Native American Education Programs at UNCP Serve as Springboard for Lumbee Tribe Recognition

Nov. 3, 2012 - PRLog -- (Pembroke, NC) — The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, the largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River, is being led by Tribal Chairman Paul Brooks into an “age of enlightenment” by promoting educational achievement and federal recognition for the benefit of the Tribe’s youth and adults.

Lumbee people are regarded as the most educated of all Indian Country tribes, holding the largest number of members who have earned a bachelor, master or other higher education degrees.

The achievement of knowledge is not a recent trend for the Lumbee Tribe—and history shows that the sharing of wisdom across generations as ancestral knowledge has been a staple of the spiritual and cultural development of the Indian Country.

The Lumbees recognize that their collective achievement is the result of the wisdom and vision of their grandmothers, grandfathers, and the lineage ancestors who kept the tribal community informed with stories and traditions throughout generations.

“To know where we—the Lumbee People—are headed, we must first know where we have been,” said Chairman Brooks, whose involvement in the development of educational opportunities for Lumbees has been of great benefit to the Tribe.

Chairman Brook’s motto, “Together we can make a difference,” is emphasized by the UNCP’s theme of “Honoring our Heritage, Soaring Toward Our Future” as he leads the Lumbees using education and knowledge as the foundation of a successful tribal community.

UNCP was the first university created for the benefit of Native Americans and Lumbee students have always made up the majority of its student body, further supporting Chairman Brook’s desire to influence the achievement of future generations with Lumbee-sponsored educational programs.

“I want to ensure that our people have access to educational opportunities for not only another 125 years, but again, until the 7th generation” added Chairman Brooks.

Wielding education as a emblem of respect for the Lumbee Tribe, Chairman Paul Brooks continues to fight for full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe to ensure that Lumbee students and parents have access to the same financial assistance available to other Indians around the country.

About the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina

The Lumbee Tribe is the largest Native American tribe in the State of North Carolina, with its largest concentration in Robeson County, NC. The Lumbee Government is spearheaded by Tribal Chairman Paul Brooks, a respected businessman among the Lumbee people, whose experience and leadership has contributed to community and economic development to benefit the Lumbee Tribe, Robeson County and the State of North Carolina. The Lumbee Tribe has over 55,000 members, making it the largest Native American tribe east of the Mississippi River and the ninth largest in the nation.

For more information, please visit the official Lumbee Tribe website and News Center at http://www.lumbeetribe.com.  

Media Contacts:

Alex Baker
Public Relations Manager
Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
Phone: (910) 522-2202