A Shared Honor, Two Unique Journeys: Current Tribal Law Partners Recognized by UNC Pembroke
Celebrating first-generation achievement, family legacy, and a shared commitment to serving Indian Country.
Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC is proud to celebrate a special milestone for our founding partners, Amber Holland and Lydia Locklear Canty, who were jointly named the 2026 Young Alumnae of the Year by the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP).
The partners received this recognition during UNCP's 58th Annual Alumni Awards & Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony on October 23, 2026, as part of the University's Homecoming celebrations.
For Amber and Lydia, this honor represents more than professional achievement. It celebrates two distinct educational journeys, a shared Lumbee heritage, and a commitment to using their education to strengthen tribal communities.
Amber Holland: Celebrating the Journey of a First-Generation College Student
For Amber Holland, a two-time UNCP graduate, receiving this recognition is particularly meaningful as a first-generation college student.
Amber earned her bachelor's degree in Social Studies Education with a minor in American Indian Studies in 2007 and returned to UNCP to complete her master's degree in 2012. As the first generation in her family to pursue higher education, her educational accomplishments represent not only personal milestones but also the opportunities that education can create for future generations.
Amber began her professional career as a high school social studies teacher, spending nearly a decade educating students in Robeson and Wake counties before becoming an attorney. She later earned her Juris Doctor and Certificate in Indian Law from the University of New Mexico School of Law.
Her career has since included work in federal Indian law, tribal governance, public policy, and the protection of tribal sovereignty.
For Amber, UNCP played a foundational role in that journey. The University provided a place where her Lumbee identity and educational aspirations could exist together, reinforcing the importance of remaining connected to her community while pursuing professional opportunities.
Her recognition is also a celebration of first-generation students everywhere who are navigating unfamiliar paths, creating new opportunities for their families, and demonstrating that where a person begins does not determine how far they can go.
Lydia Locklear Canty: Continuing a Family Legacy at UNCP
For Lydia Locklear Canty, the recognition carries a different but equally profound meaning: the continuation of a family legacy deeply connected to UNC Pembroke.
A native of the Union Chapel community and the daughter of Janice Locklear and Dr. Curt Locklear Jr., both of whom are UNCP alumni, Lydia comes from a family with longstanding connections to the University and its tradition of educational achievement and community service.
Her grandfather, Curt Locklear, also a UNCP alumnus, was awarded the UNCP Distinguished Service Award in 2002 and her father Dr. Curt Locklear Jr. was himself recognized by UNCP with an Outstanding Alumni Award in 2011, making Lydia's recognition a particularly meaningful continuation of her family's relationship with the institution as a third generation honoree. Lydia’s connection to the University extends generations. Her grandpa Curt planted the first oak trees on UNCP’s campus while her grandma Catherine Locklear delivered milk to professors on UNCP’s campus as a young girl. Curt and Catherine later met as students attending the University, fell in love, and went on to both graduate and build a large family and well-known business known as “Curt’s” True Value Hardware, a staple in the Lumbee community.
Lydia graduated from UNCP in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in American Indian Studies before earning her Juris Doctor and Certificate in Indigenous Law from Michigan State University College of Law in 2017.
Her professional career has included service as Deputy Tribal Attorney for the Catawba Nation and a judicial clerkship with Justice Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court. She currently serves on UNCP's Board of Visitors, continuing her commitment to the institution that helped shape her professional path.
Through her work, Lydia carries forward her family's emphasis on education, leadership, and service while establishing a legacy of her own in the legal profession.
Her recognition is a reminder that the influence of a university extends far beyond any individual graduate. It can shape families, strengthen communities, and inspire generations to pursue meaningful work.
Two Paths, One Shared Purpose
Although Amber and Lydia arrived at UNCP through different family and educational experiences, their journeys share important common ground.
Both are citizens of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Both pursued education as a means of creating opportunities and serving others. Both ultimately found their calling in federal Indian law and the advancement of tribal sovereignty.
Their paths also crossed through their undergraduate membership in Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, Inc., a shared connection that reflects their longstanding commitment to Native leadership, education, and community.
Today, as the founding partners of Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC, Amber and Lydia have translated those shared values into a Native women-owned law firm dedicated to serving tribal governments, tribal organizations, and communities throughout Indian Country.
Their work focuses on strengthening tribal governance, protecting tribal sovereignty, developing tribal laws and policies, supporting economic development, and expanding access to legal services.
The Firm's mission reflects the values that helped shape both partners during their years at UNCP: education, service, community, and the responsibility to create opportunities for those who follow.
Honoring the Past and Investing in the Future
UNC Pembroke holds a special place in the history of the Lumbee people and in the advancement of educational opportunities for American Indians. For Amber and Lydia, being recognized by an institution so closely connected to their community makes this honor especially significant.
Their experiences reflect two important stories within higher education: the first-generation student who creates a new educational path for her family and the graduate who carries an established family legacy forward into a new generation.
Both stories deserve celebration. Both demonstrate the transformative power of education.
As Current Tribal Law & Policy celebrates its first year of serving Indian Country, this recognition is especially meaningful. It offers an opportunity to reflect on how far the partners have come, the people and communities who helped them along the way, and the work that still lies ahead.
We extend our sincere gratitude to UNC Pembroke, the Alumni Association, our families, mentors, colleagues, clients, and communities for their continued support.
Most importantly, we hope this recognition encourages the next generation of Native students, first-generation college students, and aspiring attorneys to pursue their goals with confidence, knowing their stories, experiences, and communities are sources of strength.
Once a Brave, always a Brave.
Congratulations to Amber Holland and Lydia Locklear Canty, UNCP's 2026 Young Alumnae of the Year!
About Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC
Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC is a wholly Native women-owned law firm founded by Lumbee attorneys Amber Holland and Lydia Locklear Canty. The Firm provides legal and policy services to tribal governments, tribal organizations, and partners working throughout Indian Country, with a focus on strengthening tribal sovereignty, governance, and self-determination.
Learn more: UNCP Announces 2026 Alumni Award Recipients
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