The public is invited to join The University of North Carolina at Pembroke to celebrate Lumbee Homecoming. The 55th annual Lumbee Homecoming will be held June 29-July 6 in Pembroke.
As one of the largest gatherings in southeastern North Carolina, Lumbee Homecoming showcases the rich history and culture of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Thousands of Lumbees and non-Lumbees descend on Pembroke to eat collard sandwiches and grape ice cream, purchase Native art, attend a parade and powwow, crown the Lumbee Ambassadors and watch a fireworks display. For a complete list of events sponsored by the Lumbee Regional Development Association, visit https://www.lumbee.org/lhevents.
UNC Pembroke Events
UNCP will host several events during Lumbee Homecoming to celebrate Lumbee history and culture. Established in 1887 to train Lumbee teachers, UNCP is in the heart of the Lumbee community and has a historical mission of service to the Lumbee and other Indigenous communities. Admission to UNCP’s events is free, and everyone is welcome!
UNCP events during Lumbee Homecoming include:
July 2 –– Dr. Ryan Emanuel book talk
Dr. Ryan E. Emanuel will discuss and sign copies of his new book, On the Swamp: Fighting for Indigenous Environmental Justice, at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum of the Southeast American Indian.
Dr. Emanuel (Lumbee) is an associate professor of hydrology at Duke University. A community-engaged scholar, Dr. Emanuel studies ecohydrology, biogeosciences, environmental justice, and Indigenous rights.
In On the Swamp (2024), Dr. Emanuel shares stories from North Carolina about Indigenous survival and resilience in the face of radical environmental changes. Addressing issues from the loss of wetlands to the arrival of gas pipelines, these stories connect the dots between historic patterns of Indigenous oppression and present-day efforts to promote environmental justice and Indigenous rights on the swamp. His scientific insight and deeply personal connections to his home blend into a book that is both a heartfelt and an analytical call to acknowledge and protect sacred places.
Learn more about On the Swamp by visiting https://uncpress.org/book/9781469678320/on-the-swamp
July 3 –– Lecture on the life of Dr. Helen Maynor Scheirbeck
Dr. David E. Wilkins will host a lecture on the life and accomplishments of Dr. Helen Maynor Scheirbeck at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum of the Southeast American Indian located on the first floor of Old Main. Lumbee Scholars & Academics will serve as a co-host.
Dr. Scheirbeck, a Lumbee political scientist, educator, and community organizer, both led and served as a consultant to governmental and non-governmental organizations related to American Indian tribal recognition, education, and community development. Scheirbeck assisted with the founding of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to chair the Indian Education Task Force and served as the director of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Office of Indian Education. She also assisted in developing the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act (1978), was appointed head of the Indian Head Start Program, and served as assistant director for public programs at the National Museum of the American Indian.
Dr. Wilkins (Lumbee) is the E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond. He concentrates much of his work on Native politics and governance, particularly on the transformations that Indigenous governments have both coercively and voluntarily engaged in from pre-colonial times to the present.
Saturday, July 6: Museum of the Southeast American Indian
Visit the Museum of the Southeast American Indian, located on the first floor of historic Old Main, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to engage with the museum’s exhibits, participate in the craft center, enjoy interactive activities for kids at the outdoor Life by the River play plaza, between Old Main and Oxendine Science Building, and purchase items at the gift shop.
To learn more about the museum, visit https://www.uncp.edu/museum
Saturday, July 6: AISES Powwow
The annual AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society) powwow will begin at noon in the Quad next to Old Main, immediately following the Lumbee Homecoming parade. Native art vendors will be set up in the Quad.
