The strange history of the tribe courted by Donald Trump
North Carolina’s Lumbee look to the president in their battle with the Cherokee

For almost a century and a half, the federal government denied the Lumbee, the largest tribe east of the Mississippi, recognition. Now, nearly everyone in Washington is trying to give it to them. “I love the Lumbee tribe,” President Donald Trump said on his third full day in office, as he signed a memorandum ordering the secretary of the interior to, within 90 days, submit a plan to help the Lumbee gain full federal recognition.
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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “The lightness of Lumbee-ing”
United States
June 21st 2025- Democrats could do a lot better with the power they hold
- Congestion pricing in Manhattan is a predictable success
- The attacks in Minnesota reflect a worrying trend
- The strange history of the tribe courted by Donald Trump
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- The New York mayor’s race is a study in Democratic Party dysfunction

From the June 21st 2025 edition
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