CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe is closer to gaining full federal recognition. Over the years, tribal members have called it a hard-fought battle as other tribes have opposed recognition.

"The fight that we've gone through in my lifetime started long before I got here," said Ryan Dial.

Dial's passion for Native American communities started when he was a boy, and it has carried over into his adulthood. He currently works at the UNC American Indian Center as a health program manager.

"I grew up having to defend my identity to my nonnative peers. Something I wasn't prepared for is having to do the same with my other native peers," he said.

The Lumbee Tribe was first recognized by Congress in 1956, but the legislation didn't include federal benefits.

"I love

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