$5.6M purchase of sacred Shinnecock burial ground is finalized

Members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation gathered at dusk atop Sugar Loaf Hill in Southampton Tuesday to mark the "historic" purchase of the sacred parcel by Peconic Land Trust.

The $5.6 million sale of the 4.6 acres, which closed earlier Tuesday, was a crucial next step toward restoration and protection of a property that served as a Shinnecock tribal burial ground for 3,000 years. At the peak of the property overlooking Shinnecock Bay, tribal members, who fought for decades to reclaim the site, expressed joy, relief and determination to continue the effort.

"This is probably one of the best feelings that you can hold dear to your heart," said Rebecca "Becky" Genia, co-chair of the Shinnecock Graves Protection Warrior Society, who helped spearhead the decadeslong effort. Since 1859, she said, "We have been wanting to come back here and we have never been allowed to so we're here and we're going to restore our beautiful Sugar Loaf Hill to its natural state."

The tribe, in a statement, noted the land purchase marked a "historic moment in our over 10,000 years of existence on Long Island" and a "great step in progress toward protecting and preserving our sacred burial grounds as Shinnecock people."

The next step is to begin the removal of a 7,000-square-foot home and a pool from the property. The Peconic Land Trust and the tribe have up to a year to complete the work, said Shane Weeks, co-chairman of the Shinnecock Graves Protection Warrior Society.

"We are looking to get started as soon as possible" with funding from the Peconic Land Trust and other sources, Weeks said. He called the work "a huge accomplishment," and credited the Southampton Town Board and the "tireless, fearless efforts" of Genia over decades.

At the same time, Weeks said, the tribe will be working with Southampton Town to formulate details of a hiking trail through a portion of the property that would be for general use. Southampton Town purchased a conservation easement on the property during a simultaneous transaction, using $5.3 million in community preservation funds.

The public "will have some access to a trail that will be able to afford the public beautiful panoramic views of Shinnecock Bay," said Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, a major backer of the land purchase and preservation. He called the transaction "a really important moment" for the Shinnecock Nation.

Once the restoration is complete the Peconic Land Trust will petition the Southampton Town Board to approve transfer of the land’s title to the Shinnecock people, the tribe said. It’s the first time land in the sprawling Shinnecock Hills has been returned to tribal control.

"It’s a sacred part of the Shinnecock culture and history," said Southampton Town Council member John Bouvier. "It’s finally nice to be able to see that it’s going to be preserved and protected as was intended and should have been. I’m very happy it’s going to happen."

Exactly how the transfer will take place is still being worked out. Schneiderman said the town would require a waiver of sovereign immunity from the entity that takes title to the land, so that the town can "enforce its easement," as required in its purchase. That easement requires that no structures be put on the property and that it be maintained in a manner suitable for a burial ground, Schneiderman said. The Shinnecock Graves Protection Warrior Society could be such an entity, though the plan is still under development.

"We have not determined the details of how that transfer will look," Weeks said. In any case, he added, "Shinnecock members will be in control [of the parcel] in the long run."

John Halsey, founder and president of the Peconic Land Trust, said atop Sugar Loaf Hill that the purchase "was a long time in coming," and marked the "promise of a new beginning" in the Shinnecock peoples' relationship with the town.

By Mark Harrington

mark.harrington@newsday.comMHarringtonNews

Mark Harrington, a Newsday reporter since 1999, covers energy, wineries, Indian affairs and fisheries.