Julian Brave NoiseCat, The Robesonian: "Because in the strange racial politics of the United States, the Lumbee htave to dance hard. The tribe has been seeking federal recognition through various means since 1888, when they first petitioned the federal government for assistance with their schools. While the 1956 Lumbee Act acknowledged them as an Indian tribe, it denied them the full benefits enjoyed by other Native nations. Since the 1970s, the Lumbee have pursued recognition through the Interior Department’s Office of Federal Acknowledgment, as well as through new legislation."
