Tiffany Trump’s Lumbee Ancestry Adds New Twist to Federal Recognition Fight
- Cherokee 411 Staff
- Oct 23
- 2 min read
By Cherokee 411 News Staff | October 23, 2025
WASHINGTON — A new genealogical link between Tiffany Trump and the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is adding a surprising personal dimension to one of Indian Country’s most enduring political battles.
In a letter sent to former President Donald Trump on Sept. 6, 2025, the Lumbee Tribe detailed Tiffany Trump’s ancestral ties through her maternal grandmother, Ann Locklear Maples, a member of one of the most prominent Lumbee family lines. The letter described the connection as a “point of pride,” while urging the former president to support attaching Lumbee federal recognition language to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Lumbee Chairman John Lowery confirmed the genealogical link but clarified that Tiffany Trump does not meet the criteria for tribal citizenship. “This is a matter of heritage, not enrollment,” Lowery said, noting the tribe’s longstanding pursuit of federal recognition.
The Lumbee, state-recognized since 1885, have fought for full federal recognition for more than a century. Without it, the tribe lacks access to federal programs in health, education, housing, and agriculture—and sovereignty rights afforded to federally recognized tribes.
The tribe’s lobbying campaign has been extensive, totaling more than $720,000 in federal lobbying since 2004, with bipartisan backing from Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC). Supporters argue that full recognition would bring long-overdue parity and economic opportunity to the Lumbee people, potentially including gaming operations if approved by tribal vote.
But the effort faces fierce resistance from other tribal nations. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and several others have voiced opposition, arguing that Congress should not override the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ formal recognition process.
“Recognition should be about sovereignty—not politics or campaign promises,” said Chief Ben Barnes of the Shawnee Tribe. Eastern Band Principal Chief Michell Hicks echoed those concerns, warning that bypassing established processes “undermines all federally recognized nations.”
With both Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris signaling support for Lumbee recognition, the issue has become one of the most politically charged tribal debates in the country—blending questions of identity, economics, and election-year strategy.
For many Lumbee citizens, however, the conversation goes beyond politics. “This is about dignity and recognition of who we’ve always been,” one tribal elder said.
As Congress prepares to revisit the NDAA later this year, the Lumbee’s renewed push—and Tiffany Trump’s unexpected family connection—may once again place North Carolina’s largest tribe at the center of a national debate over what it means to be recognized in Indian Country.
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