Richard Burr: “I rise and in a moment I will ask unanimous consent to right a wrong that has lingered for over a century and to call up…”

“I rise and in a moment I will ask unanimous consent to right a wrong that has lingered for over a century and to call up and pass H.R. 1964, the Lumbee Recognition Act. Prior to that, I want to say that I am honored, with my colleague Senator Tillis, to represent the Lumbee people. The Lumbee are the largest Native American Tribe east of the Mississippi River, with a membership of over 60,000. They have called the present-day counties of Robeson, Scotland, Hoke, and Cumberland their home in North Carolina. They have been a cohesive part of the community in North Carolina for centuries, and they have developed unique Tribal instructions that have served their membership well in the face of extraordinary adversity. They have been teachers, farmers, doctors, small business owners, sheriffs, clerks of court, State legislators, and judges. Many have protected our Nation by serving in the Armed Forces. Their contribution to their community, to the State of North Carolina, and to the country is innumerable. Their commitment to education is unparalleled. In the 1800s, the State authorized the Tribe to run the State's school district for Lumbee children. The State also authorized the opening of a specially advanced Indian school known as the Normal School to train teachers to teach in Lumbee Indian schools. Although the State provided no money for construction for the facilities, the Lumbees pulled together and constructed an Indian Normal School of their own.…”