USET Welcomes Lumbee Tribe as Member
The United South and Eastern Tribes formally admitted the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina during its Fall Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Native American
The United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) formally welcomed the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina as a member Tribe last week. Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery took his seat at the USET table alongside the organization's 32 other member Tribes.
Why it matters
The admission expands USET, a non-profit intertribal organization serving 33 federally recognized Tribal Nations, to include a North Carolina tribe within its membership. It marks the Lumbee's formal participation in a regional body that has operated since 1969.
USET was established in 1969 as a non-profit intertribal organization and now serves 33 federally recognized Tribal Nations. With the Lumbee's admission, the Tribe joins 32 other member Tribes at the organization's table, though the source does not detail the timeline for its first full participation in USET programs.
The players
John L. Lowery
Lowery is the Tribal Chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, leading the Tribe's government and representing its interests in regional and national Native American organizations.
United South and Eastern Tribes (USET)
USET is a non-profit intertribal organization founded in 1969 that serves 33 federally recognized Tribal Nations across the eastern United States and advocates on shared policy priorities.
The details
Lowery attended USET's Fall Conference, held in Williamsburg, Virginia, on the traditional homelands of several Virginia Tribal Nations, including the Chickahominy, Pamunkey and Mattaponi Tribes. USET's motto, "Strength in Unity," frames the organization's intertribal mission.
Timeline
Last week: USET formally welcomes the Lumbee Tribe as a member
1969: USET is established as a non-profit intertribal organization
Regional Tribal Alliances
The Lumbee's admission places a North Carolina tribe inside USET, which has served as an intertribal body for eastern Tribal Nations since 1969. This follows the organization's established model of uniting federally recognized tribes under a shared regional framework.
For North Carolina residents, the Lumbee's membership gives the state's largest Native American tribe a formal voice in a regional intertribal body. The source does not describe changes to services or programs available to residents.
The takeaway
The Lumbee's admission shows how regional intertribal bodies can widen their membership to include tribes from across the eastern states. Readers following tribal affairs can watch how the Lumbee participate in USET's shared policy work in the coming years.
Further reading
For more on intertribal governance in the region, explore Native American coverage on North Carolina.
