Â鶹ÉçÇø Pembroke invites the public to celebrate the 56th annual Lumbee Homecoming, June 24-July 6, in Pembroke, NC.
As one of the largest annual gatherings in southeastern North Carolina, Lumbee Homecoming showcases the rich history and vibrant culture of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Each year, thousands of Lumbee citizens and visitors gather to enjoy traditions such as collard sandwiches and grape ice cream, purchase Native art, attend a parade and powwow, witness the crowning of the Lumbee Ambassadors and enjoy fireworks. For a full schedule of events organized by the Lumbee Regional Development Association (LRDA), visit
Â鶹ÉçÇøP will host several events during Lumbee Homecoming to celebrate Lumbee history and culture. Established in 1887 to train Lumbee teachers, Â鶹ÉçÇøP is in the heart of the Lumbee community and has a historical mission of service to the Lumbee and other Indigenous communities. All Â鶹ÉçÇøP events listed below are free and open to the public.
Ongoing Exhibition: From the Pitcher’s Mound to the Easel: The Art and Legacy of Gene Locklear
The Museum of the Southeast American Indian is hosting a special exhibition featuring the artwork of Gene Locklear, a Lumbee artist and former Major League Baseball player, on the first floor of Old Main. Locklear has produced works of all sizes in oil, acrylic and pencil mediums, encompassing realism, impressionism and abstract styles. Subjects range from Native American and Western figures, themes and landscapes to professional athletes from countless sports and animals. Locklear played for the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees and in Japan from 1969 until retiring in 1979.
Locklear served as the inaugural Lloyd Oxendine Artist-in-Residence in March 2025. The residency honors Lloyd Earl Oxendine (1942-2015), a pioneering Lumbee artist and advocate for Native American art. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about the museum, uncp.edu/museum.
Tuesday, June 24: Dr. Helen Maynor Scheirbeck Memorial Lecture
Nancy Strickland Chavis (Lumbee), director and curator of the Museum of the Southeast American Indian, will deliver the second annual lecture honoring Dr. Helen Maynor Scheirbeck (1935-2010), a trailblazing Lumbee political scientist, educator and community organizer.
The lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum of the Southeast American Indian, which is located on the first floor of Old Main.
Dr. Scheirbeck was instrumental in shaping American Indian education and policy at the national level. She 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. Dr. Scheirbeck 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.
Lumbee Scholars & Academics will serve as a co-host.
Thursday, June 26: Â鶹ÉçÇøP Alumni and Community Drop-In
Â鶹ÉçÇøP alumni and community members are invited to reconnect and learn more about the Curt and Catherine Locklear American Indian Heritage Center while enjoying grape ice cream, a Lumbee favorite. The drop-in is from 4-6 p.m. on the second floor of Old Main.
To learn more about the Curt and Catherine Locklear American Indian Heritage Center, visit uncp.edu/aihc.
Monday, June 30: Lecture – Gathering Up the Fragments: Searching for the Elusive Cheraw
The Cheraw Indians of the Carolinas were essential in the colonial era. In this lecture, Christopher Judge, assistant director of Native American Studies at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, will discuss an ethnohistoric process to identify the cultural affiliation of two individuals interred at the Johannes Kolb Site in Darlington County, S.C. He traces the movement of the Cheraw across the Piedmont of North Carolina and ultimately to the Great Pee Dee River and beyond to write a brief history of these two people that he believes are Cheraw.
The lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum of the Southeast American Indian on the first floor of Old Main.
June 30 – July 3: Your Memories, Our History: Lumbee Homecoming Photo ID Project
Help us put names to faces! The community is invited to assist in identifying individuals featured in the Elmer W. Hunt Photograph Collection, housed in Special Collections in the Mary Livermore Library.
Special Collections will set up a table inside the library, where community members are invited to identify individuals in the photographs by adding the names of family members, friends or others they recognize in the Elmer Hunt photography binders.
A Pembroke native and citizen of the Lumbee Tribe, Elmer Hunt Sr. (1919-1987) was a World War II veteran who participated in the Normandy landing, a 1953 Â鶹ÉçÇøP graduate, schoolteacher and professional photographer. In 1969, he became Â鶹ÉçÇøP’s staff photographer. The collection reveals an entire community during 30 years from the 1950s through the 1980s, highlighting parades, fairs, civic clubs, school groups, stores, buildings, landmark events and more. Learn more about the Elmer W. Hunt Photograph Collection.
The binders will be available for viewing and contributions Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the first floor of the Livermore Library. To learn more about the Livermore Library, visit uncp.edu/library.
Wednesday, July 2: Lecture – Who’s Your People: A Brief History of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
Dr. Lawrence T. Locklear (Lumbee), director of Southeast American Indian Studies at Â鶹ÉçÇøP, will offer an overview of significant periods and events in Lumbee history, including the Lowrie War, the establishment of Â鶹ÉçÇøP, the adoption of the tribal name of Lumbee in 1952 and the victory over the Ku Klux Klan in 1958. He will also discuss important aspects of Lumbee identity and culture.
The lecture begins at 4 p.m. in the Museum of the Southeast American Indian on the first floor of Old Main.
Saturday, July 5: Visit the Museum of the Southeast American Indian
Visit the Museum of the Southeast American Indian from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to enjoy family-friendly activities such as engaging with the museum’s exhibits, participating in the craft center, enjoying interactive activities for kids and purchasing items at the gift shop.
Saturday, July 5: AISES Powwow
Following the Lumbee Homecoming parade, join the AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society) powwow, featuring Native dancers, music and vendors, from 1 to 3 p.m. on the Quad next to Old Main. This celebration is hosted by Â鶹ÉçÇøP’s AISES chapter, showcasing Native talent and tradition in the heart of campus.
