Lumbees Deserve Recognition!
“My father and mother were Indians, my father’s father and mother’s mother were Indians and their parents and grandparents were Indians. What else could I be?” once said by an Indian named Adolph L. Dial from the Lumbee Tribe. The Federal Government questions members of the 55,000 plus Lumbee Tribe as to their true “Indianness.” Though recognized as a Native American Tribe by the State of North Carolina since 1885, the Tribe is fighting and has been fighting for over 125 years to be federally recognized. The Act that allowed them to be partially recognized was the Lumbee Act in 1956, which allows certain rights and effects on the Tribe federally. However, the Act denies many federally recognized services due to …show more content…
To do this, the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, was sought out to determine to what extent non-federally recognized tribes were “Indian” and create guidelines that would allow them, should they gain that recognition, to receive federal monies. The Bureau of Indian Affairs then investigated claims of numerous eastern tribes in an effort to determine the eligibility under the legislation. The Bureau would then hire an anthropologist by the name of Carl Seltzer who was sent to investigate the Indians of Robeson County. They also sent a physical anthropologist to determine the racial ancestry and degree of “Indian Blood” of Robeson’s Indians. The anthropologists would use “scientifically based” means in order to determine the authenticity of physical features and blood types to confirm if those tested would qualify as having half or more “Indian Blood.” One tests that was conducted was the “Pencil Test” where a pencil was slipped into the subject’s hair. If the pencil stayed after mild to vigorous shaking of the head, the subject’s hair was deemed too tight or “non-Indian.” If the pencil fell out, it was understood to have fallen out of real Indian hair. Out of the many tested, almost ¾ were considered to be “non-Indian” (“Political History-Federal Recognition”). Several federal investigations into the Lumbees' history, genealogy and ethnicity has concluded that the Lumbees …show more content…
One reason that the Lumbee Tribe deserves recognition is that they are a distinctive nation. The Tribe has fought and established their own identity as “Indians.” Another reason that the Lumbee Tribe deserves recognition is that the tribe is only unrecognized because of the Federal Government themselves. The separation of children and parents caused the loss of the native language and culture, which is the government’s main fight as to why the Tribe does not receive full recognition. The government would create acts and laws in which to determine the degree of “Indianness” with ways that would not suffice in today’s standards. A final reason that the Lumbee Tribe should be recognized is that the Tribe was that the services were withheld even though the tribe is recognized. The benefits, privileges, and immunities were not provided to the tribe. The Federal Government have seven criteria requirements in order to be recognized. Based off of what an Indian named Adolph L. Dial, from the Lumbee Tribe had stated, if the rest of my family is Indian, then I am Indian for there is no other explanation as to why I would not be an Indian. Therefore, if family is Indian, why would some not be considered Indian. The Lumbee Tribe does indeed deserve recognition, recognition that has been long
“My father and mother were Indians, my father’s father and mother’s mother were Indians and their parents and grandparents were Indians. What else could I be?” once said by an Indian named Adolph L. Dial from the Lumbee Tribe. The Federal Government questions members of the 55,000 plus Lumbee Tribe as to their true “Indianness.” Though recognized as a Native American Tribe by the State of North Carolina since 1885, the Tribe is fighting and has been fighting for over 125 years to be federally recognized. The Act that allowed them to be partially recognized was the Lumbee Act in 1956, which allows certain rights and effects on the Tribe federally. However, the Act denies many federally recognized services due to …show more content…
To do this, the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, was sought out to determine to what extent non-federally recognized tribes were “Indian” and create guidelines that would allow them, should they gain that recognition, to receive federal monies. The Bureau of Indian Affairs then investigated claims of numerous eastern tribes in an effort to determine the eligibility under the legislation. The Bureau would then hire an anthropologist by the name of Carl Seltzer who was sent to investigate the Indians of Robeson County. They also sent a physical anthropologist to determine the racial ancestry and degree of “Indian Blood” of Robeson’s Indians. The anthropologists would use “scientifically based” means in order to determine the authenticity of physical features and blood types to confirm if those tested would qualify as having half or more “Indian Blood.” One tests that was conducted was the “Pencil Test” where a pencil was slipped into the subject’s hair. If the pencil stayed after mild to vigorous shaking of the head, the subject’s hair was deemed too tight or “non-Indian.” If the pencil fell out, it was understood to have fallen out of real Indian hair. Out of the many tested, almost ¾ were considered to be “non-Indian” (“Political History-Federal Recognition”). Several federal investigations into the Lumbees' history, genealogy and ethnicity has concluded that the Lumbees …show more content…
One reason that the Lumbee Tribe deserves recognition is that they are a distinctive nation. The Tribe has fought and established their own identity as “Indians.” Another reason that the Lumbee Tribe deserves recognition is that the tribe is only unrecognized because of the Federal Government themselves. The separation of children and parents caused the loss of the native language and culture, which is the government’s main fight as to why the Tribe does not receive full recognition. The government would create acts and laws in which to determine the degree of “Indianness” with ways that would not suffice in today’s standards. A final reason that the Lumbee Tribe should be recognized is that the Tribe was that the services were withheld even though the tribe is recognized. The benefits, privileges, and immunities were not provided to the tribe. The Federal Government have seven criteria requirements in order to be recognized. Based off of what an Indian named Adolph L. Dial, from the Lumbee Tribe had stated, if the rest of my family is Indian, then I am Indian for there is no other explanation as to why I would not be an Indian. Therefore, if family is Indian, why would some not be considered Indian. The Lumbee Tribe does indeed deserve recognition, recognition that has been long