Federal recognition legally establishes a government‑to‑government relationship between a tribe and the United States, acknowledges the tribe’s inherent tribal sovereignty and immunities, and makes the tribe subject to federal obligations, powers and limitations; in daily practice it enables the tribe to govern its members, operate tribal institutions (courts, councils), and interact with federal agencies as a sovereign while receiving program eligibility and federal services tied to that status.
Recognized tribes become eligible for a wide range of federal programs and services including Bureau of Indian Affairs (tribal governance, trust services), Indian Health Service medical services and funding, Indian housing and education programs, federal contracting/self‑governance compacts, program-specific grants (HUD, HHS, DOJ), and access to trust land processes; exact benefits depend on agency rules and available appropriations.
Congress granted recognition to the Lumbee by statute enacted in December 2025 and signed by the President; the language was included in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as enacted by Congress—see the enacted Public Law text and the bill/Statutes at Large entry for the NDAA for the exact statutory language.
The Federal Register is the official daily publication for U.S. federal government rules, proposed rules, and notices; the Department of the Interior publishes the annual list there because the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to publish the list each year in the Federal Register, making the list an official, public record.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Indian Services (Division of Tribal Government Services) maintains and updates the official list of federally recognized tribes, provides administrative support and services to tribal governments, and helps manage BIA programs (trust services, tribal governance support, records and enrollment guidance); it carries out the Department’s responsibility to document recognition status and support government‑to‑government relations.
Recognition by statute does not by itself transfer land or automatically change state jurisdiction; it establishes the tribe’s federal status and eligibility for federal programs and trust land processes, but any changes to land status (trust acquisitions), criminal/civil jurisdiction, or exercise of sovereign powers in North Carolina would require separate legal actions (e.g., land taken into trust, intergovernmental agreements, or specific congressional/statutory language).