The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina represents a vibrant and historically significant Native American community, primarily concentrated in Robeson County, where their roots run deep and their presence continues to thrive. As the largest Indigenous tribe in North Carolina, the largest east of the Mississippi River, and the ninth largest in the entire nation, the Lumbee people embody a unique heritage forged from a complex tapestry of ancestral origins and enduring resilience. Their name, Lumbee, is a proud tribute to the Lumber River, historically known as the Lumbee, which gracefully meanders through their traditional homelands in Robeson County.
Archaeological findings offer compelling evidence that the Robeson County area has been continuously inhabited for an astonishing 14,000 years, revealing a profound and ancient connection to the land. Numerous sites within the Lumbee ancestral lands date back to the Late Woodland period, spanning up to the mid-1700s, while robust oral traditions within many Lumbee families trace their lineage back equally far. The ancestors of the Lumbee Tribe were predominantly the Cheraw and other related Siouan-speaking Indian peoples, first documented by Europeans on the Lumbee River in what is now Robeson County around 1724.
Early Encounters and Shifting Alliances
The early 18th century was a tumultuous period marked by intertribal conflicts and growing European influence. From 1711 to 1712, the Cheraw engaged in fierce intertribal warfare against the Tuscarora in northeastern North Carolina, aligning with other tribes. This conflict, largely influenced by European colonists and their Indigenous allies, resulted in the defeat of the Tuscarora, leading to thousands being killed or enslaved.
Just a few years later, in 1715, the Cheraw were part of the Cofitachiqui Indian alliance during the Yamasee War, a significant uprising against traders and colonists near Charleston, South Carolina. This alliance was ultimately suppressed by a coalition of European colonists and their Native American allies. The earliest European document to mention Indian communities in the Lumber River region is a 1725 map by John Herbert, the English commissioner of Indian trade. Herbert identified the Saraw, Pee Dee, Scavano, and Wacoma as Siouan-speaking communities, to which modern-day Lumbee claim ancestral connections, although these tribes were not historically located within the precise boundaries of present-day Robeson County.
Identity, Language, and Legal Challenges
Genetic research on the community indicates a predominant blend of African and European ancestry, alongside a significant minority of Native American genetic markers. However, it is crucial to note that historical records consistently identify many Lumbee ancestors as Native Americans. In the American South,
