What are the reasons that the Lumbee Native Americans of NC not eligible to re-apply for federal recognition?

Question

What are the reasons that the Lumbee Native Americans of NC not eligible to re-apply for federal recognition?

Answer 1

Most Native American Tribes can seek recognition a process with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  

"The current process for federal recognition, found in 25 C.F.R. 83, is a rigorous process requiring the petitioning tribe to satisfy seven mandatory criteria, including historical and continuous American Indian identity in a distinct community. Each of the criteria demands exceptional anthropological, historical, and genealogical research and presentation of evidence. The vast majority of petitioners do not meet these strict standards, and far more petitions have been denied than accepted. In fact, only about 8 percent of the total number of recognized tribes have been individually recognized since 1960".   -from the National Confrence of American Indians website at http://www.ncai.org/Federal_Recognition....

However - "The Lumbees were the subject of a unique termination-era law that both acknowledged their status as Indians but denied them federal benefits. As a result, they cannot seek recognition through the BIA. Rep. Mike McIntyre (R-N.C.) and Richard Burr (D-N.C.), two of the witnesses tomorrow, support a bill that would grant federal status to the tribe." copied from http://www.indianz.com/News/2004/001151.... - an article dated March 31, 2004.

As of today, the Bill to recognize the Lumbee has been passed in the House and sent to the Senate where it has been read twice and referred to the Comittee on Indian Affairs - http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?...

Answer 2

Perhaps it was because they shuned this very important meeting:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeikk3sXl...

How did I end up in anthropology anyway?  Must have been the cheap wine.