Now leveled, the Molly’s Hill site is located in Springs where Fireplace Road and Gerard Drive meet; said to be named for Molly Pharaoh, Stephen Talkhouse‘s mother, who lived from 1819 to 1879.

A confused appreciation – In 1933, artist Elliott Brooks carved several relief sculptures, two in memory of the Montaukett and Poquatuck people of Long Islands east end. Later he describes desecrating a prehistoric burial, “.. while I dig around for […]

The Duke site, named after Anthony Drexel Duke, is a site that was excavated by the New York State Archaeological Association, L.I. Chapter in 1974.  On this site, a shell midden was found, suggesting the presence of indigenous occupation in […]

The Fort Corchaug Site is an archaeological site showing evidence of 17th-century contact between Native Americans and Europeans, categorizing it as a post-contact site. The interaction between the Corchaug Indians and Eurocpeans (English and Dutch) primarily regarded the manufacturing and […]

Ronkonkoma was once a fresh water pond with a prehistoric village settlement. Many nineteenth and twentieth century legends are associated with this site. Today, the water of Lake Ronkonkoma has been deemed too toxic for swimming.

The Springy Banks site has been described as a favorite summer camping grounds of the Montauk. It receives its name from numerous delicious flowing springs of water that flow from the base of the cliffs here. Many an East Hampton […]

Pattersquash is an island located in what was originally Unkechaug territory. Pattersquash was first documented in 1670 in a land transaction. Pattersquash is also mentioned in the published Nesaquake Tales, compiled by Rufus B. Langhans. He writes the Indians are […]

Pattersquash is an island located in what was originally Unkechaug territory. Pattersquash was first documented in 1670 in a land transaction. Pattersquash is also mentioned in the published Nesaquake Tales, compiled by Rufus B. Langhans. He writes the Indians are credited with believing that Lake Ronkonkoma was bottomless and connected with the Great South Bay at a place called by them Pattersquash. Pattersquash translated becomes “little round place.”

Known as the last building with direct connection to Freetown, a small village inhabited by freed African slaves and Montaukett Indians, St Matthew’s Chapel,was attended by African, Indian, and whites local residents on Three Mile Harbor Road. In 1976, the building was […]

Around 1844, the “Little Church” is built on the reservation. It was a Millerite Church, a branch of the 7th day Adventist Congregationalist church. The Millerites were part of the great revival from upstate NY. Today, there is little evidence […]

On Mamanock Neck,  a prehistoric Woodland camp and quartz arrowhead workshop site was found. Much of the material culture in this area suggesting human settlement was pottery fragments. The area of Mamanock Neck covers the entirety of the neck of […]

Unkechaug, a name for the nation of indigenous peoples living in Mastic, New York, translates to “people from beyond the hill.” Today, these hills are part of the Ronkonkoma Moraine, a chain of hills that span the center of Long […]

The original purpose of the Shinnecock Oyster Project was to develop a shellfish production system through the means of a hatchery that is versatile to rear a variety of shellfish. It began when the Shinnecock tribe applied for a grant […]

Pahquahkossit is a winter camp site located in what is now known as Wading River. Based on pre-fishtail arrowheads found, the site is identified as an archaic period settlement, with evidence of occupation as early as 2595 BC.

Pahquahkossit is a winter camp site located in what is now known as Wading River. Based on pre-fishtail arrowheads found, the site is identified as an archaic period settlement, with evidence of occupation as early as 2595 BC.

In 1891, one hundred and fifty Shinnecock tribal members assisted in laying out the first 12 holes of what was to become the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Willie Dunn, Scottish Professional and course developer said several years into development; The […]

During the early 20th century, Thomas Henry Williams, a non-Shinnecock Tribal Member who taught at the little school at Shinnecock, and Rose Kellis-Williams, a Shinnecock, opened his cornfield on the reservation to summer colony residents Peter Brooks, his wife, and others who […]

The Sebonac Creek Site is a Shinnecock settlement occupied from the Late Woodland period until the contact period. A stone pottery fragment resembling a Thunderbird design was found along with evidence of a large wigwam ( 15 by 20 feet ), accompanied […]

Yaphank, a village in Brookhaven town, was originally the name of the creek south of the hamlet. A land deed signed in 1664 by Unkechaug Sachem Tobacus mentions a river called Yamphanke. In the 17th century, the Unkechaug Indians, who […]

Appaquogue is an important site that was once used to harvest cat-tail flag reeds for wigwam creation – thus receiving the name “a place where flags grow.” Today, the pond is known as Lily Pond. On the edge of the water, […]

The territory of this chieftaincy was adjoined by the Matinecocks on the west and extended eastward from the Nissequogue River to Stony Brook and south to the center of the Island. Apparently, there was a disagreement for a time between […]

Conscience Point is the approximate landing place of the first English colonists who arrived here in June of 1640. The Shinnecock Indians lived around the harbor for many centuries before the arrival of the English who subsequently settled in the […]

The Mica Tablet site in Brookhaven is believed to be the area where the unique Mica Tablet was found. The area, being in the “Fire Place” region of Brookhaven, is a sacred spot of the Unkechaug people. South of where the tablet […]

The first known inhabitants of East Hampton and Montauk town were the aboriginal Montaukett — a place name spelled a dozen different ways in early records. It was not a “tribal” name, but a place name which the colonists conferred […]

Indian Island is a site of spiritual significance. During a 2005 storm, the beach eroded exposing burials and artifacts. The Shinnecock and Unkechaug, in cooperation with the Riverhead Park and Town supervisors, repatriated the remains. The area is within the […]

In exchange for reconfirming previous land deeds between the Unkechaug and colonist Colonel William Tangier Smith, Smith granted in perpetuity one hundred and seventy-five acres of land to the tribe on Mastic Neck. The grant state that the Unkechaug, “their […]

Minasseroke (now called Little Neck, or Strongs Neck) is located in Setauket town, between Old-field or Conscience Bay and Setauket Harbor. It is believed to have been the sacred residence of a Setalcott Sachem and his people. Artifacts and funerary […]

Cataconacke, a name given by the Setauket, is a plot of land now formally known as “Old Field,” attributed by the English. The land was once located north of the original Setauket colonial settlement until 1659. Land Loss In 1659, […]

The Bethel-Christian Avenue-Laurel Hill Historic District (BCALH) was established and recognized by the Town of Brookhaven in 2005. It is a half-mile long stretch of Christian Avenue that includes the homes of several mixed heritage Native American and African American […]

The Manor of St. George was established in 1696 by Colonel William Tangier Smith, who was an early settler of Brookhaven. After 1683, Smith arrived on Long Island and was granted a large tract of land from Long Island Sound […]

The Manor of St. George was established in 1696 by Colonel William Tangier Smith, who was an early settler of Brookhaven. After 1683, Smith arrived on Long Island and was granted a large tract of land from Long Island Sound to the South Shore, and established himself as a leading citizen of Suffolk County. He kept important records relating to Native American laborers and whalers in what is called “The Pigskin Book,” documenting work transactions between him and local Unkechaug natives from 1696 – 1721. After Smith’s death in 1705, occasional entries were made including indenture agreements for African American and Native American children. The book became an important research document pertaining to Long Island Indians and whaling during an earlier period when small, twenty-eight foot cedar boats carrying six-man crews hunted whales within a few miles of the shore.Reverend Peter John Cuffee, a preacher sometimes referred to as “Priest Peter” and an Unkechaug native, worked and lived at the manor. He was born in Hay Ground, near Bridgehampton, in 1712. After being converted in 1744, he served the Christian ministry following Samsom Occums departure of Long Island. He worked with Indian communities as far west as Islip, founded several churches, and was given a commission by the New York Missionary Society to preach to the Shinnecock. Peter John preached for fifty-six years until his grandson and successor was brought into the missionary – Reverend Paul Cuffee, who was a member of the Shinnecock tribe in Southampton. He died at the age of eighty-eight and was buried on the Poosepatuck Indian Reservation in Mastic, NY.

At the time of European contact, this area was occupied by a people known as the Agawam or Jabash, possibly a sub-group or village of the large Shinnecock tribe. An Indian trail was located along or near what is now […]

The Unkechaug Nation maintains a sovereign relationship with the State of New York, other Indian Nations in the United States and Canada and other foreign powers. The Unkechaug Nation is located on the Poospatuck (“where the waters meet”) Reservation in […]

In 2003, a group burial was discovering during residential development and a house barn construction, dating back to between 1400 to 1640 AD. Shinnecock tribal members argued against further disruption of the soil, seeing the proposed barn as a cemetery […]

In 2003, a group burial was discovering during residential development and a house barn construction, dating back to between 1400 to 1640 AD. Shinnecock tribal members argued against further disruption of the soil, seeing the proposed barn as a cemetery site.

Despite resistance, the private owners continued development while the remains were reburied in an undisclosed location on Shelter Island.

Messemennuck was once a western territory boundary of the Shinnecock people. Cat-tail ‘flag’ reeds were gathered here to become roofs of wigwams, and the river was bountiful in Alewive fish, whose population has lowered due to their dependency on fresh-water […]

Indian Fields is a settlement site for the Montaukett Indians with evidence of occupation from the pre-contact Paleo-Indian period until May, 1885. This terrain of 1200 acres of rolling grassland and brush is now a Suffolk County Park.

In 1649, Phoebe Halsey was murdered by Indians in Southampton. Montaukett Sachem Wyandanch consulted with Lion Gardiner, who urged him to go to Southampton and capture those responsible for the murder. After capturing three men responsible, the three men were brought to Hartford, CT […]

On Monday, August 13th, 2018, skeleton remains were found during residential development on Hawthrone Road in the Shinnecock Hills. The developers and homeowners contacted the Southampton Town and Suffolk County police department, who quickly disturbed the ground further for evidence of […]

On Monday, August 13th, 2018, skeleton remains were found during residential development on Hawthrone Road in the Shinnecock Hills. The developers and homeowners contacted the Southampton Town and Suffolk County police department, who quickly disturbed the ground further for evidence of recent criminal activity.

Along with human remains, a glass bottle from the 17th-century contact period was found, indicating a likelihood of the remains being of Native American descent with burial offerings.

The Shinnecock Indian Nation arrived on the site soon after the detectives with the goal of overlooking the development. If the remains are from Native descent, the tribe encourages the town to use it’s Community Preservation Fund to preserve the lot and respect the burial.

Ayeuonganit Wampum Ayimꝏup, Here, Wampum Was Made, also known as Parrish Pond, is the site of a former Shinnecock wampum-manufacturing site. In 2000, a protest led by Shinnecock tribal member Rebecca Genia began at Parrish Pond. Despite a peaceful protest, […]

“Sachem’s Hole,” also known as Buc-usk–kil, resting place, is the site where the late Manhasset Sachem Poggatticut was laid upon the ground as he was being brought from Shelter Island to Montauk for interment in 1651. From that point on, […]

“Sachem’s Hole,” also known as Buc-usk–kil, resting place, is the site where the late Manhasset Sachem Poggatticut was laid upon the ground as he was being brought from Shelter Island to Montauk for interment in 1651.

From that point on, the area was always kept clear of leaves and debris by local tribal members traveling that route until the site was eventually destroyed by Turnpike 114.

A historical marker erected in 1935 by the State Education Department stands on that spot today.

Sugar Loaf Hill is an Orient Period burial site facing south eastern, the only Orient burial site known outside of the North Fork of Long Island. During the 20th century, despite being known and marked on maps as early as 1797, […]

A small 17th century flaking workshop was found here, north of a large village site. Three thousand stone scrapers were found on the surface, collected since the 1880s.

The West Woods sweat lodge is a contemporary ceremonial site for the Shinnecock Tribe. Located in West Woods, a private and shared area among the Shinnecock people, the sweat lodge is used for initiation ceremony for young adults transitioning to adulthood.

Whale’s fin is a sacred site for the Shinnecock, located two and a half miles south west from the current reservation and two miles south east from Canoe Place. Here, the whales were known to beach, potentially as an offering for sustenance […]

Whale’s fin is a sacred site for the Shinnecock, located two and a half miles south west from the current reservation and two miles south east from Canoe Place. Here, the whales were known to beach, potentially as an offering for sustenance to the Shinnecock in the area.

Four prehistoric human remains were found at Reeve Farm Site in 1961, sparking public and  archaeological attention. For decades following, local residents flocked to the farm in an attempt to uncover more remains and artifacts. The skeletal remains were purchased […]

Great Seal of The Shinnecock Nation The Shinnecock Indian Reservation is a self-governing reservation. The reservation has a museum, shellfish hatchery, education center, cultural and community center, playground, and Presbyterian church.  In 1972, the Shinnecock Native American Cultural Coalition (SNACC) was […]

Great Seal of The Shinnecock Nation

The Shinnecock Indian Reservation is a self-governing reservation. The reservation has a museum, shellfish hatchery, education center, cultural and community center, playground, and Presbyterian church. 

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. 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.

Every Labor Day Weekend since 1946, 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.

Missi Kesukut is a sacred site that was first preserved in 1991. In 2006, a skull was found in the area, identifying the area as a cemetery and at one time an Indian village. This discovery led to several years of […]

Eastville in Sag Harbor is a contemporary community, formed largely the descendants of Freed Native and black slaves, black and Native whalers, and European settlers. The neighborhood was first established in the early twentieth century by free people of color, who then […]

West Woods is a forty acre beach and woodland area owned by the Shinnecock Tribe. The woodland and beach area is used for contemporary social gatherings, weddings, celebrations, camping, and sweat lodge ceremonies. In recent times, West Woods has been […]

Manhansack-aqua-quash-awamock, the traditional Algonquian name for Shelter Island by the Manhanset group who lived there from pre-historic time until the seventeenth century; is approximately 7907 acres in area. This island is unique for having the largest glacial erratic boulders on Long […]

In 1876, freight ship Circassian wrecked off the coast of Mecox Bay in Bridgehampton. Ten members of the Shinnecock tribe were among those who drowned.

The Setalcott Powwow and Annual Corn Festival are held every July 11th at the Setauket Elementary School. The goal of the event is to educate the public about Setalcott family history and culture, as well as recognizing the continued presence […]

The Orient Site is one of four known Orient Period (1,300 – 1,000 BC) burials on eastern Long Island. The cultural period receives its name from the fish shaped projectile points with distinct shoulders. During this period, the areas used […]

A single fenced grave marks the burial location of Reverend Paul Cuffee. This site was chosen for his burial as it was once the meeting place for the old Indian church location. It also exists within “Good Ground,” the old name […]

Fort Pond in Montauk was once called Konkhunganik by the Montaukett Indians before and during the 1800s at its southern half and Quanuntowunk for its north shore. This site along the south eastern shore was occupied seasonally during the Late […]

The Jamesport Site is an Orient Period (1,000 – 1,300 BC) ceremonial burial ground. During this cultural period, distinct spiritual and ceremonial burials were practiced; including “killed” steatite bowls, burial offerings, red ochre caches, and dog sacrifices. In February 2017, Riverhead […]

At the mouth of Carman’s River, Squassux Landing is named after a Native American potter who worked along the west side of the river at the end of Beaver Dam road. Before being used as a place to sail to the […]

At the mouth of Carman’s River, Squassux Landing is named after a Native American potter who worked along the west side of the river at the end of Beaver Dam road. Before being used as a place to sail to the barrier beach, Native Americans set out to hunt whales from Squassux. Later, the site was used as a landing place for whaling crews stationed on Fire Island.

The Stony Brook Site is a prehistoric Indian Village located in the town of Stony Brook, New York, often described as an area on the North Store of “Aunt Amy’s Creek.” Found in 1956 and later excavated by William A. […]

The Shinnecock Presbyterian church on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation has been described as “the oldest, ongoing Native American church in America.” A regular schedule of tribal gatherings occur here, including the annual June Meeting, Indian Thanksgiving dinner and harvest celebrations. […]

Manitou Hill is a sacred hill located on what is now known as Manetto Hill in Plainview, New York. An oral story, recorded by historian Gabriel Furman in 1874, describes a legend during a great drought. The Manitou instructs a sachem through a […]

The indigenous peoples who inhabited the general area of Noyack were a small segment of the Shinnecock, known as the Weckatuck (meaning “end of the woods or trees, or end of the cove or creek.” Sometimes spelled Wickatuck, Wecutake, Wecatuck, […]

The indigenous peoples who inhabited the general area of Noyack were a small segment of the Shinnecock, known as the Weckatuck (meaning “end of the woods or trees, or end of the cove or creek.” Sometimes spelled Wickatuck, Wecutake, Wecatuck, Weckatuck, Weeckatuck) . Described by Southampton in a 1964 publication, they were peace loving Indians who settled in isolated groups and lived off shellfish and game. They farmed to a limited degree. Six or eight families lived on one site until the farming land was exhausted, or until collection of refuse became a serious problem. The largest known encampment of Noyack Indians was beside the Mill Pond, now known as the Trout Pond. The last known Weckatucks lived in a wigwam in the back of Mill Pond shortly before the end of the nineteenth century. [1. Southampton, Long Island 325th Anniversary 1640/1965 pp 33]

Trout Pond from the southern edge

Patuckquapaug, located on the edge of what is now known as Round Pond in Sag Harbor, was once a village site for what was likely a subgroup of the Shinnecock.

The Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of seven national wildlife refuges, two refuge sub-units, and one wildlife management area. Collectively, the ten units are approximately 6,500 acres in size. Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge is home to the refuge […]

The Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center and Museum is the first and only Native American owned and operated museum on Long Island dedicated to honoring the ancestral and living history as Algonquin descendants. The museum serves nearly ten thousand visitors annually, […]

Known as The Point to Shinnecock Reservation residents, this marshland has been used as a communal resource for fishing and hunting for many generations. Many of the Shinnecock youth continue to learn hunting skills by their parents here. Snow Geese, Shade […]

This sacred glacial erratic marks the location of what may have been both the Shinnecock Fort and June Meeting location in the Shinnecock Hills. There have been many references to a contact-period Shinnecock fort, but the specific location has likely been […]

In 1657, houses were burned in Southampton village by two Shinnecock men and a black woman who served in one of the houses belonging to Eleanor Howell, widow of Edward Howell a founder of the town. The motive may have been in […]

Formally organized in 1946, the Shinnecock Powwow is a decades long traditional and cultural celebration that takes place on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation. Every year on Labor Day weekend, the Powwow takes place on Shinnecock and is open to the […]

In 1997, the Pell case began, involving an attempt to steal Shinnecock Reservation land. On a strip of land south of Montauk Highway and the Tide Water Pub, the Shinnecock tribe successfully defended the land from being taken and developed.

In 1952, The Great Cove Real Estate Company attempted to build houses on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation just south of Montauk Highway in an attempt to steal Shinnecock Land. The final court decision in 1961 resulted in success for the […]

Noyack was once a village site with evidence of dwellings, burials, cooking hearths, animal remains, and tools. Evidence of both Niantic culture and Sebonic culture are found in the area. Noyack takes its name from the long point or neck of […]

Kitchaminchok is a sacred place to the Unkechaug people, known for it’s drift whaling. Historically, it is part of a boundary marker mentioned in a 17th century agreement between Sachem Wyandanch and Lion Gardiner that permitted Gardiner to pay five pounds (potentially […]

Killis is a pond in Bridgehampton town that received it’s name from an Indian who formerly lived near the water. Kellis [Killis] is also a traditional Shinnecock surname.

Quonettquott, meaning at the long river, is a commonly found name for rivers throughout Long Island and southern New England. Its name can be applied to describe similar rivers and the name had been preserved through early land deeds with various […]

The Canoe Place Chapel, erected circa 1820, was the primary Shinnecock church while they still resided at Canoe Place. The chapel is undergoing renovation to be used for social gatherings.  

Ashawagh is a pre-contact Montaukett settlement on the edge of Copeces, now Hand’s Creek. Shell heaps in the area suggest intense wampum manufacturing. This place was particularly important for hunting, fishing, and camping.

Niamuck was once the primary location of settlement for the Shinnecock people prior to the current Shinnecock Reservation. From the current Shinnecock Canal to the southernmost land tip, the Shinnecock people existed before contact. Shinnecock people primarily resided in the […]

Niamuck was once the primary location of settlement for the Shinnecock people prior to the current Shinnecock Reservation. From the current Shinnecock Canal to the southernmost land tip, the Shinnecock people existed before contact.

Shinnecock people primarily resided in the area until ca. 1703, though historical maps show continued presence until the mid 19th century.

In 1791, Rev. Paul Cuffee organized a Congressional church in the Niamuck area. Part of the church remains in the area while the other half was moved to the Shinnecock Reservation and is still used today. Cuffee was buried on the spot where the church once stood.

This place is now known as the Shinnecock Canal.