The Lumbee Tribe of N.C. wants better healthcare, but plans to fund it are in limbo
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, recently granted federal recognition, is struggling to secure funding for healthcare services. Tribal members face significant health disparities, including high rates of diabetes and heart disease, which they hope to address through new federal support.
Why it matters
Federal recognition is a critical milestone for indigenous sovereignty and access to essential public health resources.
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LUMBERTON, N.C. — Soybean fields surround Angie Lowery's home on a plot of rural land in southeastern North Carolina's Robeson County. Dozens of antique gas station signs, 20 feet tall, dominate her front yard. A framed re-creation of The Last Supper , Lone Ranger posters, and a 3-foot-wide tobacco harvesting basket adorn the walls of her home. A collector, Lowery over the years has amassed remnants of her region's past.
But behind the house, the 44-year-old's backyard garden showcases her goals for the future, one that involves a long, healthy life with her kids: collard greens, bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, red and white potatoes, kale.
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