Op-ed from the Office of Ugvwiyuhi (Principal Chief) Michell Hicks
Earlier this month, Lumbee leadership sent a letter to President Trump claiming his daughter, Tiffany Trump, has ancestral ties to their people. In that very same letter, they admitted she is not eligible to be a member of their tribe. Still, they chose to use her name and supposed lineage as part of their lobbying push in Washington, hoping to attach recognition language to the annual defense bill.
I share this with you because it shows us just how far the Lumbee are willing to go. If you are a true tribe, if you carry your history, your culture, and your government through the generations, you do not need to search for celebrity ancestors or political connections to prove your identity. You do not need to rely on letters to the President to make your case. A true tribal nation’s identity speaks for itself.
Federal recognition is not meant to be won by politic rhetoric, made up claims, or backroom lobbying. The OFA process is set forth by the federal government, which requires evidence, documentation, and proof of identity. The Lumbee are actively working to avoid that process and instead are seeking shortcuts through Congress and the Trump administration.
This matters because recognition allows access to federal funding. When a group tries to bypass the process, it weakens the meaning of recognition and threatens to diminish the struggles of those who fought for it the right way.
Our people deserve to know the truth of what is happening in Washington. The Eastern Band has always recognized the significance of acknowledgment and what it means to live as a sovereign nation. Lobbying tactics and name association are not proof of sovereignty. They are signs of desperation, and desperation is not legitimacy.
