Lumbee Ring

For my birthday this year, Mom and Dad gave me the Lumbee ring. To date, whenever I have worn this, people have not failed to notice it, but I always field the same question: "What do the years signify?" The answer is that each of the four years on the face of the ring represent a significant event or milestone in the tribe's history.

1865	The beginning of Henry Berry Lowrie's rebellion against the death of his father and brother at the hands of the North Carolina Home Guard.
1887	The date of the establishment of the Croatan Normal School in Pembroke, NC. This teaching college has evolved into the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. This school was fundamental in bringing literacy to the tribe and allowing us to ducate both ourselves and our children.
1956	The Lumbee Act is passed by the US Congress. This act recognizes the Lumbee people as "The Lumbee Indians of North Carolina", but does not grant us full federal recognition. Efforts at full recognition continue to this day.
1958	The Lumbee make national news by confronting and dispersing a Ku Klux Klan rally in Maxton, N.C. This marks the end of the Klan's influence in Robeson County, NC.

The interested reader is encouraged to read more at:

Lumbee Tribe
Lumbee Wikipedia Page

Special recognition to Cyna's Jeweler's in Pembroke, NC. They are the designers and sole supplier of both the ring shown above and a wide selection of Lumbee jewelry. Take a look around. While you are there, take a look at this and see if you recognize the name of the designer. They also have their version of the ring history and they are the source of the ring image.