PEMBROKE, NC (WBTW) – North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper granted the Lumbee Tribe complete state recognition on Thursday. The Governor met with Lumbee council members at the Lumbee Tribe Complex where he signed the legislation.
With the bill, the Lumbee Tribe can now apply for federal grants. It will also give them access to natural resources from previously restricted land. Governor Cooper said overall the Tribe will now have more power and authority.
“We are proud of the Lumbee Tribe here in North Carolina, and we want to help them. They’ve been working hard to help provide affordable housing for people and have worked hard to look after the people here in Robeson County, so this is going to be a celebration,” he said.
Lumbee Tribe members said the bill was something they’ve anticipated for awhile. After the bill was signed, the Tribe thanked the Governor with a handmade gift.
