Shinnecock Tribe Members Plan To Protest U.S. Open Over Lack Of Participation

Some members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation plan to stage a protest at this year’s U.S. Open, claiming they were shut out by organizers and could miss out on nearly $200,000 in fees that the tribe has received during past championships by working as vendors and leasing tribal lands to the U.S. Golf Association for visitor parking.

Shinnecock Tribal member Nichol Dennis Banks told The Press on Thursday that Shinnecock members were organizing a week-long protest that would take place between June 11-17, while the U.S. Open is taking place at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Course.

The protests, Ms. Banks said, may consist of picketing, burning sage and traditional drumming.

On Thursday, Tribal Trustee Lance Gumbs said he was unaware of any planned protests. But in a post on Facebook, he expressed frustration that the Shinnecock presented U.S. Open organizers with proposals to allow the facilitation of vendor tents and up to 5,000 vehicles to park on tribal lands which are two minutes away from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, and they were all turned down.

When the U.S. Open was held in 2004, $180,000 was directed to the Shinnecock people from the USGA from the hospitality tents, Mr. Gumbs said in a text on Thursday. In 1995, the tribe brought in $120,000 and in 1985 it brought in $90,000.

“The Shinnecock Hills Golf Club sits on stolen lands and bears our name yet the County, Town and Village choose to exclude us from parking over 5,000 cars on our land...,” Mr. Gumbs said in the post.”We were not included in any negotiations for parking or hospitality tents even though our tribal [Pow Wow] grounds and parking lots are bigger than both areas that were rented out by the USGA.”

The USGA plans to use the Hampton Classic Horse Show site in Bridgehampton and the Southampton Elks Club Property on County Road 39 to bus people to the open from points east of the golf course and shuttle buses will run from Gabreski Airport in Westhampton.

In his post, Mr. Gumbs added that everyone but the Shinnecock Nation was going to benefit from the U.S. Open.

But USGA officials said on Thursday that they have tried to incorporate the Shinnecock Nation into the golf tournament.

Craig Annis, the head of communications at USGA, said in an email on Thursday that officials have had regular conversations with tribal council leaders over the past year with the goal of developing opportunities to meaningfully celebrate the contributions of the Shinnecock Nation to the area. Such opportunities would honor the heritage of the Shinnecock and allow them to participate in the championship by offering economic opportunities.

One offer was to allow Shinnecock tribal members to setup a third-party putting simulator in a premier spot at the golf course in which the profits would be shared, according to Mr. Annis, and they were also offered the opportunity to sell locally-made items in the merchandise tents, even giving a premiere spot.

“The USGA has deep respect for the Shinnecock Nation and their contribution to nurturing the golf course from its inception,” Mr. Annis said. “We’ve seen tremendous success of locally made items over the last few years.

What the USGA did not engage in were offers to allow parking on the reservation.

“We have not parked cars on the Shinnecock territory since 1995,” Mr. Annis said. “Through our work with the local and state law enforcement leading up to the 2004 and 2018 championships, our collective primary goal for transportation was to reduce any traffic congestion directly in the Town of Southampton and create as little disruption as possible to residents, while safely and smoothly diverting more than 18,000 vehicles and 30,000 people to ample land capable of managing the increased traffic.”

Mr. Gumbs declined to comment about the potential for a planned protest. When asked, he said tribal leaders had not discussed the matter, but had heard protests were being planned by individual tribal members.

Ms. Banks said a meeting to discuss strategies for the protest will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the Shinnecock Community Center.

Since Shinnecock Hills opened in 1891 the club has always had a close relationship with the members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation. For much of the 20th century, the head superintendent was a Shinnecock: first Elmer Smith and then his son, Peter, who oversaw the course during the celebrated Open Championships in 1986 and 1995.

But in 2000, the club removed Mr. Smith, and the number of tribe members on the grounds crew has dwindled to just a few in the time since.