Leaders of the Shinnecock Nation filed a lawsuit against the State of New York
on June 15 maintaining that 3,600 acres, spanning multi-billion dollars’ worth
of prime real estate in the Southhampton area, rightfully belong to them. According
to a report in the U.K. publication The Guardian, the suit represents the most
lucrative Native American land claim in history. In August 2003, New York filed
a suit against the Shinnecock Nation over the tribe's proposal to build a casino
near in the region. Viewed as a nuisance by the Shinnecock’s non-Indian
neighbors, the tribe considers the casino plans an economically viable route
to sovereignty. "This land claim will enable us to have what our vacationing
neighbors take for granted—steady jobs, better education for our children
and access to quality healthcare," Randy King, chairman of the Shinnecock
Board of Trustees, told The Guardian. Newsday reports that the Shinnecock’s
claim is tainted by the backing they have received from Gateway Funding Associates,
a firm with strong ties to casino developers.
While New York recognizes the Shinnecock as an established Indian nation, the tribe has been waiting for federal recognition since the 1970s. The Sinnecock currently live on an 800 acre reservation in Southhampton.
