Lumbee Tribe

Lumbee

Official logo of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
Total population
55,000
Regions with significant populations
United States ( North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee)
Languages
English, Lumbee (formerly)
Religion
Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Tuscarora, Coharie, Waccamaw Siouan

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-recognized tribe of approximately 55,000 enrolled members, most of them living in Robeson and the adjacent counties in southeastern North Carolina. The Lumbee Tribe was recognized as a Native American tribe by the US Congress in 1956 under conditions that it agreed to at the time, which did not allow them to have benefits available to other federally recognized tribes. According to the 2000 US Census report, 89% of the population of the town of Pembroke, North Carolina, identify as Lumbee; 40% of Robeson County's population identify as Lumbee.

The Lumbee are one of eight state-recognized Native American tribes in North Carolina; they have been recognized by the state since 1885. They participate at the state level in many ways, including in the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs. They also participate in such national organizations as the National Congress of American Indians and the National Indian Education Association.

Archaeological evidence shows that Native American cultures have long occupied present-day Robeson County. Artifacts have been collected from Paleo-Indians, the Archaic period, the Woodland period, and into the historic period. According to Stanley Knick, the evidence of diverse cultural influences in prehistory is a characteristic of the region. He believes that Indians of diverse cultures continued to reside here during the historical period after European colonization.

Relatively unusual artifacts, dating back to the middle Archaic period between 6,000–8,000 years ago, such as Eva-like basal-notched projectile points, begin to appear. The presence of stone and, later, ceramic artifacts suggests cultural exchange from elsewhere, which continues through the archaeological record. Artifacts more commonly found in Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, and other parts of North Carolina, have been found alongside local artifacts more typical of prehistoric Indians resident in Robeson County. This suggests that the region has, for thousands of years, been a zone of cultural interaction.