Press Release - Leading Federal Indian Law Experts Assisted Lumbee Tribe in Evaluating Proposed Gaming Amendment

Pembroke, NC (June 9, 2026) — The Lumbee Tribe understands there are concerns about whether Federal Indian Law experts were consulted in the preparation of the Lumbee Tribe’s Constitutional amendment. For transparency, the Lumbee Tribe convened a working group of lawyers and policy makers, including Jenner & Block’s nationally ranked Federal Indian Law Practice. Because any change to the Constitution requires utmost care, the Lumbee Tribe ensured that only some of the most respected experts in Federal Indian Law were entrusted to do this work.

Jenner & Block, which is led by (and consists primarily of) enrolled tribal members and former government officials who have represented tribes and tribal gaming interests for their entire careers, has worked with multiple tribes across the country and has won some of the most critical cases for Indian Country at the U.S. Supreme Court, including Brackeen v. Haaland (upholding the constitutionality of Indian Child Welfare Act), McGirt v. Oklahoma (reservation in Oklahoma was never disestablished and remains Indian Country ), and Becerra v. Northern Arapaho (IHS must pay contract support costs). The team is led by Ambassador (ret.) Keith Harper, the first Native American to serve as a United States Ambassador and class counsel in Cobell v. Salazar, a landmark Indian trust funds case that settled for $3.4 billion (the largest class action settlement against the United States). Other team members have also served in key positions at the White House and U.S. Department of Justice.

The Lumbee Tribe takes its role seriously. For that reason, the Tribe ensured that any proposed amendments to the Constitution were properly vetted and assessed by leading Federal Indian Law experts.