Lumbee leader to join North Carolina statehouse as tribe’s federal recognition push gains attention

LUMBERTON, North Carolina — LUMBERTON, N.C. (AP) — The leader of a southeastern North Carolina tribe is poised to join the state Legislature to succeed his brother, as Lumbee’s efforts to gain full recognition from the U.S. government have recently gained momentum but still face obstacles.

Members of a Robeson County Republican Party committee voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend John Lowery to fill the House seat held since 2023 by Jarrod Lowery, who resigned this week to take a job in Washington with the U.S. Interior Department. State law directs Gov. Josh Stein to formally appoint John Lowery to fill his brother’s term representing the 47th House District until the end of 2026.

John Lowery has served as chairman of the 55,000-member Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina since early 2022. He previously worked as a public school civics teacher and for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Commerce. His duties included expanding federal programs for Native American farmers and rural communities and strengthening workforce development in the region.

“His years of experience in tribal, state and federal government and serving the residents of Robeson County make him an exceptionally well-prepared choice,” Robeson County GOP Chairman Phillip Stephens said in a news release.

John Lowery intends to serve out the remainder of his three-year term as speaker — he was re-elected to the post in 2024 — and intends to run next year for his own two-year term in the House, spokeswoman Rachel Capen said Wednesday. Jarrod Lowery now serves as senior advisor to the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior, Capen said.

The brothers are former members of the Lumbee Tribal Council who have advocated for full federal recognition, which, if approved, could give the Lumbee access to health care and some federal subsidies, as well as the ability to create a territorial base such as reservations.

The Lumbee Tribe, already recognized by the state, requested federal recognition in 1987. A 1956 act of Congress recognized the existence of the Lumbee but denied them access to federal resources. The Office of Federal Reconnaissance determined that the tribe was not eligible for recognition, but that decision was reversed in 2016. Nonetheless, the legislation was seen as a quicker way to achieve recognition.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January directing the Interior Department to provide a plan for Lumbee recognition. Although the department submitted this plan to the White House in April, it appears that gaining congressional approval remains the likely path.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a defense authorization bill last month that included full federal recognition of the Lumbee. Some other tribes still oppose the Lumbee recognition efforts, which come at a time when Trump and Republican lawmakers are also seeking to cut federal spending.