The Only Land I Know

The Only Land I Know is a field-defining volume that follows the history of the largest Native American community east of the Mississippi River. In this essential work, Adolph L. Dial and David K. Eliades create a comprehensive and well-rounded history of the Lumbee people through 1974 by discussing the colonial period, the Revolutionary War, the Lowrie War, the Lumbee educational system, folklore, and more. With a new foreword by David Shane Lowry, the expanded edition encourages discussion about what it means to be a part of the Lumbee community. Lowry questions the truth of the book’s title as he traces the extensive history of travel and relocation of the Lumbee people, now primarily settled in southeastern North Carolina. Following the Lumbees’ success after a century-long push for federal recognition, The Only Land I Know is more important than ever as a glimpse into the history and culture of a resilient people that also reminds readers that the Lumbee community extends well beyond set geographical borders.