Letters

In yet another example of the Shinnecock’s belligerent and bellicose nature, the tribe has summarily demanded that the seal of the Shinnecock Nation be removed from the Southampton Town Hall because they are angry that town officials happen to disagree with their ill-conceived land deals [“Southampton Town Returns Shinnecock Nation Seal to Tribe; Feds Say Objection to Land Status Is Invalid,” 27east.com, July 15]. Happily, the town has complied quickly with their request — and good riddance.

Admittedly, official seals are nothing more than symbols, but symbols should represent an underlying reality. In the case of the current situation, that underlying reality — that the Shinnecocks are somehow partners with the citizens of Southampton Town — has not existed since the tribe achieved its long-sought but questionable federal recognition as an “official tribe” under the Obama administration.

For the last decade and a half, the Shinnecock Nation has behaved much like its predecessors in the 17th century, where any neighbors were inherently considered to be competitors and needed to be dealt with aggressively. (Interestingly, one of the clauses in the 1640 Deed of Purchase between the English Puritans of Lynn, Massachusetts, and the Shinnecock provided that the new English homesteaders must assist the Shinnecock in battling their surrounding tribal rivals.)

As usual, the various and sundry apologists for the Shinnecock have begun emerging from the woodwork, calling for town “reasonableness,” a lowering of temperatures, and proposed settlements beneficial to the tribe. With respect to those clarion calls of capitulation, we say to Supervisor Maria Moore and the town administration: Put on your (litigious) war-paint and prepare for a long legal battle.

Vigilance is the watchword, always and everywhere, all along the watchtower. Because if you lose, or if you settle prematurely, you will surely find yourself confronting the Shinnecock again and again, as they attempt to utilize their so-called “sovereign rights” against your town and derivative states’ rights. Luckily, the macro environment has changed a bit for the better — note Massapequa’s recent victory — so there is, indeed, some hope for the future.

No one likes litigation, just like no one likes wars. But sometimes, as your forefathers used to say in the 1640s, “The cause is worth the candle.”

Mark Schulte

Quogue