The State of New York has been pursuing a lawsuit against the Shinnecock Nation, located on Long Island, since May of 2019. The state is claiming that a billboard the tribe has displayed on Sunrise Highway, the entry point to the Hamptons, and another currently under construction both need local permits. The Shinnecock Nation argues that after gaining recognition as a sovereign nation in 2010, it is unnecessary for them to apply for permits, considering that the billboards are placed on their own land and are not subject to New York State’s jurisdiction. While the state’s case has been declared baseless by the Suffolk County Supreme Court Judge, Governor Cuomo and the New York Department of Transportation (NYDOT) have continued with the case, intending to fine the tribe $2,000 each day that the signs remain standing. As NYDOT threatens to drain the tribe of their financial resources, they are also beginning a mural project on a highway in Albany in an attempt to honor the Native American history of the state.
The billboards on Sunrise Highway promote local businesses and create revenue for the tribe. With almost sixty percent of the Shinnecock people living below the poverty line, additional income is crucial to supporting the tribe’s livelihood, particularly amid the pandemic. Local municipalities have also utilized the billboards to display COVID-19 regulations and boating safety, reminding Manhattanites of the local rules as they flee to their summer homes.
The signs have been deemed an eyesore by the tribe’s neighboring residents; Southampton’s town supervisor Jay Schneiderman stated that “the town is appalled” by the signs, and that they have the ability to “completely change the character of our community we have fought long to protect.” Tribe trustees responded, “our community has suffered greatly over the last several decades due to a lack of resources. Now, we have the opportunity to generate revenue and have access to the same standard of living as our much wealthier neighbors.” Local officials and the state government have placed higher value on the environmental aesthetics that appeal to the wealthy communities of the area rather than the economic needs and livelihoods of the Shinnecock tribe. Their actions against the billboards display the racism that is embedded in both governments, cloaked in the idea that they are defending environmental aesthetics.
A group of Shinnecock women have formed Warriors of the Sunrise in order to fight the local and state governments and advocate for their rights as a sovereign tribe. In November, they hosted the Sovereignty Camp of 2020 to occupy their aboriginal territory for one month in order to push their local, state, and national level demands. This included the state dismissal of the lawsuit, local recognition of the tribe’s land boundaries, and assistance from the United States government for the tribe to acquire trust land. Federal trust land designation comes with other benefits. It requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide ongoing assistance to tribes, such as healthcare and education provisions, and to help foster tribal economic development. The Shinnecock Nation has been unable to receive trust land designation due to one of the most shocking racist policies from the 1930s, in which the national government decided against providing the tribe assistance because they were considered “more negroid than Indian.” Discrimination against the Shinnecock people still occurs today and is reflected by the environmental and economic racism the tribe has endured.
Continuous development of the Hamptons, a summer haven for wealthy New Yorkers, has increased the clear-cutting of area forests and has encroached on the Shinnecock land, whittling their reservation down to about 800 acres from the tribe’s latest land agreement of 3600 acres. This is still significantly less than the 14,500 acres of “prime real estate” they considered home for centuries up until the 1800s. Much of this land was taken through deceptive practices, including forgery. To add insult to a long history of injustice, today, mosquito spraying and the use of pesticides on estate gardens have created nitrate runoff that has hurt the local ecosystem, particularly the shellfish populations, which the tribe relies on for sustenance and income.
As climate change has affected the weather patterns along the South Shore of Long Island, erosion has begun to shrink the coastline. In October of 2013, the Shinnecock Nation created a climate change adaptation plan, focusing on collective methods to address this issue. This contrasts the measures taken by Southampton residents, many of whom have begun taking action to protect their houses by creating individual sea walls that accelerate erosion and only benefit the properties they are built around. These sea walls are a perfect example of an individualist approach to climate adaptation, as they protect only what is behind the wall and displace flooding to nearby properties and surrounding communities that are left unprotected.
The disconnects between the Shinnecock Nation and the residents of Southampton when it comes to addressing climate and environmental issues reveals the way race and class privileges have been weaponized against the tribe, specifically the prioritization of aesthetics for the wealthy Hamptons communities that leads to neglect of basic needs of the Shinnecock Nation. The lawsuit against the tribe is just one microcosm of this larger structural struggle, and illustrates the necessity of intersectional environmental justice activism that supports the economic needs of communities. Indigenous peoples and their collective knowledge have deeply informed and contributed to the growing global understanding that we need a transformative approach to our systems and institutions to truly address climate change. This latest controversy over two billboards is indicative of a much larger struggle. Economic disempowerment and climate change will continue to have disproportionate impacts on the Shinnecock until their land, their sovereignty, and their right to life are seen as equally important as those of their wealthy neighbors.
If you are interested in learning more or helping the Shinnecock tribe’s cause, visit Warriors of the Sunrise’s website and link tree.
