It doesn't look like the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina will gain federal recognition this year.

Some members of the Senate have placed holds on a bill to recognize the tribe, The Fayetteville Observer reported. Supporters are looking for ways to attach the bill to other legislative packages but the future doesn't seem too bright.

"There might not be another opportunity to bring the bill to a vote," Arlinda Locklear, a tribal member who has worked on the recognition bill, told the paper.

Congress identified the Lumbees as "Indians" in 1956. But the law, which was passed during the termination era, said they weren't eligible for federal services.

Two other tribes that were the subject of similar acts of Congress have since been restored to federal recognition.

Get the Story:
Lumbees likely to wait again on federal recognition (The Fayetteville Observer 10/4)

Lumbee Recognition Bills:
S.1735 | H.R.31 | H.R.839

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