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Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery with a short message directly after the NDAA Vote. #lumbeefairness2025

Press Release National Defense Authorization Bill Heads to President Trump’s Desk for Signing; Lumbee Tribe of N.C. Celebrates Overdue Justice for the Lumbee People Pembroke, NC (December 17, 2025) – The 77 to 20 Senate vote passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) brought screams as well as tears by hundreds of Lumbee Citizens at the Pembroke Boys & Girls Club. In the U.S. Senate Gallery, time stood still as Lumbee Tribal Chairman Lowery watched in awe, as the final votes were called out on the Senate floor. “I know with every fiber of my being that our ancestors are smiling down on us today,” said Lowery. “After decades of waiting, praying, and fighting, our Tribe has finally crossed a barrier that once seemed impossible to overcome. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for every person who poured their soul into making this Senate passage a reality, especially Senator Tillis, who courageously laid it all on the line to ensure our bill was attached to the NDAA. God is so good. Today, I am filled with overwhelming joy, humility, and gratitude, knowing the countless sacrifices, tears, and unwavering faith that brought us to this sacred moment in our history.” Over a two-day period, more than one thousand Lumbee citizens and community members waited patiently at the Pembroke Boys & Girls Club to hear the final Senate vote of the NDAA. Several hours wasn’t long for a tribe who has sought Federal Recognition for more than a century. The passage means justice for the tribal citizens who were often treated as second-class citizens after the government recognized the Lumbee Tribe in 1956, but without benefits. The Federal Recognition designation is an acknowledgement of a government-to-government relationship between a Native nation and the United States government. It also will offer the Lumbee Tribe access to resources that support health, education, and economic opportunity. Lumbee Tribal Council Speaker Alex Baker said with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, the United States has fulfilled a promise long owed. “Today, the Lumbee Tribe becomes the 575th federally recognized Tribe in the nation,” said Baker. “This moment is the result of more than a century of perseverance, petitions, testimonies, and answered prayers. Today, we honor our ancestors who carried our identity through generations without federal acknowledgment.” Now the legislation will move to President Trump’s desk for his signature.

What a day Lumbee People! There are few words that could describe this moment, this day in time. Here are a few pictures from the watch party as our Lumbee Tribal Citizens and community witnessed the final Senate votes to pass the NDAA. Thank you to everyone who came out the past 2 days. Congratulations Lumbee People! We are enjoying the hard work of our leaders and so many ancestors who worked to help us reap this blessing. #lumbeefairness2025 #LumbeeTribe #lumbeelegacy

The U.S. Senate has adjourned for the evening and will return tomorrow after 11 am. Thank you to the hundreds of Lumbee Tribal Citizens and community members who stopped in and visited at the Lumbee Tribe Boys & Girls Club as the Senate prepared to vote on the National Defense Authorization Act bill. The Lumbee Fairness Act is included in this legislation. Lumbee Citizens all across the nation are filled with hope as the Senate prepares to vote on Wednesday. The vote will be broadcast on http://Congress.gov  or TV on C Span 2 or online at https://www.c-span.org/networks/?channel=c-span-2 #lumbeefairness2025

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote tomorrow, Tuesday, December 16 after 2 pm on the NDAA legislation. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina will host a Watch Party for the Senate vote at 2 pm at the Pembroke Boys & Girls Club. Doors will open at 1 pm. The public is invited to come out for this historic event. The address is 120 Youth Drive in Pembroke, NC. The vote will also be broadcast on TV on C Span 2 or online at https://www.c-span.org/networks/?channel=c-span-2 #LumbeeFairness2025

College students who plan to apply for a Lumbee Tribe Student Housing Voucher for the Spring semester, it is almost time to apply. The application dates are January 5, 2026 through February 16, 2026 for the Spring semester. The application will be available online through the Portal link at https://www.lumbeetribe.com/lumbeememberportal .

President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released their final Statement on the NDAA. The statement aligns with and reinforces President Trump’s ongoing support for the Lumbee Fairness Act.

Mark your calendar as you are invited to the Inauguration of the Newly Elected Lumbee Tribal Council on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 6 pm at the Lumbee Tribe Boys & Girls Club in Pembroke, NC. The address is 120 Youth Drive, Pembroke, NC. #LumbeeTribe

Press Release National Defense Authorization Bill Passes U.S. House, Lumbee Fairness Act Moves Closer to Passage Pembroke, NC (December 10, 2025) – Today, the United States House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a vote of 312 to 112. The Lumbee Fairness Act was included in this legislation. Lumbee Tribal Chairman Lowery watched the proceedings alongside members of the Lumbee Administration team. “First, I want to thank God for his blessings on our people,” said Lowery. “I would also like to thank Speaker Johnson and House leadership, along with Congressman Rouzer, and Congressman Harris and the rest of bipartisan North Carolina House Delegation that supported our bill. I want to thank President Trump and his White House Team for ensuring that our bill stayed a priority during the NDAA negotiations. We now look forward to the next step, which is passage in the United States Senate.” Chairman Lowery said he will continue to work with Senator Thom Tillis and Senator Ted Budd to get this bill across the finish line. Lumbee Tribal Council Speaker Alex Baker said it is a historic day. “I want to thank the North Carolina Congressional delegation for their strong support,” said Baker. “Thank you to Tribal Chairman Lowery for his tireless efforts toward this historic moment. I also ask for our Tribal Citizens continued prayers as the legislation moves to the Senate and ultimately to the President.” The U.S. Senate is scheduled to take up the NDAA next week. We will keep our Lumbee Tribal Citizens informed. Chairman Lowery asked our Lumbee People to continue praying for the administration, our lawmakers and the successful passage of this critically important legislation. See attached Press Release

The Lumbee Tribe of NC's Agriculture and Natural Resources Department invites you to a Community Collard Cutting on December 9 (Tuesday), 16 (Tuesday) & 18 (Thursday), 2025, from 9 AM – 12 PM, as we get ready for the holiday season! Collards will be cut at the Lumbee Tribe Food Processing Center located behind the Greenhouse at the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center (683 Terry Sanford Dr., Maxton, NC). Bring your fresh collards and let us cut them for you. Please remember to bring your own bags for your cut collards. No collards will be accepted for cutting after 12 PM.

Malinda, as she is known to her Lumbee People, continues a great tradition in her family for storytelling. She is a historian and documentary film producer, and citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Literature from Harvard University in 1995, a Master of Arts Degree in Documentary Film and Video from Stanford University in 1997, a Master of Arts Degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002 and a PhD in History from Chapel Hill in 2005.  In July 2021 she joined Emory University as the Cahoon Family Professor of American History, after spending 12 years at UNC-Chapel Hill and 4 years at Harvard University. Her second book,  The Lumbee Indians: An American Struggle , was published by UNC Press in 2018. The book is a survey of Lumbee history from the eighteenth century to the present, written for a general audience. Her first book,  Lumbee Indians in the Jim Crow South: Race, Identity, and the Making of a Nation   was published by (UNC Press in 2010) and won several awards, including Best First Book of 2010 in Native American and Indigenous Studies. She has written over twenty book chapters and articles, on topics including American Indian migration and identity, school desegregation, federal recognition, religious music, and foodways, and has published essays for popular audiences in places like the  New York Times ,  Oxford American , and  Daily Yonder . She has won fellowships and grants from the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Sundance Institute, the Ford Foundation, and others.  Films she has produced include the Peabody Award-winning  A Chef’s Life ,  Somewhere South ,  Road to Race Day , the Emmy-nominated  Private Violence ,  In the Light of Reverence , and two short films,  Real Indian , and  Sounds of Faith , both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Her current projects include essays on the shared history of Black and Indigenous Americans and a media experience on humor and racial stereotypes with the Smithsonian Institution. The Christopher Crittenden Memorial Award was established in 1969 by the North Carolina  Literary and Historical Association  to honor the memory of Dr.  Christopher Crittenden , the longtime secretary-treasurer of the association and director of the State Department of Archives and History from 1935 to 1968.   This annual award is presented to a person, organization, institution, or corporate body engaged in the study, writing, teaching, publication, preservation, restoration, or dissemination of knowledge pertaining to North Carolina history. The major criterion for the award is "adjudged performance in the advancement of North Carolina history."  Pamela Brewington Cashwell, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, congratulated Dr. Lowery in person on receiving this special award.

Thank you to Nicholas Locklear, one of leaders of Pine Lodge Singers, and his family. Today Nicholas presented Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery with an Eastern Woodland Bonnett. It is made of Eagle Feathers and otter and is patterned after the style of the Redman‘s Style Bonnet Headdress. Nick is from the Pembroke Community and has worked with Lumbee youth for a number of years, and with our Lumbee Powwow. He spent several years teaching culture in Nevada at Mustang Monument. He also creates regalia and does feather work in the community. Thank you Nicholas.