North Carolina names its nations by statute (North Carolina, 1913–2003)

SUMMARY27. North Carolina names its nations by statute (North Carolina, 1913–2003) [Connections: Who decided who's Indian, Nov 5, 2026]

RECORDNC General Statutes Chapter 71A: Lumbee recognized "from and after April 20, 1953"; Haliwa-Saponi "from and after April 15, 1965"; Waccamaw Siouan, Coharie and Meherrin "from and after July 20, 1971"; Sappony "from and after February 3, 1913," noting they were "officially recognized as the Indians of Person County by Chapter 22 of the Public-Local Laws of 1913"; Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation (S.L. 2003-54). § 71A-3: the Lumbee "shall continue to enjoy all rights, privileges and immunities as an American Indian Tribe," and the code lists their earlier legal names ("Croatan Indians," "Indians of Robeson County," "Cherokee Indians of Robeson County")

PATTERNRecognition came by legislature, county by county, often under place-names ("Indians of Person County") rather than nation names, and only the Eastern Band had federal status until the Lumbee in 2025

LENS (WW9)The state wrote the names, then changed them; the nations had to fight to put their own names back on the paper

OPENHow these communities were labeled in censuses before their recognition dates (Haliwa before 1965, Coharie/Waccamaw before 1971) needs county-level checks

SOURCENC General Statutes, Chapter 71A.