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We are excited to share that, in collaboration with our local partners, instead of hosting just one major celebration, we will host a series of events throughout 2026 highlighting our Federal Recognition, with our large celebration taking place on May 16th on the campus of UNC-Pembroke. Our first event on February 5th, will be in partnership with our good friends at LRDA as they host their monthly “The People’s Table.” The evening will feature performances by a number of our local Gospel Groups at the LRDA complex and will be the first event of this wonderful year. Our next event, which is by invite only, is being hosted by Governor Josh Stein at the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh on February 24. We are deeply honored by this opportunity and look forward to celebrating with the Governor as he welcomes our friends and family in the triangle area. On March 28th, the Lumbee Tribe will host a Wild Game Festival, Community Powwow, and Social gathering at our Culture Center. The Wild Game Festival will begin at 11:00 am followed by the Community Powwow beginning at 2 pm. We will have a bonfire and traditional social dances from 6:00 - 9:00 pm that evening. On May 1st, we will host our first annual Gene Locklear Youth Scholarship Golf Tournament. This tournament, hosted by Mr. Gene himself will bring golfers and athletic celebrities together to raise money for the Lumbee Tribes Youth Scholarship program. Our Grand celebration will take place on May 16th on the Campus of UNC-Pembroke, in collaboration with Chancellor Cummings and his great staff. This all-day event will include dignitaries, friends from across the nation, vendors, food, entertainment, culture presentations, and much more, and will conclude with a fireworks show that night. We will then move into our Lumbee Homecoming and this summer, with the date to still be finalized, we will host our 4th annual Lumbee Gala, where we look forward to stepping out in style and celebrating together at the gala. We will then move into Dance of the Harvest Moon Powwow,  followed by our Lumbee Fall Festival, Fish Fry, and 5k, and will conclude the year by commemorating the one-year anniversary of our Full Federal Recognition on December 18th, 2026.  We are looking forward to a yearlong celebration, and we want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to engage and enjoy these different events. So, if you can’t make one event, there will be another one coming around soon enough. I look forward to seeing you all this year and celebrating our full federal recognition. Thank you to all of our partners and friends who are working to make this year, one of celebration and joy.

January 29, 2026 Subject: Lumbee Language Revitalization Initiative Wagkiyo {Waa-kee—oo} or Hello, Since the middle of last year, our Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO), Harlan Chavis, along with a dedicated committee of Lumbee citizens, has been working to revitalize our Cheraw Siouan language. This important initiative brings together historians, cultural knowledge keepers from our Tribe, scholars, and educators who are committed to preserving and restoring our linguistic heritage. Through this effort, the team has held discussions with our sister tribe, the Catawba Nation, as well as a well-known linguist. They have gathered language resources from original historical documents, including maps and firsthand accounts of interactions between tribal neighbors and English and Spanish explorers—some dating back as early as 1588. The revitalization work incorporates elements from coastal Algonquian languages, known Cheraw Siouan words, and modern linguistic scholarship. The committee has also conducted in-depth research into the origins of phrases and words still commonly used within the Lumbee community today. Currently, select Cheraw Siouan words are being taught to Lumbee children at our Boys & Girls Clubs and in other community classes. Soon, we will begin introducing the first phase of these words to our Lumbee citizens. You will soon see them displayed throughout our Lumbee Tribe housing complexes and other tribal buildings. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the committee for their dedication to this labor of love for our people. Language Committee Members include: Dr. Chris Clark, Mrs. Eustacia Jones, Dr. Connie Locklear, Lydia Locklear Canty, Christina Theodore, and Reggie Brewer. Kate’ {Kaa-tay} (see you later) my Lumbee People. Sincerely, John L. Lowery

The Lumbee Tribe of N.C. is committed to giving our tribal membership adequate time to update their tribal cards. For clarification, If your tribal card is not expired, you are active.  So there is no need to come in for an update if your tribal card is still active. Phase 1 Extended - The Lumbee Tribe Enrollment staff will continue updates for Lumbee Citizens ages 55 and over and Out of Territory Citizens for another week through Friday, February 6, 2026. The office hours are 8 am through 4:30 pm.

The Lumbee Tribe Enrollment Office has reached the 100-person limit for updates for Friday, January 23, 2026. The 100-person limit is due to the high volume of updates.

Hello Everyone, Recently, Lumbee Tribal Holdings, the for-profit arm of the Tribe, acquired 241 acres of land in Robeson County. Following the purchase, the property was transferred to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. This strategic acquisition was made to secure land that can be utilized for long-term economic development initiatives that benefit our people for generations to come. This property, along with the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center, the Tribal Administration Building, and several other Tribal assets, will eventually be placed into trust with the United States Government. Placing land into trust transfers title to the federal government to be held on behalf of the Tribe, removing the application of eminent domain and providing critical protections that safeguard our long-term interests. The land-into-trust process is one of the most important tools available to our Tribal Nations since we became federally recognized, and we will move forward with these actions when the time is right and in the best interest of our people. As we protect our newly achieved federal recognition and lay a strong foundation for the next 20, 50, and 100 years, economic development must become a top priority. Across Indian Country, Tribal Nations are diversifying their economies to strengthen sovereignty and expand services for their citizens. The Lumbee Tribe must do the same. What form of economic development we take early on in this new era, whether gaming is a part of our future or not, will be determined by the will of the Lumbee people. If and when our people vote for gaming, this 241-acre tract could serve as the site of a casino and resort, accompanied by a shopping outlet and additional amenities such as a golf course, a Top Golf-style facility, a water park, or similar attractions. If our people vote against gaming, the land can be developed into a business and industrial park designed to attract major employers. With the land placed into trust, existing laws and policies create powerful incentives for corporations to invest in our community. Either of these options can lead to thousands of jobs and be an economic boom not just for our Tribal territory but for this entire region of the state. As we move into this new Era of Possibility and Prosperity, it is essential that we exercise our sovereignty and embrace these opportunities with purpose and vision. This means protecting our natural resources, strengthening our cultural institutions, and building self-generated, discretionary revenue. These funds, free from federal restrictions, will allow us to better serve our elders, expand opportunities for our youth, and create pathways to homeownership and business ownership for our working families. During my career in tribal affairs, I have seen the economic growth and diversification of the Chickasaw, the Choctaw, the Pequot, the Oneida, the Seminole, and so many others across the country. I have seen the economic powerhouse that the Eastern Band has become in the Western part of the state, and the transformative growth of our brothers and sisters, the Catawba over the last few years in the Metrolina part of the state. As I head into the last leg of my term, I will work with the Tribal Council to position us to be the economic engine for this region and to help make this area more prosperous, safer, healthier, and better educated. Our vision is growth. Our vision is to protect our sovereignty. Our vision is to seize these opportunities and take deliberate strategic steps forward, one day at a time, to advance the Lumbee Tribe for many generations yet to come. #LumbeeTribe   #lumbee575

The Lumbee Tribe Enrollment Office has reached the 100-person limit for updates for today. The 100-person limit change is due to the high volume of updates.

Beginning today the Lumbee Tribe Enrollment Office will process the first 100 people for updates. This change is due to the high volume of updates. We will update the website and social media once we reach that 100 limit.

Please share with Lumbee Students and the community to join a Cobell Virtual Scholarship Presentation Zoom meeting on February 3, 2026 at 5:30 pm at https://tinyurl.com/5n84d4y5 Meeting ID 819 3350 8785 PASSCODE 636787

The Lumbee Tribe of NC Housing Complex and all tribal offices will be CLOSED on Monday, January 19, 2026 for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Our offices will REOPEN January 20 at 8 a.m.

Hello everyone, I have asked Tammy Maynor, our Governmental Affairs Director, to be the lead for our federal recognition transition. I have asked Heather Nakai to work along with Tammy, as our Recognition Coordinator. Heather is leading the initiative to prioritize our efforts to ensure we identify all potential programs and opportunities. With her expertise, we are focusing on exercising our sovereign rights and protecting our tribe's future. As our team moves forward in these stages of nation-building, one of the foundational aspects we will have to address will be the tribe’s sovereign immunity and how it can and will be used to protect our long-term viability. This week, the Bureau of Indian Affairs reviewed our constitution and our latest enrollment ordinance. This was the first step towards reviewing our processes and procedures and verifying our rolls. Our enrollment office will host a call with the BIA next week to do a deeper dive into our enrollment processes and to ask us any questions they may have. We also met this week with our Agriculture and Natural Resources Department and told them to start working with the United States Department of Agriculture to identify programs that we can apply for that align with our agriculture priorities. We have also decided that we will look into what steps are needed for us to have an extension program, working with our state’s land grant institutions, that can be ran in cooperation with our tribe as another service for our farmers and ranchers. We also spent time this week identifying what funds will assist our tribal historic preservation officer as he embarks on a new world of consultations with the Smithsonian Institute, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Town Creek Indian Mound. We have also been invited to participate in Tribal consultations at the federal level that involve Vocational Rehab, the Department of Education, and the Indian Health Services. These new levels of Government-to-Government relationships are something that we have not experienced before, and they showcase the acknowledgement of our sovereignty and fuel our self-determination. This has been a great week for our people and a great week for our tribe and I look forward to the many weeks to come. Thank you and have a safe and blessed weekend!

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is thrilled to partner with LRDA for the February 5, 2026, People's Table event. There will be something for everyone with food vendors, music, and artisans, but it will be a time to fellowship with our neighbors and community. Applications for food vendors must be accepted by LRDA through January 16th.

Lumbee Tribal Enrollment will open for Phase 1 UPDATES from January 20 - 30, 2026, for Tribal Citizens ages 55 and older, as well as Out-of-Territory Citizens. This will begin a phased enrollment approach. The goal of this phased approach is to ensure our Tribal Enrollment staff is not overwhelmed. Please be patient with us during this time. There is no set date for the re-opening of new Tribal enrollments. Chairman Lowery and the Tribal Council will set that date in the future. This period is strictly for updates. The Lumbee Tribal Enrollment Office is open Monday through Friday from 8 am until 4:30 pm. For questions or additional information, please call 910-521-7861 or email enrollment@lumbetribe.com .