Good News Friday: The Lumbee Tribe will finally be recognized by the US government

After fighting for generations, the Lumbee Tribe, a local Indigenous population is finally affirmed. Plus, high school students unveil impressive aviation project during annual Wright Bros. memorial while a Charlotte couple wins big on Netflix. 

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the state, folks were slacking off at work, itching to celebrate. 

Whether you observe Christmas, another holiday or are simply waiting out the end of 2025, mid-December can feel a lot like those last two weeks of senior year in high school. And yet the news cycle continues churning out stories at a rate that can be hard to grasp in our pre-holiday malaise. 

What you need in such times is some good news, and on Good News Friday, I’m here to provide just that. There was plenty of it this week in North Carolina, so let’s jump in. Check out past editions here. 

Lumbee achieve long-anticipated federal designation

In Pembroke, Lumbee Tribe members celebrate the passage of a bill granting them full federal recognition. (Photo via Lumbee Tribe)

Having cultivated a shared history, strong cultural identity, and deep roots in eastern North Carolina over hundreds of years, the Lumbee people were designated a tribal nation by the state of North Carolina in 1885 then recognized as an Indian tribe by the US government in 1956.

Even then, however, Congress denied its members the benefits associated with full federal recognition. 

On Wednesday, hundreds of Lumbee citizens and community members who had gathered at the Pembroke Boys & Girls Club broke into cheers as they watched the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which will finally secure federal recognition for the tribe. 

Denied Federal Recognition for a Century, Biden and Trump Promise Change for NC’s Lumbee Tribe

The US Senate passed the bill in a 77-20 vote, clearing the way for Lumbee leaders to engage with the US government as a sovereign entity and opening up access to health care, education, housing, and economic development opportunities.

“I know with every fiber of my being that our ancestors are smiling down on us today,” said Lumbee Tribal Chairman John H. Lowery. “After decades of waiting, praying, and fighting, our Tribe has finally crossed a barrier that once seemed impossible to overcome. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for every person who poured their soul into making this Senate passage a reality.” 

Learn more about the bill’s passage—including the possibility that it might clear the way for a casino and even marijuana legalization—and what it means at the Lumbee tribe’s website. 

High schoolers build second plane at Kitty Hawk

At Wright Brothers Day in Kill Devil Hills, a group of local high school students showed off their modern-day version of the Wright Flyer. (Photo via Wright Brothers Memorial)

In my “3 Things Happening” column earlier this week, I previewed the annual Wright Brothers Day event in Kill Devil Hills, which commemorates the famed sibling duo’s first flight on the Wright Flyer in 1903. 

What I was not aware of was that a group of high school kids would unveil their own modern-day version of the Wright Flyer at the event, becoming the second group to build a workable airplane on the hallowed grounds of the Wright Brothers National Memorial. 

Beginning during the 2023-24 school year, 23 seniors and juniors from the nearby First Flight High School employed a curriculum created by Tango Flight, Inc. to embark on this unique learning experience.

The kids unveiled a (literally) shiny, new RV-12iS two-seater at the event. The crew hasn’t yet acquired all the necessary checks and licenses to take it up in the air, but attendees on Wednesday got a close look at the cockpit and were able to shake hands with the next generation of aviation experts coming out of Kill Devil Hills. 

Charlotte couple wins big on Netflix 

Charlotte couple Joey Hewell and Scott Lindsley won the premiere season of Netflix’s “What’s in the Box?” (Photo via Netflix)

WARNING: Contains spoilers for the Netflix game show, What’s In the Box?

In early 2024, the Queen City was all abuzz about Love Is Blind, the Netflix dating show that filmed its sixth season in and around Charlotte. This year, it’s one couple taking the spotlight instead of five.

On Wednesday, Netflix released its latest game show, What’s In the Box? Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, the series puts contestants through fast-paced trivia and challenges to win life-changing prizes hidden inside mystery boxes. 

With all six episodes now live on Netflix, we can tell you that Charlotte couple Joey Hewell and Scott Lindsley won the premiere season … and they won big. Lindsley and Hewell, who made headlines after becoming one of the first gay couples to tie the knot following the legalization of same-sex marriage in North Carolina in 2014, piled up a list of adventures that would make for an impressive lifetime full of vacations.

That list includes a trip to Paris with a $25,000 shopping spree; a sailing trip on a luxury yacht with $25,000 worth of new designer luggage; and a stay at the Treehouse Resort in Finland, where they’ll take in the Northern Lights during a reindeer-and-dog-sled ride. And somehow, there’s more.