Cherokee feeling the pinch as Lumbee tribe look to get into tribal gambling

The Lumbee Tribe are very happy about their recent wins, with the U.S. House unanimously approving the Lumbee Recognition Act. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians aren’t quite so happy, seeing this as a mockery of their own past recognition, and an attack at their bottom line.

By receiving recognition, the Lumbee can now go for several benefits, including a casino in Robeson County, North Carolina. “The Lumbee people have been praying for this day and today’s action in the House brings us one step closer to our goal,” Harvey Godwin Jr., chairman of the Lumbee tribe, said in a news release.

The Cherokee are much less happy. They’ve pointed out in the past that the Lumbee have changed the story of their heritage multiple times, and they hope the Senate puts an end to any talk of recognition.

“The use of congressional authority to ignore and avoid investigation of such serious questions about the Lumbees’ authenticity is an outrageous injustice to all federally recognized Tribes,” said Richard Sneed, principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, in a statement Tuesday. “History and facts must guide the process, not politics. We call on the Senate to reject this legislation and allow the Lumbee claims to be examined through the Office of Federal Acknowledgement in the Department of the Interior.”