Here are the facts: In 1978, the Shinnecock Nation was one of the first four tribes in the country to file for federal recognition—long before Indian gaming existed. It has cost the Shinnecock thousands of hours of labor and sweat, not to mention capital that we can scarcely afford, to hiring genealogists, anthropologists, attorneys, historians and many other experts to confirm that the Shinnecock are indigenous to New York and Long Island. Many of the original tribal members who initiated the recognition process nearly three decades ago have passed on—sadly, they will never see their vision realized.
The Department of Interior has changed the rules time and again, causing delays while our application languishes in the bureaucratic labyrinth that is the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). We have sent boxes of documents totaling more than 15,000 pages to the BIA to meet their criteria. (This occurred in 1998—not 2003—and our application was submitted well before any financial backer arrived, as was incorrectly stated in the article.) Our petition and thousands of substantiating documents simply gather dust on the Ready for Active Consideration List, which, according to the BIA, could take another 15 years for approval—nearly 45 years after we started. We can't wait that long.
We seek to obtain recognition from the federal government so that our Nation can qualify for federal programs that will improve the quality of life of our members. Federally recognized tribes are eligible to receive housing assistance, emergency loans, minority business development funds, work incentive grants, disability assistance and much-needed funds for higher education for our young people. And recognized tribes have an opportunity to achieve economic self-reliance because there is a government-to-government relationship. But our Nation does not have that opportunity. In the eyes of the U.S. government, our status is unclear, despite being recognized by the State of New York for nearly 400 years.
Representative Richard Pombo, a Republican from California, and the chairman of the House Resources Committee, is a strong proponent of expediting the process. He stated on February 10 that the federal recognition system is broken and has shortchanged many tribes while "generations come and go with very little progress."
At the same hearing, Michigan Representative Dale Kildree, a Democrat, and also a member of the House Resource Committee, strongly cautioned other elected officials of the following: "Previous attempts … have failed in the past because of concerns raised by some that [granting recognition] would lead to more Indian gaming. This, I want to strongly state, is not a question of gaming. The only question that should be looked at is … does this tribe have the retained sovereignty that is stated in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution, and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court … ?"
How many more generations of our people will remain disenfranchised? When will the elected officials come to the table for fair and honest discourse with the people of our tribe? And when will The Southampton Press begin covering the Shinnecock fairly, without trying to frame every issue as though it has to do with a casino?
Lance Gumbs
James W. Eleazer Jr.
Randy King
Shinnecock Indian Nation Board of Trustees