Senate committee advances Lumbee bills

By Jennifer Calhoun

Staff writer

The Lumbee Tribe could be on its way to receiving federal benefits granted to other tribes, thanks to two bills passed Thursday by a U.S. Senate committee.

The bills, which had already passed the House of Representatives, were approved Thursday by the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and could soon be headed to the Senate floor for a vote with the help of Sens. Kay Hagan and Richard Burr.

If the bills are passed by the Senate and signed by the president, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and six Virginia tribes could be eligible for up to $800 million in federal funds over five years.

While the tribes would be barred from building casinos, they would be eligible for health care, education, housing, economic opportunities and other benefits currently received by tribes recognized by the federal government, Hagan said Thursday.

Hagan, who is a Democrat, and Burr, who is a Republican, have each thrown their support behind the bills, as did Rep. Mike McIntyre.

President Obama has spoken in support of the tribe's federal recognition, which could affect as many as 50,000 Lumbees in the country - most of whom live in four counties in North Carolina: Robeson, Hoke, Cumberland and Scotland.

The majority of the members live in Robeson County, said Tribal Speaker Ricky Burnett.

"It's a great step forward," Burnett said. "This is the farthest we've gotten in some time."

The tribe was granted federal recognition in 1956, but was denied federal benefits.

In 1991, a bill supporting federal benefits for the Lumbees made it all the way to the Senate floor, but was held by then-Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, said Ruth Locklear, who is in charge of the tribe's enrollment office.

The bill eventually failed by two votes, she said.

But this time could be better for the Lumbees, judging by the support they've gained from politicians.

"We have the support of the White House, and the bill has bipartisan support from both Burr and Hagan," Locklear said.

Hagan said she and Burr planned to introduce the bills to the Senate floor, but she didn't know when they would be voted on.

But even with the uncertainty, Burnett said the legislative process this go-around has been smoother than ever.

"For us to hear this, I'm just ecstatic," he said. "It corrects what has been done wrong.

http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/10/22/945542