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Halle Evans
L. M. Raymond, MA
UWRT 1103
16 July 2015
Writing Prompt #6: The Lumbee Tribe
As I began to research my ancestors, I found that many people on my mothers side never
travelled here from another place, but were already here. I have discovered that, on my mothers
side, I am a descendant of the Lumbee Native American tribe of North Carolina. There is little
history on the Lumbee tribe due to the fact that no one is certain where they came from.
Although, it is believed that they might be descendants of the survivors of the Lost Colony
(Manson). Though they arent well as well known as other tribes, they still have strong roots and
great pride.
While on ancestry.com, I found my great
grandmother and discovered that her last name was
Bullock. That surname originated from the Lumbee
tribe even though today it is considered a
stereotypically white last name (Britt). This was a
surprise to me when I found out that I was connected
to this tribe because I have only heard about it a few
times. I assumed that I would be partially Cherokee or Apache. I still feel very honored to be a
part of such an interesting culture.
Not many people know about early Lumbee traditions with the exception of those who
are full-blooded Lumbees because of stories passed down. The Lumbees were one of the first

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tribes to begin conforming to European standards. They were accepting of the changes that were
made because clothes and what people wore were not very important to them. It is said though
that their fashion was similar to Powhatans with beaded head wear and feathers (Lewis and
Redish).
Most Lumbees follow the traditional Christian religion that was introduced by the
European. Also, they have spoken the English language due to the fact that they were so
accepting to European cultures (Kertesz and Maynor). It was common for Lumbees to marry
blacks that were brought to America later in their history. It was looked down upon but people
continued to do so and still do today. Many people identify as Lumbee in North Carolina in the
present day society.

Works Cited
Britt, Morris F. "Appendix T. List of Lumbee surnames with dates of appearance in the greater
Lumbee Settlement (N=523 surnames) 1740-2007." 107 pages. 2012.
lumbee.library.appstate.edu. Web. 14 July 2015.

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Kertesz, Judy and Malinda Maynor. Religious History. 2002. unc.edu. Web. 14 July 2015.

Lewis, Orrin and Laura Redish. Native Languages of the Americas. 1998-2015.
bigorrin.org. Web. 14 July 2015.

Manson, Craig. Can DNA Solve Lumbee Problem? 28 Oct. 2007.

geneablogie.blogspot.com. Web. 14 July 2015.

Shearin-Evans, Judy. Telephone interview 14 July 2015.