Long Overdue

To recognize and celebrate the anniversary of the Shinnecock Nation gaining federal recognition as a Native American tribe in 2010, the Southampton Town Board voted in February to declare October 1 “Shinnecock Heritage Day” in the town.

Southampton Town Council member Michael Iasilli introduced the resolution, which the board adopted unanimously. The resolution noted an intent to “engender greater collaboration” between the town and the sovereign nation.

Bryan Polite, then-chairman of the Shinnecock Council of Trustees, remarked during that February meeting that this is an important step forward in education and bridging the gap between the nation and neighbors.

The Southampton Village Board last month likewise declared October 1 — this year and for perpetuity — Shinnecock Heritage Day in the village and in Southampton schools. The board noted in its resolution that Shinnecock Nation history, language and culture have been incorporated as part of the curriculum in Southampton High School.

During a culminating event last week at the Town Hall auditorium, town and tribe officials, County Executive Ed Romaine and guests marked Shinnecock Heritage Day with an educational panel discussion and Shinnecock food, song and dance. The event brought to Town Hall tastes and traditions that are beloved features of the Shinnecock Powwow, which has taken place on Shinnecock Territory on Labor Day weekend for 78 years, drawing thousands from the town and farther afield annually.

The only question Shinnecock Heritage Day raises is: Why didn’t it exist sooner? Southampton was founded in 1640, but the People of the Stony Shore have been here for 10,000 years.

During the post-federal-recognition history of the tribe, the Shinnecock and the town have come into conflict over the tribe’s Sunrise Highway electronic billboards and, more recently, clearing at the tribe’s Westwoods property in Hampton Bays for a gas station and travel plaza. Both are economic drivers for a nation that has historically been denied economic opportunities even while surrounded by some of the most expensive properties and wealthiest people in the world. It behooves the town to be more accommodating of such initiatives.

Partnership, not conflict, is what will be most productive for both the nation and the town, and Shinnecock Heritage Day will serve as an annual reminder of that.