Dr. Ryan E. Emanuel

25 Jan 2025

Misinformation about the presidential memo on Lumbee recognition is frustrating but not unexpected given the complexity of the issue. Here is a short FAQ followed by suggested readings to help clear the air.

journals.sagepub.comSage Journals: Discover world-class researchSubscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

New research by Brittany Hunt finds that non-Indigenous teachers use their own childhood experiences "not simply as retrospective memories but as formative experiences that shaped how (they) later understood, reproduced, challenged, or navigated Indigenous curriculum within their own classrooms."

The study points to this phenomenon and other issues to explain deficiencies teaching about Indigenous peoples in large, urban school districts in North Carolina. Remedies include systemic changes to curricula and teacher preparation, as well as power sharing between state & tribal gov'ts. #NCPol

Earlier this year, the Catawba Nation became the 9th state-recognized American Indian Nation in North Carolina. The Catawba are federally recognized but previously lacked gov-to-gov relations with NC, where much of their ancestral territory is located. Updated map below. 1/2 #IndigenousPeoplesDay

doa.nc.govAmerican Indian Affairs - NC Tribes, DOA Programs & ServicesDOA operates various programs to service the needs of North Carolina's American Indians.

In North Carolina, state tribal recognition also brings representation on the Commission of Indian Affairs, a body that advises state government and sets the state's policy agenda on all matters concerning Indigenous peoples. 2/2 www.doa.nc.gov/divisions/am... #IndigenousPeoplesDay

academicjobsonline.orgDuke University, NSOE-Faculty Job #AJO32409, Clarence Korstian Professor of Forest Economics and Management, NSOE-Faculty, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, US

17 Sept

Come work with me @dukeenvironment.bsky.social! The Division of Environmental Social Systems (ESS) at the Nicholas School of the Environment invites applications for the Clarence F. Korstian Professor of Forest Economics & Management... academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32409 #Environment #Academia

doi.orgClimate Change and Environmental JusticeDr. Ryan Emanuel discusses the inequities of climate change in terms of who is impacted. He introduces how "seven generations thinking" is one way to reduce inequities and environmental harm.

31 Aug

Although I left @ncstate.bsky.social ~5 years ago, my recorded #EnvironmentalJustice lesson is still part of the online orientation course taken by incoming students & their families: "Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions." This year, >1300 new students completed the course! doi.org/10.52750/427...

25 Aug

First Day of Class in my 20th year as a professor! This fall I'm teaching my usual grad-level course in Environmental Justice and also co-teaching two special, year-long courses in Indigenous studies through Duke's Bass Connections program. This is an off year for my graduate hydrology course. #FDOC

@mynameismattstone.bsky.social

3 Aug

I have a sixth sense, but only for knowing when my dishwasher is nearly out of rinse aid. It may be the most useless supernatural power.

Dr. Ryan E. Emanuel reposted

Matt Stone

3 Aug

Julian Pierce would have been the first Lumbee Superior Court judge in county history. It would have finally given Lumbee people a voice. They elected him anyway, ten weeks dead, by two thousand votes. My great-uncle was the sheriff. Here’s what I found. thegrounded.ghost.io/the-election...

coastalreview.orgIndigenous environmental justice: Author links culture, water | Coastal ReviewDuke University professor and member of the Lumbee Tribe Dr. Ryan Emanuel is Coastal Carolina Riverwatch's guest speaker next week in Morehead City to discuss links between historic Indigenous oppress...

17 July

Interview ahead of my upcoming book talk in Morehead City, NC - also a fundraiser for Coastal Carolina Riverwatch. coastalreview.org/2026/07/indi... #Lumbee #Indigenous #EnvironmentalJustice #Hydrology

25 June

Great #SciComm advice - would like it twice if I could!

Itai Yanai@itaiyanai.bsky.social

🔥 Published today, and just in time for summer conferences, here are your guidelines for presenting badly www.nature.com/articles/s41... rdcu.be/fqa92

borderbelt.orgLumbee Tribe Rejects Amendment Opening the Door for a CasinoTribal leaders said a casino could bring well-paying jobs to southeastern N.C., but critics worried about speed and transparency.

Yesterday, Lumbee voters rejected the tribal government‘s bid to amend constitutional language on gaming. If you want to learn more, read this great report from Sarah Nagem of the Border Belt Independent! Then (if I may humbly suggest) read my longish thread below.

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

To their credit, some tribal leaders have already begun to issue public statements acknowledging that the amendment proposal was rushed & lacked transparency. They acknowledge opponents raised important concerns about procedure & substance. They promise to do better.

These acknowledgments & some specific follow-up actions will be important for rebuilding trust in tribal government. I view the whole situation as an unforced error, but I think we have an opportunity to learn from it & grow stronger as a nation.

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

See, the tribal government’s PR campaign framed the election as a yes/no vote on a casino (and associated economic development) rather than a suite of structural changes to the constitution. And in the end, their framing became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy…

Last night, when the election outcome became clear, the tribal chairman announced on Facebook that he wouldn’t revive gaming discussions during the remainder of his term. But the election outcome does not foreclose the possibility of gaming or future discussions - it only says “not like this.”

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

Some in the accountability faction (myself included) think the vote could have easily swung the other way if the tribal government had held an up or down referendum on gaming instead of holding a special election to remove the referendum requirement entirely!

So folks who are surprised by the “no“ result probably missed the fact that Lumbees weren’t actually voting to authorize gaming or a casino. IMO, these folks either haven’t been paying attention, or they only encountered the tribal government’s *heavy* PR campaign in support of a “yes” vote…

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

newsobserver.comLumbee tribe votes ‘No' on gaming, nixing plans for casino on Interstate 95The tribe gained long-sought federal recognition in December, which allowed them to pursue gaming, a possibility rejected by the majority of 68,000 members.

Nagem’s Border Belt piece covers the story fairly well, and you should read it entirely. It’s better than today’s coverage by the @newsobserver.com (the state’s newspaper of record), which describes the election result as a ”no” vote on gaming. www.newsobserver.com/news/local/a...

The problem with the N&O’s headline & description is that they ignore the large faction of Lumbees who don’t oppose gaming but who voted against constitutional changes they judged to be misguided and harmful. (Again - in the spirit of full disclosure, I was one of these opponents.)

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

NOTE: Of course there are nuances to all of these arguments, and the three groups that I describe are not mutually exclusive, but this is a skeet thread and NOT longform journalism or academic research. These are my personal observations & assessments as an individual insider (& amendment opponent).

My note notwithstanding, it’s no surprise that the amendment failed to pass. The opposition comprised 2 major factions - government accountability and moral objection groups - whereas proponents were limited mainly to the economic development faction. (Again, my “factions” are oversimplified.)

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

Meanwhile, the economic development group backed a “yes” vote. Some in this camp rationalized the unaccounted for ~$3M as trivial compared to future income from a casino… the cost of doing business. (See NOTE below!)

In addition to the accountability and economic development factions, a third major group emerged, opposing the amendment on moral grounds. This faction rejected gambling and casinos generally on religious and/or cultural grounds. (See NOTE below!)

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

votenodemandbetter.comVote NO. Demand Better!! — Lumbees United for AccountabilityLumbees United for Accountability is not an anti-gaming coalition. The Lumbee people should decide on gaming — and they deserve a referendum or a better amendment with real oversight so any gaming mon...

My own opinions aligned best with the accountability group, and I supported a grassroots effort led by Lumbee women & elders (including one of the nation’s top federal Indian law practitioners, Arlinda Locklear). The group disagreed with both substance & process of amendments. votenodemandbetter.com

The larger accountability group also pointed to lack of transparency about the tribal government’s recent 200+ acre land acquisition for a casino, especially the whereabouts of an apparent ~$3M profit to an anonymous intermediary on the land deal. (See NOTE below!)

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

The amendment itself required adoption through a special election, & proponents (including some tribal leaders) pitched this election as the actual “gaming referendum” - even though gaming authorization wasn’t explicitly on the ballot and our rules differ between referenda & special elections.

The initial mischaracterization of the election - along with the timing, pace, & scope of the proposed constitutional changes - raised red flags around government accountability for some Lumbees, while others viewed the rapid constitutional changes as positive & necessary for economic development.

Carli Brosseau@carlibrosseau.bsky.social

About 62% of the roughly 9,000 tribal members who cast ballots voted no, according to unofficial results from the Lumbee Tribe Elections Board. borderbelt.org/lumbee-tribe...

Background: Lumbee constitution states that any governmental action affecting the “fundamental rights” of Lumbees must be authorized by a referendum. Pursuit of gaming is one such action. Tribal citizens presumed a referendum would take place sooner or later, at which time we’d weigh in on a casino.

But in April, tribal leaders surprised Lumbee citizens with a proposed constitutional amendment to (1) strip the referendum requirement for gaming, (2) change the geographic definition of tribal territory, and (3) insert procedural language into the constitution about gaming regulation.

@ecotonemagazine.bsky.social

11 June

New essay in the latest issue of @ecotonemagazine.bsky.social in which I reflect on #ClimateChange, racism, memory, & more. I wrote the 1st draft back in 2020-2021 as part of a preface for ON THE SWAMP. As the book evolved, this piece fell to the wayside. I'm glad it finally found a home in Ecotone!

Ecotone Magazine@ecotonemagazine.bsky.social

Today we’re featuring Ryan E. Emanuel’s “Countermemories and Climate Change,” a Climate Annotation on memory, oppressive history, and understanding. Free to read online for the next two weeks. ecotonemagazine.org/climate-anno... @WaterPotential.bsky.social

Dr. Ryan E. Emanuel reposted

Ecotone Magazine

10 June

27 May

ON THE SWAMP is a Silver winner of the 2026 Nautilus book awards, and I’m grateful for the recognition. The book explores #EnvironmentalJustice through perspectives of Lumbee & other Indigenous peoples of present-day eastern North Carolina. Check it out! uncpress.org/978146967832...

Dr. Ryan E. Emanuel reposted

Johnnie Jae

@johnniejae.bsky.social

20 May

Replying to @johnniejae.bsky.social

What Landback isn't is a demand for Non-Natives to hand over their housekeys or master plan to rid the land of Non-Natives. Landback is a framework, a set of ideas & possibilities that can take very different shapes depending on the land in question, the tribe involved and people doing the work.

25 Apr

Great visit to University of Minnesota this week. I gave a seminar on environmental justice for environmental science & had conversations on topics ranging from the challenges of confronting colonialism in academia to the joys of finding a good conference roommate. I also squeezed in 2 short runs.

wral.comLumbee Tribe to vote on allowing casinos, gamblingThe tribal council voted last week to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would allow the newly federally recognized tribe to authorize gaming on tribal lands.

Article by @murphsturph.bsky.social gets most details right, but the headline is wrong. Under the proposed action, Lumbee citizens will *not* actually vote to allow casinos or gambling. www.wral.com/news/local/l...

TL;DR - Instead of a referendum to authorize gambling, Lumbees (likely a small number of us) will vote about who has the power to authorize gambling, a vote that raises other questions related to constitutionalism and government transparency.

Lastly, it’s incorrect to include Sampson, Bladen, & Columbus Counties in the description of Lumbee territory. These counties belong to Coharie and Waccamaw Siouan service areas, & their people (not Lumbee) largely live there. More Lumbees likely live in the Triangle than in those counties.

In any case people won’t actually vote to authorize casinos or gambling as the headline reads. That the vote is described as such (by proponents of the constitutional changes and by the media) adds to the controversy.

Hanging over it all, we tend not to vote in large numbers, especially in tribal government elections & referenda. So it is possible that a very small number of Lumbee people will decide the question for all 60k of us.

Lumbees will instead vote whether to preserve the right to decide on gambling by a referendum of tribal citizens (listed among several fundamental rights in our 2001 Constitution), or whether we cede that right to tribal government.

The vote includes other proposed changes to our Constitution, which makes it more controversial than a clean referendum on whether or not to pursue gambling.

americanrivers.orgLumber RiverThe Lumber River—also known as the Lumbee River—is a nationally significant blackwater river flowing for 133 miles through southeastern North Carolina into South Carolina. Its dark, tea-colored waters...

This year, @americanrivers.bsky.social placed the Lumbee River on its list of Most Endangered Rivers due to contamination from PFAS & other “forever chemicals.” See their write-up here 👇🏽. I’m also dropping links below to some of my research on river’s environment, history, & cultural significance.

American Rivers@americanrivers.bsky.social

#DYK? 🤔 The Lumber River's dark, tea-colored waters wind through wetlands and forested floodplains, providing wildlife habitat, natural flood protection, and drinking water for thousands of people. www.americanrivers.org/river/lumber...

uncpress.orgOn the SwampDespite centuries of colonialism, Indigenous peoples still occupy parts of their ancestral homelands in what is now Eastern North Carolina—a patchwork quil...

The Lumbee River in the larger story of colonialism, survival, and Indigenous environmental justice: (Not #OpenAccess, but available in many libraries.) uncpress.org/978146967832...

duke.campusgroups.comPowwow 2026 - Center for Multicultural AffairsDuke's annual Powwow 2026 in collab with NASIA and CMA

Side note: Attend Duke University’s powwow this Saturday, April 18, and find me for a chance to win a free copy of ON THE SWAMP. duke.campusgroups.com/CMA/rsvp_boo...

American Rivers@americanrivers.bsky.social

journals.uchicago.eduWater in the Lumbee World: A River and Its People in a Time of Change | Environmental History: Vol 24, No 1Abstract This article explores relationships between Lumbee people and the riverine landscapes of their home. I draw upon my lived experience as a Lumbee person and my training as an environmental sci...

Environmental & cultural history of the Lumbee River: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.... #OpenAccess

onlinelibrary.wiley.comClimate Change in the Lumbee River Watershed and Potential Impacts on the Lumbee Tribe of North CarolinaA growing body of research focuses on climate change and Indigenous peoples. However, relatively little of this work focuses on Native American tribes living in the Atlantic Coastal Plain of the Unit....

Impacts of climate change to Lumbee River & surrounding region: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #OpenAccess

npr.orgLight snowpack is setting up conditions for drought and fires in the U.S. WestThe West has had one of the worst winters for snowpack on record. The lack of snow is causing drought across much of the reason and spelling trouble for communities.

9 Apr

The severity of the western US snow drought notwithstanding, it warmed my heart to hear Kelsey Jencso—Montana State Climatologist & a friend of 20+ years—on the radio yesterday. He says the segment was recorded 2 weeks ago, which makes the situation all the more dire. www.npr.org/2026/04/08/n...

youtube.comConrad Burns' Secret PlanYouTube video by arrowhead77

6 Apr

The Conrad Burns secret shuffle. www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGOi...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Trump: "Somebody said, 'Oh, he doesn't have a plan.' I have the best plan of all, but I'm not going to tell you what my plan is."