Lumbee Fairness Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Lumbee Fairness Act, which would extend Federal recognition to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

The State of North Carolina formally recognized the Lumbee Tribe in 1885, and the Tribe has been seeking Federal recognition from the United States for nearly 140 years. Mr. Speaker, that is a long time.

Legislative efforts to provide Federal recognition to the Tribe over the years have been led by both Democratic and Republican sponsors and have historically passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. The Tribe has time and time and time and time again shown that they are a distinct, self-governing Indian community and that they are worthy of Federal recognition.

It is long past time that Congress extended these rights to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. KAMLAGER-DOVE. Mr. Speaker, as someone who represents Tribal communities in Los Angeles County who also seek recognition, it is tough stuff when Tribal Nations are fighting with one another.

I hope that we can find a ``both/and'' rather than an ``either/or'' to many of these discussions. I rarely find folks are trying to fake it and pretend that they are Native when they are not.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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