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87-639: The Shinnecock Indian Nation is a federally recognized tribe of historically Algonquian -speaking Native Americans based at the eastern end of Long Island , New York. This tribe is headquartered in Suffolk County , on the southeastern shore. Since the mid-19th century, the tribe's landbase is the Shinnecock Reservation within the geographic boundaries of the Town of Southampton . Their name roughly translates into English as "people of

174-577: A Delaware-Munsee dialect, one of three of their people. They shared a longhouse social system with their people also located in a territory that extended through the mid-Atlantic area, from western Connecticut, the lower Hudson River Valley, through present-day New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Like the other Native peoples of Long Island, the Shinnecock made wampumpeag ( wampum ), shell beads strung onto threads that were used as currency, for record-keeping, for aesthetic purposes, and to symbolize

261-561: A bill to acknowledge the tribe has passed by the state Legislature for the fourth time, and Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed it in December 2022. Currently, there is no state or federally recognized Montauk tribe. The Montauk Indian Nation and the Montaukett Tribe of Long Island, both unrecognized tribes , submitted letters of intent to petition for federal recognition in the 1990s; however, neither has followed through with submitting

348-568: A community or body of people within range of this power by arbitrarily calling them an Indian tribe, but only that in respect of distinctly Indian communities the questions whether, to what extent, and for what time they shall be recognized and dealt with as dependent tribes" (at 46). Federal tribal recognition grants to tribes the right to certain benefits, and is largely administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). While trying to determine which groups were eligible for federal recognition in

435-477: A deed was issued titled "Ye deed of Guift," which granted all lands east of Fort Pond for the common use of both the Indians and the townsmen. In 1686, New York Governor Thomas Dongan issued a patent creating the governing system for East Hampton. The patent did not extend beyond Napeague to Montauk. This lack of authority has formed the basis for various control disputes ever since. The Dongan Patent allowed

522-478: A documentary film entitled "Conscience Point" was released and shown on WNET in New York City and other PBS stations. It documents the struggle for land rights and protection of Shinnecock ancestral burials over a five-year period and features Shinnecock activist Becky Hill-Genia. Evidence of Shinnecock influence on the industry can still be seen today. A bull rake is a large clam harvesting tool created in

609-611: A family. These shell beads have been found at Native American-inhabited sites as far west as the Rocky Mountains , showing their value in a trade. Although other New England tribes produced wampumpeag , the Indians of Long Island are reputed to have made the best. Paumanok, one of the many names given to Long Island, means "land of tribute". The tribe was subject to raids by the Pequot and other New England tribes to control this valuable trade commodity. The Europeans quickly learned

696-693: A historical tribe. Tribes seeking recognition must submit detailed petitions to the BIA's Office of Federal Acknowledgment. To be formally recognized as an Indian tribe, the US Congress can legislate recognition or a tribe can meet the seven criteria outlined by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. These seven criteria are summarized as: The federal acknowledgment process can take years, even decades; delays of 12 to 14 years have occurred. The Shinnecock Indian Nation formally petitioned for recognition in 1978 and

783-572: A lease with the Shinnecock Indians. In 1703, this was ratified to include more land for English colonists. In 1792, the state of New York passed a law reorganizing the Shinnecock Indian Tribe as a trusteeship . The law also established annual elections for three tribal trustees, which have continued from 1792 to the present. The Shinnecock, Montauk and Unkechaug developed tribal systems to deal with external forces;

870-647: A petition. Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. has introduced legislation to restore state recognition of the Montaukett Indian Nation in 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2019, but Governor Andrew M. Cuomo vetoed these bills, "arguing that a tribe must follow a prescribed federal administrative process to obtain recognition rather than achieve it through setting up a costly duplicated process at the state level." The last 2019–20 bill, sponsored by Sen. Kenneth LaValle died after being referred to state senate investigations and government operations. Throughout all of this

957-751: A site in partnership with the state, they could build a Class III gaming casino, which is more lucrative than the Class II they would qualify for on their reservation. Avery Dennis Sr. , also known as Chief Eagle Eye was a proponent of Shinnecock sovereignty. The Shinnecock were recognized by the United States government in October 2010 after a more than 30-year effort, which included suing the Department of Interior . The Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs, George T. Skibine issued

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1044-571: Is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States . There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes . As of January 8, 2024 , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States. Of these, 228 are located in Alaska and 109 are located in California. 346 of the 574 federally recognized tribes are located in

1131-506: Is famous in local lore for such heroic efforts. At the start of the 20th century, the Shinnecock were described as "daring seamen," and "furnishin[g] efficient recruits to the United States Life Saving Service " (Coast Guard). In 1994, women gained the right to vote on tribal issues. The 1972 tribal leadership restructuring did not include this. In 2005 the nation filed a land claim against New York seeking

1218-693: Is unclear whether these specific expeditions had any contact with the Montauk tribe. In 1637, during the Pequot War , the Montauketts sided with the settlers for protection, but Cockenoe , a Montaukett native, was captured and wound up working with John Eliot in Boston in the 1640s to translate the first parts of the Eliot Indian Bible , before returning to Long Island. In 1639, during

1305-731: Is used by the BIA to publish the list of "Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs". Tribes in the contiguous 48 states and those in Alaska are listed separately. Montaukett The exact meaning of the name Montauk is unknown, although it derives from a place name in the Mohegan-Montauk-Narragansett language ; it roughly translates to "the fort country." The Montaukett (" Metoac " or Matouwac) were Native Americans on Long Island. Their bands were often referred to in colonial writings by

1392-588: The Brothertown Indians in western New York, where the Oneida people gave them some land on their reservation. (By the mid-19th century the Shinnecock and Brothertown migrated to Wisconsin, pushed out of New York.) On Long Island, some Shinnecock intermarried with local colonists and enslaved Africans, who worked on farms and as craftsmen. They often reared their children as Shinnecock, maintaining their identity and culture. The Shinnecock were at home on

1479-578: The Department of the Interior explains, "federally recognized tribes are recognized as possessing certain inherent rights of self-government (i.e., tribal sovereignty)...." The constitution grants to the U.S. Congress the right to interact with tribes. More specifically, the Supreme Court of the United States in United States v. Sandoval warned, "it is not... that Congress may bring

1566-708: The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 , which legitimized tribal entities by partially restoring Native American self-determination . Following the decisions made by the Indian Claims Commission in the 1950s, the BIA in 1978 published final rules with procedures that groups had to meet to secure federal tribal acknowledgment. There are seven criteria. Four have proven troublesome for most groups to prove: long-standing historical community, outside identification as Indians, political authority, and descent from

1653-613: The Montauk Point State Parkway .(State Route 27) In 1926, Carl G. Fisher bought all of the remaining (non-state park) Montaukett Lands in Long Island (10,000 acres (40 km )) for only $ 2.5 million. He planned to turn Montauk into the " Miami Beach of the North", a "Tudor village by the sea". His projects included blasting a hole through the freshwater Lake Montauk to access Block Island Sound to replace

1740-485: The Pequot and Narragansett , the more powerful Algonquian tribes of southern New England across Long Island Sound . The Shinnecock are believed to have spoken a dialect of Mohegan-Pequot-Montauk , similar to their neighbors the Montaukett on Long Island. As is the case with many North Eastern tribes after the establishment of reservations, the Shinnecock language was not allowed to be spoken in schools and its use

1827-719: The Pequot and Narragansett peoples who live across Long Island Sound in what are now Connecticut and Rhode Island . American ethnologist John R. Swanton identified the following subdivisions of the Montauk: Corehaug, Manhasset, Massapequa, Matinecock, Merric, Montauk (proper), Nesaquake, Patchoque, Rockaway, Secatogue, Setauket, and Shinnecock . Swanton also identified several Montauk villages including Aquebogue, Ashamomuck, Cutchogue, Massapequa, Merric, Montauk, Nesaquake, Patchogue, and Rechquaakie. The pre-colonial Montaukett manufactured wampompeag (or wampum ) from quahog clamshells available on Long Island. Before

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1914-584: The United States Army bought the Benson property to establish a base called Camp Wikoff to quarantine Army personnel returning from the Spanish–American War – and that's how Teddy Roosevelt and His Rough Riders wound up exposed to the few remaining Montauketts as they stayed in what became known as "Third House." In 1906; Amid their court case, New York State passed legislation to enable

2001-527: The "white elephant") now a residential condominium). In the Great Hurricane of 1938 , water flooded across Napeague , turning Montauk into an island. Floodwaters from the hurricane inundated the main downtown, which was then located in fort pond bay , and it was moved 3 miles (5 km) to the south, immediately next to the Atlantic Ocean , with State Route 27 as the main drag. In 2022 -

2088-472: The 1648 purchase line), leaving only the lands to the east of the point for the Montaukett. Throughout the 1650s, as the white settlement was expanding, the Montaukett population was in decline. In 1653, Narragansetts under Ninigret attacked and burned the Montaukett village, killing thirty Montaukett warriors and capturing fourteen prisoners, including one of Chief Wyandanch's daughters. The daughter

2175-560: The 1664 free trade treaty of Fort Albany as a means to secure unrestricted wampum from the Indians. The Shinnecock and neighboring Long Island tribes were keen to secure their access to the resource through treaties. In 1648, the Shinnecock, Montauk , Manhasset and Corchaug tribes sold land which would become the Town of East Hampton, New York . The treaty states, "(the tribes) reserve libertie to fish in all convenient places, for Shells to make wampum". Every Labor Day Weekend since 1946,

2262-422: The 1970s, government officials became aware of the need for consistent procedures. To illustrate, several federally unrecognized tribes encountered obstacles in bringing land claims ; United States v. Washington (1974) was a court case that affirmed the fishing treaty rights of Washington tribes; and other tribes demanded that the U.S. government recognize aboriginal titles . All the above culminated in

2349-518: The 19th century, whaling ships often included tri-racial and multi-national crews. White, Indigenous, and African-American seamen encountered sailors from international ports as vessels travelled for sometimes years at a time. In 1830 while the Rev. Thomas James (minister) was in Sag Harbor on an anti-slavery ministry for the free black former slaves in the whaling industry, he was engaged to preach to

2436-478: The 3,500 acres (1,400 ha) of tribal land to non-native persons. This broke the terms of a 1,000-year-lease signed in 1703 by Southampton colonial officials and the tribe. The suit charges that in 1859, a group of powerful New York investors conspired to break the lease by sending the state Legislature a fraudulent petition supporting the sale, which was purported to be from a number of Shinnecock tribal members. Although other tribal members immediately protested that

2523-457: The 574th tribe to gain federal recognition on December 20, 2019. The website USA.gov , the federal government's official web portal, also maintains an updated list of tribal governments . Ancillary information present in former versions of this list but no longer contained in the current listing has been included here in italic print. The Federal Register

2610-549: The Freeholders and Commonalty of the Town of Easthampton and on March 9, 1852 a deed to Montauk was entered at Riverhead in liber 63 of deeds p. 171 to plaintiffs Henry P. Hedges and others including Arthur W. Benson, the claimant equitable owners of Montauk (Proprietors), because their predecessors had contributed the money to purchase Montauk from the native Montaukett Indians in the 1600s. Mr. Hedges (with Benson, and others) paid US$ 151,000 for 10,000 acres (40 km ) for

2697-594: The Moheags of Connecticut speak the same language. George repeated these words several times and I write them as near as he pronounced as I can with the English alphabet.” The Native Americans of the east end of the Island shared a common culture with each other and with Lenape groups along most of the northern shore of what is now called Long Island Sound. The Montauk are specifically related in language and ethnicity to

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2784-761: The Mohegan, Pequot, and Narragansett, to move them to the Oneida Territory. They moved from Long Island to escape colonial encroachment. In 1784 - The Brotherton were forced to move westward (and throughout the United States), ending up in Wisconsin, founding a town they named Brothertown, and became the Brothertown Indian Tribe. They have married into many of the northeastern native tribes and live on many reservations throughout

2871-632: The Montauk Proprietors to purchase the remaining unpurchased lands between the ponds and east of Lake Wyandanee (Lake Montauk). This further separated the Montauketts from governing their tribal lands. In a purchase that was finalized in 1687, in which the East Hampton town purchased the remaining Native lands east of Fort Pond for one hundred pounds, and granted the Montauketts residency rights in perpetuity (but no governance). The Montauketts agreed to accept two pounds per year instead of

2958-451: The Montauk tribe. George Pharoah, aged 66, oldest man of that tribe and their chief gave me this specimen of their language. There are only about seven persons that can now speak this language and a few years more and it will be gone forever. It was spoken with little difference by all the Indians upon the East end of Long Island and perhaps the whole Island and the adjoining Islands. George says

3045-399: The Montaukett lands. The native skirmishes ended in 1657. By 1658, historians estimate that only five hundred Montauk remained. In 1659, Montaukett Sachem Wyandanch died. The following year, Wyandanch's widow sold all of Montauk from Napeague to the tip of the island for one hundred pounds to be paid in ten equal installments of " Indian corn or good wampum at six to a penny". In 1661,

3132-698: The Montaukett obtained metal awls from the Europeans, the Montaukett artisans would make "disk-shaped beads from quahog shells ... used for trade and for tribute payments" with the nearby tribes. The Montaukett farmed, fished, hunted, and gathered food. The colonial Montaukett participated in the new European economic and cultural systems by using their traditional skills: hunting to provide game and fowl for colonists' tables; woodworking to make bowls, scrubs, tools, toys, and later, houses and mills; craftwork to make baskets, eel pots, and rush and cane bottoms for chairs. The "women would harvest corn, squash, and beans." While

3219-546: The Montaukett stay strong and continue to petition for federal recognition and the return of their ancestral lands. Today, the Montauk Tribe of Indians is trying to reverse of the 1910 Blackmar decision, as well as revitalizing of the Montauk language and culture. Allison Manfra McGovern who studied the archeology of the Montauketts over time (ca. 1750–1885) wrote a dissertation about two houses at Indian Fields compared to Freetown. Manfra McGovern concluded that "...despite

3306-400: The Montaukett to establish land claims through colonial deeds from 1660 through 1702, but, as a result of the court battle, the Montaukett lost their legal status and right to compensation, and Judge Abel Blackmar declared to more than 20 Montauketts in the courtroom and scores waiting outside that the tribe had ceased to exist and that they had therefore lost their claim to the reservation. This

3393-566: The Montauketts and the town that permitted the Town Trustees exclusive rights to the purchase of Montauk lands. The town challenged the Montaukett sale to the New York men and moved quickly to establish a new agreement with the Montauketts, detailing transactions and rights between the two parties. A 1703 agreement included a limit on Montaukett livestock to 250 swine and 50 head of cattle or horses. The subsequent 1703 “Agreement Between

3480-707: The Montauketts too. The Reverend James gave the Montauketts shelter near the village during their problems with the Narragansett, and allegedly got them to sell from Napeague to Montauk Point to himself and a few other men (maybe Hedges / Benson / et. al. ?) . Rev. James allegedly composed a Catechism In the Montauk language, a variant of Mohegan-Pequot, which has never been found. From 1830 to 1920, Indigenous whalers went to work as free agents. Indigenous men voluntarily went to sea, as viable alternatives to mainland and reservation opportunities and Indigenous men from eastern Long Island continued to work in whaling through

3567-421: The Montauketts, resentful of their white neighbors, in a position of tenancy on their ancestral homelands. During and after the 1730 - 1740 First Great Awakening, the Montauketts received attention from New Light preachers, most notably James Davenport and Azariah Horton. The Settler colonists continued to pursue an idea of making the Montauketts become Christianized and therefore integrated into society by having

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3654-594: The Proprietors Montauks, establishing the corporation of the trustees of Montauk and affirming its right to govern. The 1859 discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania, along with the growing demand for kerosene and the onset of the Civil War, led to the start of the demise of whaling. Montaukett men sailed from ships out of Sag Harbor until 1871, a year that marked the final deep-sea departure from

3741-410: The Rev. Azarlah Horton, originally of Southold, to minister to them from 1740 to about 1750. Staying and preaching in their wigwams, the reverend traveled a circuit from Jamaica to Montauk, but spending most of his time at Montauk. In a diary entry from December 1741, Rev. Horton mentioned visiting the wigwams of Montaukett people in Montauk who were suffering from illnesses. By the 1740s, the population

3828-478: The Shinnecock depended on their trustees to manage some relations with local farmers in the 18th century, and with other jurisdictions in contemporary times. For more than two centuries, the trustees have managed the tribe's land and resources. In the fall of 2010, the Shinnecock gained federal recognition. After the American Revolutionary War , a number of Shinnecock left Long Island to join

3915-568: The Trustees of East Hampton and the Indians of Montauk” (reprinted in Stone 1993:69) specified that the Montauketts were to inhabit the land referred to as North Neck (between Great Pond and Fort Pond), establishing fencing where necessary. The land east of Great Pond (including Indian Fields) was reserved for colonial use, which primarily consisted of cattle grazing. The Montauketts were permitted to move east of Great Pond if they did not interfere with

4002-638: The addition of six tribes in Virginia under the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2017, signed in January 2018 after the annual list had been published. In July 2018 the United States' Federal Register issued an official list of 573 tribes that are Indian Entities Recognized and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs . The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana became

4089-405: The aftermath of the war, settler-colonist Lion Gardiner purchased an island from the Montaukett chief Wyandanch and named it Gardiner's Island . It is one of the largest privately owned islands in the United States. In 1648, the settlers purchased from Connecticut the lands that would become the town of East Hampton, with the western boundary of today's Hither Hills State Park (also known as

4176-452: The area with an eye to future development. The entirety of Montauk that was not already owned by Mr. Benson was eventually sold in 1890 to Mr. Benson "subject to the rights of the Montauk tribe of indians," noting that a few members and their families still survived. According to Marla Pharoah's autobiography, the remaining Montaukett families were allegedly contestibly "bought out" and two of those houses were moved off Montauk to Freetown, while

4263-399: The area. It is unclear whether these specific expeditions had any contact with the Montauk tribe. In 1609, an expedition by Henry Hudson , explored the area. It is unclear whether these specific expeditions had any contact with the Montauk tribe. In 1619, Adriaen Block , sailed around the point, naming it Visscher's Hoek while mapping the area around the point and nearby Block Island. It

4350-467: The catch during the following whaling season. Eventually, the in-shore whaling operations over-fished the local seas, and Indigenous labor from the Montauketts and other Native American groups was vital to deep-sea whaling throughout the late eighteenth century. Even both Rev. Horton and Rev. Occum mentioned in their records (as late as ca. 1740–1760) that Montaukett men were working at sea during their visits. In 1524, Giovanni Verrazano explored and mapped

4437-492: The colonists's right to graze. The agreement also specified how the Montauketts were able to use their land: fields were expected to remain open for livestock owned by colonists grazing and they were permitted to keep a 30-acre field enclosed to protect crops of winter wheat. If the Montauketts were to move from North Neck and relocate to Indian Fields, they must take possessions with them; they could return to North Neck, but not inhabit both locations concurrently. In 1719, despite

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4524-671: The contiguous United States. Federally recognized tribes are those Native American tribes recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs as holding a government-to-government relationship with the US federal government . For Alaska Native tribes, see list of Alaska Native tribal entities . In the United States , the Native American tribe is a fundamental unit of sovereign tribal government. As

4611-684: The country. Today they are part of the Brothertown Indians movement. By 1788, most Montaukett had left their ancestral lands and joined the Brotherton Indians of New York. The attempts at assimilation continued for some time afterwards for those who stayed behind when the Brothertown group left. Off-shore and deep-sea whaling operations continued into the 19th century even though exploitative labor practices continued. Still, not all Indigenous men in southern New England faced coercion, debt, and indentured servitude in seafaring. Through

4698-493: The current borders of 800 acres (3.2 km) were established. The reservation has a museum, shellfish hatchery, education center, cultural and community center, playground, and Presbyterian church. The reservation is three miles (5 km) west of the village of Southampton, New York. In 1903, it had a population of 150. In 2012 the Shinnecock Nation numbered more than 1,400 people, with more than half residing on

4785-413: The early 1600s, the first recorded European reference of Long Island Indians comes from Dutch official Isaack de Rasieres. He described Long Island as, "three to four leagues broad, and it has several creeks and bays, where many savages dwell, who support themselves by planting maize and making sewan (wampum) and who are called… Sinnecox (Shinnecock)." The Long Island Indians are generally thought to be

4872-405: The early 20th century. In 1839, slaves who had seized the schooner La Amistad came ashore in the hamlet (possibly "Indian Fields") looking for provisions after being told by the white crew they had returned to Africa. American authorities were alerted, and the slaves were recaptured and ultimately freed in a historically significant trial. In 1851 a judgment was entered against the Trustees of

4959-488: The east end. The deed releasing claim to Montauk was entered on March 9, 1852. Mr. Benson also received clear title to the Montaukett property at Big Reed Pond , buying it from tribesmen for $ 10 each. This deed caused the lands covered by the Dongan Patent to be split, leaving the still unsettled lands at Montauk without government. Less than one month later, on April 2, 1852, a NY state law was passed that incorporated

5046-585: The eastern and central sections of Long Island , New York . The Montauk spoke an Eastern Algonquian language . Prior to the 17th century, the Montauk people spoke the Mohegan-Pequot language , also known as the Algonquian "N" dialect, until about 1600 when they moved to the "Y" dialect. On March 25, 1798, John Lyon Gardiner wrote: “March 25, 1798. A vocabulary of the Indian language spoken by

5133-399: The enforced limitations on lifeways, the Montaukett population grew in small numbers and reinforced social and economic networks through exogamous marriage practices. The colonial government responded to this threat of an expanding Montaukett population with yet another “agreement” that prohibited Montaukett marriages with non-Montauketts. Altogether, these eighteenth-century encumbrances left

5220-589: The final determination of the tribe's recognized status on June 13, 2010. The first Secretary of the Interior to visit the Shinnecock Indian Reservation was Sally Jewell , who visited in 2015. She was joined by Kevin K. Washburn , the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs. One of the purposes of the visit was to highlight renewable energy initiatives. The Shinnecock Indian Reservation is a self-governing reservation. By 1859,

5307-416: The largest producers of wampum in the colonial era with much of it being paid as tribute to larger or more powerful tribes. As wampum manufacturing grew during the 1600s, it became an official currency of the colonies until the early 18th century and it was the primary currency used in the fur trade of the time. The need for wampum was so great that the Shinnecock and other Long Island Indians were included in

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5394-400: The lump sum of one hundred pounds, in addition to amounts that they already received yearly for grazing access. The Montaukett noted in 1702 that the fees had never been paid. Dissatisfied with their treatment by the town, the Montauketts negotiated a more lucrative sale of the same lands east of Fort Pond to two wealthy men from New York. This deal, however, violated a previous agreement between

5481-503: The men fished and hunted whales, by using their dugout canoes, made by hollowing out large trees. They also participated in the economy by purchasing their guns and sometimes furniture from the local colonial craftsmen. The Montauketts skilled at whaling were eagerly sought after by those engaged in the trade. Between 1677 and 1684, a documented system of credit allowed indigenous men (and their families) to purchase goods from local merchants and traders, in exchange for their share (or “lay”) of

5568-563: The mid-1700s. Whales were no longer found near shore in their former abundance. The hunt for whales went worldwide, and the Shinnecock were still very valued within the industry well into the 1800s. On April 18, 1845 aboard the whaling vessel the Manhattan , a Shinnecock Indian named Eleazar became the first Native American to enter into Japanese territory, anchoring in Tokyo Bay . The Shinnecock Indians are very closely tied to wampum . In

5655-684: The mid-1800s. It also goes by the name of a "Shinnecock rake". In the Netflix series Manifest , a fellow 828er is a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. Stone, Gaynell, ed. The Shinnecock Indians: A Culture History, 1983, Suffolk County Archaeological Association, Stony Brook, New York. Strong, John A. The Algonquian Peoples of Long Island From Earliest Times to 1700. Empire State Press, 1997. Strong, John A. Shinnecock and Montauk Whalemen, The Long Island Historical Journal, 2(1) 29-40. Federally recognized tribe This

5742-455: The new infectious diseases carried by colonists, to which they had no immunity . In 1658 a smallpox epidemic caused the deaths of nearly two-thirds of the Indians on the island. In addition, their communities were disrupted by land encroachment by Dutch and later English colonists; they had to shift from hunting and fishing to horticulture. By 1741, estimates are that only 400 Native Americans in total survived. In 1641, English colonists signed

5829-645: The others were simply burned down and all their possessions stolen. The first train from the Austin Corbin extension of the Long Island Rail Road pulled into Montauk in 1895, (to the station built in fort pond bay) the land having been bought in 1882. A court case was begun by the Montauketts In 1896 to regain their land: It continued until 1917 and bankrupted them. In 1898, after the Benson / Corbin plan did not work out as planned,

5916-577: The petition was a forgery, the Legislature approved the sale of 3,500 acres (14 km) of tribal land. In 2007 the tribe proposed building a gaming casino to generate revenues for welfare and education, but it has not proceeded to development. In negotiations with the state and local government, the Nation agrees a location out of the Hamptons area would be better for the environment. If they develop

6003-435: The place name of their geographic territories, such as the Montauk and the Shinnecock peoples, which may or may not have been the same as their name for themselves . European colonists tended to mistakenly assume that the different bands they encountered were different tribes, even in cases where the bands clearly shared the same culture and language. The Montaukett are an Algonquian -speaking Native American people from

6090-448: The port. After 1871, Montaukett men sailed out of New Bedford. Men of all backgrounds left whaling for employment in factories. In 1879, an extension of the Long Island Railroad began construction to Montauk. This potential increasing tourism sparked the idea of the sale of the entire Montauk peninsula by the Town Trustees to Arthur W. Benson in 1879 for development as a resort. Mr. Benson began buying up any additional available land in

6177-478: The reservation hosts a powwow , based on ceremonies beginning in 1912. The Shinnecock Powwow is ranked by USA Today as one of the ten great powwows held in the United States. In 2008, the powwow attracted 50,000 visitors. In 1972 the Shinnecock Native American Cultural Coalition (SNACC) was formed to establish a Native American arts and crafts program. Traditional dancing, beadwork, Native American crafts, and music are studied. A group called The Youngblood Singers

6264-500: The reservation. In 2024, Lisa Goree became the first woman chair of the Shinnecock Nation Council of Trustees. The commercial whaling fishery in the United States is thought to have begun in the 1650s with a series of contracts between Southampton resident English settlers John Ogden, John Cooper and the Shinnecock Indians.The English settlers were primarily farmers at that time with very little experience on

6351-566: The return of 3,500 acres (14 km) in Southampton located near the tribe's reservation, and billions of dollars in reparations for damages suffered by colonial land grabs. The disputed property is worth $ 1 billion and includes the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club , which Shinnecock say is the location of traditional tribal burial grounds. The tribe's lawsuit challenged the state legislature's approval of an 1859 sale of

6438-412: The seas. The Indians had an expertise at both seamanship and whale hunting which were necessary to commercialize the industry, known as "the whale design". The skill of the hunters had a direct impact on the number of whales harvested in a season, as a result, Shinnecock men were often contracted by the whaling companies months in advance and for years at a time. This arrangement was wildly successful, and

6525-696: The seemingly remote location of Indian Fields, Montaukett men and women were deeply entangled in local and global markets as producers and consumers; and they maintained social relationships with other laborers, employers, and kin throughout and beyond the East Hampton Town...". Additionally, Stonybrook University puts forth some similarly interesting cultural observations when they studied the Pharoah Home(s) also at Indian Fields (Institute for Long Island Archaeology, Stony Brook University). Some Relics and ruins of their settlements are visible at

6612-779: The shallow Fort Pond Bay as the hamlet's port; establishing the Montauk Yacht Club and the Montauk Downs Golf Course; and building Montauk Manor , a luxury resort hotel; the Montauk Tennis Auditorium , which became a movie theater (and is now the Montauk Playhouse); and the six-story Carl Fisher Office Building (later the Montauk Improvement Building and now The Tower at Montauk, (commonly called

6699-475: The stony shore". The Shinnecock were among the thirteen Indian bands loosely based on kinship on Long Island, which were named by their geographic locations, but the people were highly decentralized. The most common pattern of indigenous life on Long Island prior to their economic and cultural destruction - and, on occasion, actual enslavement - by the Europeans was the autonomous village linked by kinship to its neighbors. They were related and politically subject to

6786-414: The value of the Shinnecock wampumpeag in a trade with other tribes. Cockenoe , a Montaukett/Shinnecock captured during the Pequot War in 1637, worked with John Eliot in Boston in the 1640s to translate the first parts of the Eliot Indian Bible , before returning to Long Island. Native American populations on Long Island declined dramatically after European colonization due mostly to vulnerability to

6873-410: The water, long being fishermen and sailors around the island. Through the 19th century, Shinnecock men worked as fishermen and sailors on the whaling ships based at Sag Harbor and other local ports. It was said that not a ship left Eastern Long Island without at least 1 Shinnecock male on board. In December 1876, ten Shinnecock men died while trying to save a ship stranded off East Hampton . The tribe

6960-409: The whale fishery was soon seen all over New England. So valued were the Indian fisherman that in 1708 the governor made a law stating, “Indians under indenture to whaling companies could not be arrested, molested, or detained in any way from November first to April fifteenth”. This version of whale fishing continued with Indian contract labor until at least 1746. The whaling industry declined sharply in

7047-425: Was around 160 people. In 1749, Samson Occom a Mohegan Native American of Connecticut, came to Montauk to minister and to educate them (from 1749-1761 ), and began to take over Azariah Horton’s mission, while Rev. Horton eventually left for New Jersey. Rev. Occom was an exceptionally talented man, not formally educated until 16, but mastering English, Greek, and Latin, as well as theology beginning in 1743. Later he

7134-531: Was formed. Dedicated to learning traditional Algonquian songs, chants, and drum rituals, they travel throughout the Northeast performing at powwows and drum contests. The Cultural Enrichment Program is a sharing and learning process that the community has engaged in to ensure that the ideals and traditions of their ancestors are passed down through the generations. It involves sharing knowledge of food, clothing, arts, crafts, dance, ceremonies, and language. In 2019

7221-477: Was highly frowned upon off the reservation. This caused a decline in the number of people who spoke the language, the tribe is actively engaged in language renewal programs to secure the legacy of the language for future generations. The bands in the western part of Long Island were Lenape (Delaware), such as the Matinecock and Patchogue. Also part of the large Algonquian languages family, these Lenape spoke

7308-583: Was ordained a Presbyterian minister by East Hampton's Rev. Samuel Buell. Around 1759, the Narragansett attacked the Montauk, until the latter sought refuge with white colonists in Easthampton . Disease had greatly reduced their population. In 1773 - Samson Occum and his brother-in-law, David Fowler (c. 1735-1807, Montaukett native) form the "Brothertown Plan" with members of the neighboring Shinnecock and Christian Algonquins, including contingents of

7395-406: Was probably the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back for a while at least. In 1910, there were an estimated 29 Montauk on Long Island, and in 1923, there were 30. In 1924, Robert Moses began condemning the Benson land to establish state parks on either end of Montauk − Hither Hills State Park in the west and Montauk Point State Park in the east. The two parks were to be connected via

7482-673: Was recognized 32 years later in 2010. At a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing, witnesses testified that the process was "broken, long, expensive, burdensome, intrusive, unfair, arbitrary and capricious, less than transparent, unpredictable, and subject to undue political influence and manipulation." The number of tribes increased to 567 in May 2016 with the inclusion of the Pamunkey tribe in Virginia who received their federal recognition in July 2015. The number of tribes increased to 573 with

7569-710: Was recovered with the aid of Lion Gardiner , who in turn was given a large portion of present-day Smithtown, New York , in appreciation. The Montaukett, ravaged by smallpox and fearing extermination by the Narragansett , were provided temporary refuge by white settlers in East Hampton. Many short but famous battles ensued. Fort Pond Bay derives its name from a Montaukett "fort" on its shores. After 1653, three different groups of East Hampton colonial settlers purchased Native land, each expanding East Hampton rights further and further east. Further purchase agreements were entered into in 1660, 1661, 1672 and 1686 which, among other things, allowed Easthampton townsmen to graze cattle on

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