Indigenous Grand Marshal Honored At LI Town's 375th Anniversary Parade

EAST HAMPTON, NY — East Hampton Town, during its 375th anniversary parade, will honor the indigenous inhabitants of the land where the town was first established in 1648.

Montaukett Chief Robert Pharaoh has been named grand marshal for East Hampton Town’s 375th Anniversary Parade, which takes place on September 23. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Main Street in East Hampton and travel up Newtown Lane to East Hampton High School, where the homecoming festival takes place at 11 a.m., followed by the homecoming football game at 1 p.m.

Pharoah will lead the parade as grand marshal.

Hugh King, the town historian, will serve as announcer, stationed at a reviewing stand at Herrick
Park. The Montaukett Women’s Circle Dancers will perform on the East Hampton Middle
School grounds across Newtown Lane from the reviewing stand when the parade reaches that
point. A wide range of community groups will also participate in the parade, town officials said.

"The selection of Chief Pharaoh as grand marshal underscores East Hampton Town’s recognition of and support for the Montaukett tribe, which has been seeking to have New York State officially recognize the tribe," town officials said.

The Montauketts were stripped of that status by a judge in a 1910 case, Pharaoh v. Benson, related to Arthur Benson’s efforts to acquire Montaukett Indian Nation homelands in Montauk, at Indian Field, the town said.

While New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Sen. Anthony Palumbo have been successful
in getting a bill passed in the New York State legislature, it has not yet been signed by Governor
Kathy Hochul, town officials said.

Previous bills passed by the legislature were vetoed by both Gov. Hochul and by former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.

The September 23 parade follows a history fair that took place onTown Hall grounds in June, which featured presentations by students from local schools on various aspects of East Hampton Town’s history.