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Project ACCESS A chieving C ollege O pportunities, C ommunity E ngagement and S tudent S uccess ~ A partnership between the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Robeson Community College, and the Public Schools of Robeson County ~ Project ACCESS (Achieving College Opportunities, Community Engagement, and Student Success) is an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Indian Education’s Office of Indian Education. Project ACCESS is a partnership between the Lumbee Tribe, the Public Schools of Robeson County (PSRC), Robeson Community College (RCC) and The University of North Carolina at Pembroke has been awarded a $2.4 million, four-year grant to improve access to higher education and career preparedness for American Indian youth of Robeson County. The initiative will engage Native youth, their families, and their tribal communities to be active participants in the process. Project ACCESS will be hosting 5 free residential camps on UNC Pembroke's campus for American Indian high school students. Students will have the opportunity to experience college life and learn more about the college application process, financial aid, participate in cultural activities and a wide variety of other activities aimed at improving college and career preparedness. Dates are as follows: June 11 – 14, July 9 – 12, July 16 – 19, July 23 – 26, and July 30 – August 2. Applications will be made available beginning March 7, 2017 online @uncp.edu/projectaccess Paper applications will also be available for pickup with PSRC Youth Development Specialists. For more information contact: Myia Reyes, UNCP Community Engagement Specialist, 910.775.4663 or myia.reyes@uncp.edu Click on each link below to learn more about each Project ACCESS component. Updated applications will be posted as soon as possible. UNCP Saturday Day Camps College and Career Promise Program UNCP Summer Residential Camps Academic Tutoring Program RCC Summer Camps Community Camps For more information, please contact Project ACCESS personnel at the following numbers: UNCP Community Engagement Specialist: 910.775.4663 RCC Career and College Promise Coaches: 910.272.3380 or 3319 PSRC Indian Education Resource Center: 910.521.2054 Project ACCESS Director: Rita J. Locklear Lumbee Tribe of NC 6984 NC Hwy 711 Pembroke, NC 28372 910-522-2215

LUMBEE FAQ's < < back What does the term "federally recognized" mean? Only tribes who maintain a legal relationship with the U.S. government through binding treaties, acts of Congress, executive orders, etc., are officially "recognized" by the federal government. Once "recognized" a tribe has a legal relationship with the United States. There are currently more than 440 federally recognized tribes in the United States, including some 200 village groups in Alaska. No treaty exists between the Lumbee and the United States. Typically, treaties were entered into when a tribe posed a threat to the United States, or when a tribe possessed minerals and gold desired by the United States. Because Lumbee lived at peace with its non-Indian neighbors and did not possess any valuable minerals or gold, the United States had little reason to treaty with the Lumbee. However, the United States Congress did enact a law in 1956 which recognized the Lumbee, while withholding all privileges and benefits normally associated with recognition. What does "tribal sovereignty" mean and why is it important to American Indians? Tribal sovereignty describes the right of federally recognized tribes to govern themselves and the existence of a government-to-government relationship with the United States. Thus, a tribe is not a ward of the government, but an independent nation with the right to form its own government, adjudicate legal cases within its borders, levy taxes within its borders, establish its membership, and decide its own future fate. The federal government has a trust responsibility to protect tribal lands, assets, resources, and treaty rights. For purposes of Lumbee, however, the State of North Carolina will continue civil and criminal jurisdiction over Lumbee. And, while the Tribe is governed by a Tribal constitution, the Lumbee constitution court may only hear internal matters that arise from interpretation of the Lumbee Tribal Constitution. Do Indians pay taxes? All Indians are subject to federal income taxes. As sovereign entities, tribal governments have the power to levy taxes on reservation lands. Some tribes do and some do not. As a result, Indians and non-Indians may or may not pay sales taxes on goods and services purchased on the reservation, depending on the Tribe. However, whenever a member of an Indian tribe conducts business off the reservation, that person, like everyone else, pays both state and local taxes. State income tax is not paid on reservation or trust land. For purposes of Lumbee, Robeson County is deemed the equivalent of a "reservation" solely for the purpose of qualifying Lumbee people for Indian Health Services. Robesonians will continue to own and dispose of their land in the same manner as they presently own and dispose of land, including the payment of all property taxes. Do American Indians receive any special rights or benefits from the U.S. Government? Contrary to popular belief, Indians do not receive payments from the federal government simply because they have Indian blood. Funds distributed to a person of Indian descent may represent mineral lease income on property that is held in trust by the United States or compensation for lands taken in connection with governmental projects. Some Indian tribes receive benefits from the federal government in fulfillment of treaty obligations or for the extraction of tribal natural resources - a percentage of which may be distributed as per capita among the tribe's membership. For purposes of Lumbee, the Lumbee will be eligible for certain federal programs (e.g. Indian health care, BIA scholarships) that they do not qualify for now because of the lack of federal recognition. Can a group be recognized as "Indian" if they have lost their language? Absolutely. In fact, there are a number of tribes who have sustained language loss, and there are even greater numbers of Indian people who no longer speak their native language. Why are the Lumbee circumventing the administrative process of the Bureau of Indian affairs and seeking full deferral acknowledgement directly from Congress? The Lumbee Act of 1956 recognizes the Lumbee as Indian, but does not grant to them the services that other tribes receive because of their status as Indian. Among the BIA criteria, however, is that the petitioning group cannot be "subject to congressional legislation terminating or forbidding the Federal relationship". Because the 1956 Act, in effect, forbids the federal relationship, it precludes the Lumbee Tribe from utilizing the BIA administrative process to obtain federal recognition. To correct this problem, however, government officials have proposed to allow the Lumbee to participate in a dual process. That is, pass a congressional amendment to the language in the 1956 Act that would allow the Tribe to still participate in the BIA administrative process. However, if passed, this dual process would be contrary to the treatment of other similarly situated tribes. For example, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo of Texas and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona were subject to very similar legislation to the 1956 Act. Yet, they were accorded full federal recognition by special congressional legislation without having to participate in the BIA administrative process. If the Lumbee are required to go through the congressional legislative process and the BIA administrative process, it will be the only tribe in history singled out in this way. Therefore, to be consistent and fair, the Lumbee must be granted the full benefits of federal recognition through special congressional legislation. Is the Lumbee Tribe pursuing federal recognition for the sole purpose of gaming? The Lumbee Tribe has been pursuing federal recognition since 1888. In that petition, the Lumbee requested educational assistance from the federal government but was denied. Since that time, the Lumbee have petitioned the federal government several times regarding issues of education and federal recognition. From 1910 to 1924, at least five separate bills were introduced in Congress seeking federal recognition of the Tribe. The Tribe attempted recognition again in 1932 and 1933 when similar bills were submitted to Congress for consideration. It is clear from the history of the Lumbee Tribe and their relations with Congress that they seek the simple acknowledgement of their tribal existence, and the right to self-governance to protect and preserve the Lumbee way of life. In addition, the Lumbee Constitution required that any ordinance passed by the Tribal Council authorizing gaming must be certified for referendum by the membership of the Lumbee Tribe. Therefore, the Lumbee Tribal Council itself cannot impose gaming. The history of the Lumbee pursuit of federal recognition, as well as the language in their Constitution, clearly suggests that gaming is the least of all motives for the Tribe's pursuit of federal recognition. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

2016 Spring Powwow INFORMATION GRAND ENTRIES HOTELS DANCE CONTEST SPONSORS Dance of the Spring Moon INFORMATION May 6 – 8, 2016 Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center 638 Terry Sanford Road Maxton, NC 28364 ~Featuring a Living History Exhibit and Stickball Games~ Limited Parking is available at the Cultural Center; overflow parking will be located at Purnell Swett High School. Shuttles will be provided to the powwow grounds. Vendors are by invitation only This is a tobacco, drug, violence and gang free event. For more information, call 910.521.7861. Main Tent will be equipped with Power Breezers for enhanced comfort. 2016 Head Staff Head Male Dancer: Terry White Head Female Dancer: Sharee Strickland Head Drum Judge: Tony Clark Head Dance Judge: Keith Colston Emcee: Sandon Jacobs Emcee: JD Moore Arena Director: Jamie Locklear Host Northern Drum: War Paint Host Southern Drum: Southern Sun POWWOW SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION SPONSOR GRAND ENTRIES/ADMISSION Anchor 2 Grand Entries Friday – 7 pm Saturday – Noon & 7 pm Sunday – 1pm Admission Adult: $8 Youth (6-12): $6 Seniors (55+): $5 Military w/ID: $5 Child (5 & under): Free Sunday Only: $5 Weekend Pass: $18 HOTELS Anchor 1 Host Hotels Holiday Inn Express: 910.521.1311 SpringHill Suites: 910.738.2085 Fairfield Inn: 910.739.8444 Atkinson Inn & Suites: 910.674.3185 Comfort Suites: 910.739.8800 Dance Dance Contest 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Men & Women Golden Age: $1000 $700 $400 $200 Adult Categories: $1000 $700 $400 $200 Teen Categories: $200 $100 $75 $50 Boys & Girls Categories: $100 $75 $50 $25 Drum Contest Split Northern/Southern 1st 2nd 3rd 4th $5,000 $3000 $2,000 $1000 Dance Specials Women’s Jingle (Old School) More Specials will be announced!

Location: 6984 NC Hwy 711 West Pembroke, NC 28372 Pembroke Boys and Girls Club behind Turtle Building DISCLAIMER: Please e-mail cultureclass@lumbeetribe.com if you need to cancel your scheduled session. For more information, please dial 910-522-5474

Fresh from the field, straight to your table! The Lumbee Tribe Agriculture & Natural Resources Department invites all farmers to be a vendor at the first ever Lumbee Farmers Market Saturday, July 18, 2026 at the Lumbee Tribe Housing Complex from 8 am - 1 pm. To register to be a vendor, call 910.384.7660. Come out, shop fresh, and experience all that the Lumbee Farmers Market has to offer! From garden-fresh fruits and vegetables to homemade goods and handcrafted items, there’s something for everyone. Meet our local growers, connect with friends and neighbors, and take home the freshest flavors of the season while supporting local agriculture. Bring your family, invite a friend, and make plans to spend the day with us.

The performance of “Strike at the Wind!” Outdoor Drama is cancelled for tonight, Friday, July 10, 2026 due to severe weather conditions. Guest with tickets for tonight, may return on Saturday. Your tickets will be honored at the Saturday night performance.

Mark your calendars for the annual Lumbee Tribe Dance of the Harvest Moon Powwow. The 2026 Dance of the Harvest Moon Powwow is set for September 25 - 27, 2026 at the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center on Terry Sanford Drive in Maxton, NC. Whether you are dancing, singing, or visiting, we can’t wait to see you! More details coming soon. This powwow is going to be the one YOU will want to attend!