EBCI Chief Opposes Possible Lumbee Federal Recognition Through Defense Bill

Staff Report Cherokee 411

CHEROKEE, N.C. — Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Principal Chief Michell Hicks is strongly opposing a congressional move that could grant the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina federal recognition through a national defense spending bill , a process the EBCI says circumvents long-standing federal standards for tribal sovereignty.

Federal recognition for the Lumbee Tribe was included in the Senate-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), ABC 8News reported. The House is expected to vote this week.

For the EBCI, the issue is not the Lumbee people themselves, but the process. Hicks said attaching tribal recognition to a defense bill sidesteps the rigorous federal review that all other sovereign Native nations have undergone.

“We are deeply disappointed and alarmed to see the inclusion of Lumbee recognition language in the National Defense Authorization Act,” Hicks said in a statement. “A national defense bill is not the appropriate place to consider federal recognition, particularly for a group that has not met the historical and legal standards required of sovereign tribal nations.”

Why This Matters

The Eastern Band has opposed legislative recognition for the Lumbees for decades, arguing that:

Federal recognition is a legal status with specific historical requirements, established to verify continuous community, political authority, and treaty relationships.

Bypassing the Office of Federal Acknowledgment undermines tribal sovereignty nationwide, setting a precedent that recognition can be won through political influence rather than documented history.

It threatens federal resources already allocated to existing tribal nations, including health care, housing, and education programs tied to verified tribal rolls.

The EBCI maintains that any group seeking recognition must follow the same pathway required of all tribes who have secured federal status , a process rooted in evidence, not legislation.

For the Cherokee people, whose own sovereignty has been upheld through treaties, court rulings, and centuries of continuous governance, protecting the integrity of the federal recognition process is a core responsibility.

Legislative Path Ahead

The NDAA has cleared the Senate but still requires House approval before heading to the President’s desk. If the Lumbee recognition provision remains in the final bill, it could grant the tribe rights, resources, and federal status without going through the established acknowledgment process.

EBCI leaders say that such a move would have long-term implications , not only for Cherokee tribal sovereignty but for federal Indian law as a whole.