Shinnecock (originally called shinni-auk-it, meaning "at the level land"), in eastern Long Island, New York, is the year-round home to approximately 450 Native Americans. Over a thousand additional tribal members are scattered through the country. Of the approximately 400 to 450 people living year-round on the reservation, 50 percent have married within or had children by tribal members; 25 percent are married to outside Indians; and 25 percent are married to whites, Hispanics, African Americans, and others.
In 1640, English colonists entered Shinnecock land. There they met peaceful, resourceful people who had been in the same geographical area for thousands of years. The Shinnecocks' land extended eastward to the Easthampton town line and westward to the Brookhaven town line, with the Atlantic Ocean to the south and Peconic Bay to the north.
In a gesture of friendliness, the Shinnecocks parceled out eight square miles of land to the settlers. Numerous unfair land transactions had by the 1850s reduced the tribe's holdings to its present eight hundred acres. A legislative act in 1859 designated this small neck of land as the Shinnecock Indian Reservation. It is located two miles west of the village of Southampton, New York, in Suffolk County.
In 1857, Ferdinand Lee, a tribal member, rose from fourth mate to captain on various whaling ships. As captain of the bark Callao out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, many of his crew members were Shinnecock natives who followed the call of life at sea.
In 1792, at a town meeting, the first tribal governing system was introduced. Three male members of the tribe were selected to conduct tribal affairs. Only men were allowed to vote or have a voice in tribal meetings; it was not until 1993 that women acquired these privileges. The Shinnecocks have the oldest ongoing Native America church in America. Most tribal members are Presbyterians. Close-knit family ties have kept them united.
Ancient June Meeting spiritual gatherings continue on the first Sunday in June, an indication of the tribe's determination to remain traditional. The Shinnecocks celebrate "Indian Thanksgiving" a week before the nationwide observance as a demonstration of their cultural awareness and tenacity.
The annual three-day Shinnecock Labor Day Powwow, with over fifteen thousand daily attendees, generates a fair amount of capital for the tribe, whose income is supplemented by state grants. Young people maintain their heritage by making their own dance regalia and by practicing beadwork and other crafts.
A tribal council with a few ad hoc committees enlivens the progressive political and business status of the community. Several programs have enriched the social structure. The Shinnecocks have recently renewed their traditional skills of herb gathering, hunting, and fishing.
Today many professionals and entrepreneurs operate both within and outside the confines of the reservation. Launcelot Gumbs, known as "Fierce Eyes," is the proprietor of the Shinnecock Outpost, a highway deli, gifts, and smoke shop; he employs eighteen members of the tribe in this enterprise.
The Shinnecocks are proud people, determined to hold on to their identity and the last of their tribal land bases. A tribal enrollment list is being prepared for an application by the tribe for federal recognition.
Harriet Crippen Brown Gumbs
Shinnecock
Shinnecock Indian Outpost
Southampton, New York
