5 Things to Know: Lumbee Tribe Achieves Federal Recognition After Decades-Long Fight

Lumbee Tribe Achieves Federal Recognition After Decades-Long Fight

After fighting for federal recognition for more than 100 years, the Lumbee Tribe of eastern North Carolina finally achieved that goal with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Wednesday, garnering screams of joy from hundreds of Lumbee citizens and community members who had gathered at the Pembroke Boys & Girls Club to watch the US Senate vote.

“Today, the Lumbee Tribe becomes the 575th federally recognized Tribe in the nation,” said Lumbee Tribal Council speaker Alex Baker. “This moment is the result of more than a century of perseverance, petitions, testimonies, and answered prayers. Today, we honor our ancestors who carried our identity through generations without federal acknowledgment.”

Believed to be the survivors of tribal nations from the Algonquian, Iroquoian and Siouan language families such as the Cheraw, the Indigenous Lumbee people formed their own tribe along the Lumbee River over hundreds of years, eventually forming a shared culture and identity.

The ancestors of the Lumbee were recognized as a tribal nation in 1885 by the state of North Carolina. In 1956, US Congress recognized the Lumbee as an Indian tribe, while denying the People any federal benefits that are associated with such recognition.

“The injustice of the 1956 Act has been corrected, a relic of the Indian Termination Era has been erased, and the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is now fully and rightfully recognized,” said Lumbee Tribal Chairman John H. Lowery after President Donald Trump signed the bill into law.

The NAACP North Carolina State Conference congratulated the Lumbee people in a release on Wednesday, pointing out that federal recognition opens the door to critical resources, protections and self-determination that have been unjustly withheld, including access to health care, education, housing and economic development opportunities.

“This moment is the result of relentless organizing, coalition-building, and leadership across generations of Lumbees,” said Da’Quan Love, executive director of the NAACP North Carolina State Conference. “The Lumbee Tribe never stopped pushing, even when the system failed to listen. Today proves that sustained advocacy works and that our democracy is stronger when Indigenous voices are finally heard and respected.”

Democrats Call Trump’s NC Speech ‘Unhinged’

President Donald Trump appeared in Rocky Mount during a campaign event for US Senate candidate Michael Whatley on Thursday night. The event occurred in North Carolina’s 1st congressional district, recently redrawn at Trump’s behest in hopes of gaining more congressional seats through gerrymandering in next year’s midterms.

The Senate Majority PAC, a group dedicated to building a Democratic majority in the US Senate, called both Trump’s and Whatley’s speeches “unhinged” in a release on Friday, stating that the two men avoided the everyday challenges facing North Carolinians, instead choosing to focus their energies on peddling falsehoods that distort inflation data and mislead on Helene recovery progress during their respective speeches.

“This rally was totally unhinged and completely detached from reality,” said Christyna Thompson, press secretary for Senate Majority PAC. “People are just trying to afford groceries, keep the lights on, and recover from a devastating hurricane – but Trump and Whatley used this as an opportunity to pat themselves on the back. North Carolinians can feel that disconnect, which is probably why Whatley is struggling to connect with voters on the campaign trail on the rare occasions he’s in the state.”

The release pointed out that, after being tapped for a president-directed role on Hurricane Helene recovery, Michael Whatley claimed his priority was “getting relief into counties” but has actually been described as “rarely, if ever,” present in local communities.

Whatley also voiced his support for Trump’s tariffs, even as the president’s popularity reaches record lows in the state, with 57% of North Carolinians saying they disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.

Greg Biffle Remembered for Philanthropic Work Following Plane Crash

Fans and loved ones of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle are remembering him as someone who put community first after he, his family and three friends were killed in a tragic plane crash in Statesville on Thursday.

Biffle’s wife Cristina, son Ryder and daughter Emma were also aboard the plane when it tried to make an emergency landing at the Statesville Regional Airport in rainy conditions on Thursday morning, along with Dennis Dutton, his son Jack, and Craig Wadsworth.

Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, Biffle became known for his philanthropic and humanitarian work after semi-retiring in 2016. A licensed pilot who flew both planes and helicopters, Biffle flew dozens — some have said more than 100 — aid missions to western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene in 2024, helping bring resources to the region and get people out.

The families of those killed in the wreck released a joint statement on Thursday that read, in part, “We are devastated by the loss of our loved ones. This tragedy has left all of our families heartbroken beyond words. Greg and Cristina were devoted parents and active philanthropists whose lives were centered around their young son Ryder and Greg’s daughter Emma.” Read the full statement here.

It’s unclear at the time of this writing what exactly caused the crash, though it is known that the plane took off from Statesville Regional Airport shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday and turned around after about five minutes of flight, attempting to land back at the airport about 10 minutes after takeoff.

It’s unclear who was flying the plane — three of the occupants had pilot’s licenses — or what caused the pilot to turn around shortly after takeoff. There was no mayday call made by anyone on the plane, though the black box has been recovered. The National Transportation Safety Board expects to release a preliminary report within 30 days, and a full report isn’t expected for another year at the earliest.

Teacher Pay in NC Declining, Ranked Worst in the South

The North Carolina Association of Educators on Thursday raised the red flag about a recent report from the Reason Foundation that ranks North Carolina 48th in average teacher pay, placing the state behind all of its neighboring states and every other state in the South.

According to the report, from 2020 to 2022, average teacher salaries declined by 5% in 38 states. In North Carolina, however, average pay fell by 9.6%, dropping from just over $63,000 to just under $57,000 when adjusted for inflation. North Carolina is one of only three states where average teacher salaries have fallen by more than 20% since 2002.

The report attributes the overall decline in teacher pay to high turnover and historic inflation. In North Carolina, additional factors include the General Assembly’s failure to prioritize public-school funding, and the Supreme Court’s continued inaction in the Leandro case — all of which have contributed to the suppression of educator pay, according to a release from the NCAE.

The NCAE’s release came days after the North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision on Dec. 12 to once again delay a decision in the landmark Leandro school-funding case, which aims to compel the legislature to provide a “sound, basic education” to all children. We will now enter the 32nd year since Leandro’s 1994 filing.

“This report is yet another reminder of how the state has failed and neglected to invest in our educators and in-turn our public schools,” said NCAE President Tamika Walker Kelly. “We are bleeding educators to our neighboring states who are willing to pay them what they are worth. How can we expect to recruit and retain quality educators if we’re not showing them they are valued for the exceptional work they do in our public-schools?”

Michele Morrow Enters US Senate Race

Coming off a loss to Democratic candidate Maurice Green in the 2024 race for NC Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), infamous right-wing extremist Michele Morrow now has her sights set on Congress, filing her candidacy to replace the outgoing Republican Thom Tillis on Thursday.

Morrow will face Trump-endorsed candidate Michael Whatley in the Republican primary on March 3, 2026, with the winner of that race going up against Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper.

Morrow, who ran for the SPI position despite her outward hatred for public schools, has called for the execution of former President Obama, falsely claimed that the “+” in LGBTQ+ stood for “pedophilia,” and was there in Washington DC on Jan. 6, 2021, after which she posted a (since-deleted) video stating that then-President Donald Trump should have enacted the Insurrection Act and utilized the military to retain power after he lost the 2020 election.