claimed Indian rather than partial black as a much-needed safety measure, a claim that became blurred over time into some sort of obsessive dogma. Times are different now; again, be proud of who you really are, not who you really wannabe.
Proud Lumbee, I suggest that you be proud of being from a unique white/black community, because DNA evidence and total lack of an Indian history, language, and culture leaves you with an uncomfortable truth; you are not a First Nation. This sort of debate, long-term Indian identity theft properly concerns all legitimate First Nations. Your response? Threats and anger. Why? Pathetically, false claims and emotion-based responses are all you got. Yes, there are many one-zillionth Choctaws and Cherokees now, but I dare you to come to Oklahoma and try to fit into our full blood Choctaw and Cherokee communities alleging that you’re Indian. Some of my relatives might be too polite to say anything directly, but after you leave they will ask… who was that strange white man? BTW the Mississippi Choctaw minimum for tribal membership is one-half, meaning that a single Mississippi Choctaw has more real Indian DNA than your entire community combined. I realize that originally your group claimed Indian rather than partial black as a much-needed safety measure, a claim that became blurred over time into some sort of obsessive dogma. Times are different now; again, be proud of who you really are, not who you really wannabe.
the lumbee are not indian in blood,dna,nor historical data,but actually mullato, they should not be considered indian,native american or even a tribe.they are non native in dna,historical records,ect….. they should not be getting any indian money from the federal government, they and roberson county,north carolina are actually wholly mullato,and are the biggest mullato group in the eastern portion of the usa. see paul heinegg racial studies FREE PEOPLE OF COLOR,ECT….LUMBEES. ALSO see; lumbee dna at the huxford.com both y-dna results and mtch dna results. the lumbee are offsprings of african slaves and white indentured servants from jamestown virginia and surrounding areas following old colonial routes into north carolina.the lumbee do not deserve federal recoognition as a bonafied true native american tribe. spread the word,spread the truth,do right by real indians,educte the american public to this scam
You know Truthseeker you make very valid points. Kudos to you! You all do. I can be fair and listen but based on the evidence they have no proof of Direct Native ancestry in many instances not even in their DNA. That is the most powerful science on earth to date. If you fail that chances are you are not that credible. They have tried to inbreed with each other to maintain a specific look. Many have very light skin, frizzy, kinky or straight, hair sometimes blondish looking. Light colored eyes and oblong funny looking faces. Many even married white women or brought them into the mix to ensure they would not have too many with “Negroid” Features. If there are any Native blood lines it is very, very, very, very, very diluted. I think there was a study done on their DNA that said about 98% have non native male DNA. The figures for the maternal lineage is probably about the same. They try so hard to convince others and themselves that they are Native until it is pathetic. Have the history, the DNA, and and trace back to an original tribe at least not a made up one. They are some of the most prejudice folks I’ve every seen against other blacks when they share some of the same heritage. Really hypocrites at their best. Too much pride and no true history. They do not deserve Federal recognition and are robbing the state of NC by getting funding that should go to legitimate Native Americans and descendants. Not Indian, Never was Indian, and Never will be!!!!!!!
thank you True First Nation, we have a fight ahead of us,a fight that we must win at all costs. we must unite in common cause to end this disgrace to true American Indians. we have no choice but to adhere to truth of the matter in regards to this lumbee fabrication. i propose that we need to educate the entire white north carolina population being that they are the most largest group of people in the state which the majority of lumbees now reside.you see many white people feel that an injustice to true Native Americans should not be tolerated any longer,and this is precisely what the lumbees are trying to elicit from them. we need to work with native groups to expose these impostors. we need to write to the senators who try to endorse the false tribe of lumbees and try to get passed lumbee recognition bills,ect…we need to educate the black race as to lumbee hypocracy. we need for all north carolinans to accept only B.I.A. jurisdiction and procedures nothing else for federal recognitions.we must take this to a grassroot network that each and everyone of us has a part in. we must bring forth the truth that the lumbees are hobbyists of indian culture only.we must educate the boy scouts of america who pander to their propaganda as well. we should seek to bring forth this knowledge to every federal tribal government in the entire nation! and ,of course lastly we must seek the means to having their state recognized Indian status revoked. we must demand of wikipedia that they not refer to them as a tribe,or as tri-racial,as indicating that they are native americans as they are truly not.the lumbees are bi-racial and that is interestingly good in itself.they know who and what they really are,don’t let them fool you..many of us true natives have been in Roberson county,Laurinburg,Bennetsville,cheraw,ect!!! we need to educate through the computers,fliers,media. we need the truth to take this all the way to the top.they are imposters and dangerous liars against true native nations. UNITE for true native pride, do the right thing,educate all and everyone,let the truth be known. friends
The Lumbee now claim Cheraw which was un-heard of by this tribe 70 years ago,How can lumbee claim Cheraw now if their ancestors claimed to be Croatan? False claims and a plea for money.Generally white???
In 1914 MCpherson sent by dept of interior to investigate Lumbee claims:
Describes Lumbees/Croatan
They are described as “generally white, showing the Indian mostly in actions and habits.” It is stated that–They were enumerated by the regular census enumerator in part as whites; that they are clannish and hold with considerable pride to the tradition that they are the descendants of the Croatans of the Raleigh period of North Carolina and Virginia.
(See Exhibit A2.)
in the eastern part of North Carolina, but chiefly in Robeson County. It is also stated that for many years they were classed with the free negroes, but steadfastly refused to accept such classification or to attend the negro schools or churches, claiming to be the descendants of the early native tribes and white settlers who had intermarried with them. According to the census of 1910, the number of self-identified Indians in Robeson County was 5,895. There are also about 1,500 to 2,000 in adjoining counties in North and South Carolina, making a settlement in all of about 8,000 persons.
Apparently, the Indian Office had no knowledge of the existence of the Croatan Indians until the latter part of 1888. About that time 54 of these Indians, describing themselves as “a part of the Croatan Indians living in Robeson County,” and claiming to be “a remnant of White’s lost colony,” petitioned Congress “for such aid as you may see fit to extend to us.” This petition was referred to the Indian Office, and on January 7, 1889, a copy was sent to the Director of the Bureau of Ethnology, with the statement that there was no record in the Indian Office showing any such Indians or any such colony as that referred to, and requesting to be furnished with such information as said bureau had concerning these people. On January 29, 1889, the Indian Office communicated with Mr.Hamilton McMillan, of Fayetteville, N. C., concerning these Indians, with the result that on July 17, 1890, Mr. McMillan sent the office a copy of his booklet relating to these people,entitled “Sir Walter Raleigh’s Lost Colony.It appears from his statement that this band is recognized by the State of North Carolina, has been admitted to citizenship, and the State has undertaken the work of their education.Much doubt and uncertainty has existed as to the source of the Indian blood of this people and as to whether their ancestors comprised a part of White’s lost colony (sometimes spoken of as “Raleigh’s lost colony”). Some of these Indians hold to a tradition that they are of Cherokee origin, and affect to believe that the action of the General Assembly of North Carolina in designating them as “Cherokee Indians of Robeson County” in some way confirms this tradition. I find that the question of the source of their Indian blood,I would regard the tradition of these people that their ancestors comprised a part of the “lost colony” as of little value expresses doubt that these people originated from White’s lost colony. He says:
The theory of descent from the lost colony may be regarded as baseless, but the name itself serves as a convenient label for a people who combine in themselves the blood of the early colonists or forest rovers,the runaway slaves or other negroes, and probably also of stray seamen of the Latin races from coasting vessels in the West Indian or Brazilian trade and some Mulattos.
for more comments go to the Topix forum,:Cherokee Lumbee argue, on google search
also go to the: Lumbee bill 27 at washington watch ,to oppose this Lumbee bill another good forum.
http://www.topix.com/forum/us-house/walter-jones/TVTO3RMR5L3H7H0VH/p29
http://www.topix.com/forum/us-house/walter-jones/TVTO3RMR5L3H7H0VH/p29 and also : http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/112_HR_27.html?page=7