Digital Scholarship and Initiatives

The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina filed a lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch for using the Lumbee slogan and logo in convenience stores for multiple alcoholic products. The tribe’s complaint is that the illegal use leaves a false impression of an affiliation between the two. With alcohol abuse often stereotypically associated with Native American culture, many took offense to the use of the slogan and logo.

According to the lawsuit, out-of-court efforts to get the ads pulled were ineffective. Tribal Chairman Harvey Godwin said, “As alcohol and drug abuse are often associated with Native American culture, the use of the Lumbee tribal brand and an image of a Native American dancer in an advertisement promoting an alcohol product is viewed as particularly offensive to Lumbee People.” He vowed to make sure those responsible would be held accountable.