Native American tribe lays claim to the Hamptons

[T_i_B]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/06/19/whamp19.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/06/19/ixportal.html

"The Hamptons is a playground for the rich and famous,'' says Charlie Smith, his eyes blazing with anger. "But it is a playground that was taken - no, stolen - from our people."

Mr Smith is sitting in a trailer that serves as the offices for the Shinnecock Nation, the native American tribe fewer than 1,500 strong which he leads and which clings to the southern shore of Long Island. A few hundred yards away are some of the most exclusive beach houses in the world - worth between $6 million and $60 million - hidden behind a fortress of hedges. A-list residents include Steven Spielberg, Renee Zellweger and Sir Paul McCartney.

He says that no one has paid the tribe much attention until now - when the rich and famous are focused as never before.

Not only is the tribe trying to recover 3,600 acres of ancestral lands - the largest ever native American land claim - but it is backed by millionaire casino developers.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Screw that noise

We done stole it fair an' square!

--p!

[Poppyseedman]

2. Shinnecock Nation ???

Sounds like a male porn stars name

[Mizmoon]

6. It's not pronounced "shiney cock"

it's "shin ne cock"

The "shin" part is pronounced the same at the shin that is the front part of your lower leg.

[Poppyseedman]

15. Duh!!! Your kidding

It was a poor attempt at humor on my part

[Mizmoon]

16. Me too

:)

[powwowdancer]

9. steady on

Remember, if you can read this, you speak a foreign language. The alternate spelling is shinnecook if it garners any more respect for my coastal cousins. It's a matter of perspective. To a native speaker of Cherokee, English sounds barbaric because of all the words that end with consonants. Besides, if memory serves, a man named "Hancock" signed the declaration of independance. Porn is in the eye of the beholder. ;)

:dem:
powwowdancer out.

[area51]

19. Welcome.

Welcome to DU, powwowdancer.

[Betsy Ross]

20. Thanks for stepping in on the racist remark.

I was at a DFA meeting when the subject of a proposed casino in Oakland, CA was discussed. Someone made a disparraging remark about the Koi nation." I jumped on them saying their ignorance of a people did not justify a racist remark. Needless to say, all the Lefties at the meeting were pretty astounded to have been called on this. Yeah the casino was a bad idea, the Koi nation is a group under 50 in number, and it was a scam to take over land next to a preserve, but demeaning native people wasn't the way to fight it.

[SHRED]

3. ".. - but it is backed by millionaire casino developers."

Sad.
A shame that many tribes have had to resort to this casino crap.

[BlueEyedSon]

4. Good luck getting the Hamptons back!

[Laughing Mirror]

5. It is their homeland and they can do whatever they want with it

White people worried only about their property values on the land they stole.

I wish the Shinnecock success.

[Cooley Hurd]

7. If the results of the Cayuga Indian land claim are any indication...

...they have a shot at getting the Hamptons back.:wow:

[union_maid]

8. They won't get it back

I hope they get to build their casino. I really do. They should get a piece of the ridculous amount of action that's out there. And just as a plus, it would just be very amusing to see busloads of the same people who go to Atlantic City and Foxwoods invade the Hamptons. It's just become a bit too much all about itself in the last decade of so and could use a little humility.

If all else fails Nuke the Hamptons -
http://nukethehamptons.com/launch.html

Of course, it is a liberal enclave, albeit a high end one. Looking at the voting on Long Island, the pattern is generally that the very rich and the lower income areas vote Democrat more than the middle, which is still a little red. So for me, I have mixed feelings about the place.

[powwowdancer]

11. of course not

You kidding? If ever a precedent is set for returning stolen native lands, say goodbye to a lot of familiar places! Technically, the Lakota (Sioux) won their court case regarding the illegal possession of the Black Hills (Paha Sapa) by the U.S. Gov't. BUT, the gov't said, "Here's some what we consider to be fair market value hush money!" And, to their eternal honor, the Lakota replied, "Keep your money, we want our land," so the Gov't kept both. And while that story is not yet over, don't expect to see a just conclusion to it in this incarnation. You'll see variations on this theme played in a theater of operations near you. Again, I apologize for simplifying so great an issue, especially when there are so many others who could speak to the matter with much more wisdom and clarity.

:dem:
powwowdancer out

[preciousdove]

12. Welcome to DU powwowdancer n/t

Edited for poor eyesight

:hi:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. welcome to DU powwowdancer!

:applause:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

21. This is why every homeowner should have an "owners title policy"

This claim has effectively clouded every title in the affected area. Something similar happened a few years back in the Trumball Conn. area, although I cannot recall the outcome.

[AngryAmish]

10. One of there claims is on the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

Home to many US Opens and the club that black-balled Bill Clinton along eith Winged Foot and some others. I hope they win and make the club public so I can play. I haven't gotten an invite yet.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

13. As a long-suffering poor summer resident of the area,

I say, Good!

Fuck the rich.

They can go somewhere else, we don't need them in Suffolk County... they cause more problems than their money solves, for sure.


Hoka Hey, brothers! Let's rock.

[earth mom]

17. I hope the tribe wins too.

Let's see...the Shinnecock tribe are a tourist attraction selling plastic tepees by the side of the road while a boatload of phony rich assholes whip by them in gaudy luxury cars in order to get to "their" ostentatious mega McMansions which are sitting on land that belongs to the tribe!

:wtf:

Let the tribe build their casino it's the very least they can do since this country was built on the Native Americans' STOLEN land in the first place!

[donsu]

18. more power to the Shinnecock Nation - hoping they win

what help do they need?