Documentary Portraying Shinnecock Nation's Struggle Debuts On PBS

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A new documentary, "Conscience Point," is set to debut on PBS that chronicles the struggles of the Shinnecock Indian Nation to preserve ancient burial grounds in the shadow of towering mega-mansions, golf clubs and wrecking balls.

At the forefront of the battle has stood a lone woman, Rebecca Hill-Genia, her voice crying out for change.

The battle has been long.

In 2018, according to a GoFundMe organized by the Shinnecock Graves Protection Group, "We witnessed firsthand the desecration of a Shinnecock Indian ancestor's grave, when a skull, bones, and 18th century glass bottle were unearthed during the construction of a home just five minutes from our reservation."

That fight to rebury the remains and preserve the site was not unique: For decades, organizers of the page said, members of the Shinnecock Nation have "pleaded" with the Town of Southampton, Suffolk County, and State of New York to enact legislation and adopt protocols to prevent the desecration of ancestral graves. New York does not presently have clear individual protections in place for graves found on private land, unlike the policies of 46 other states, organizers added.

Although Southampton Town purchased the ancient burial ground where the skull, bones and bottle were found, members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation say that the struggle is far from over.

The plight tore at director Treva Wurmfeld's heart, and she focused her proverbial lens on the decades-long struggle in "Conscience Point," which debuts on Independent Lens Monday, Nov. 18 from 10:30 p.m. until midnight on PBS, PBS.org and the PBSVideo app as part of Native American Heritage Month programming.

"Long-simmering tensions come to a head in the summer of 2018, when the U.S. Open golf
tournament unfolds at the ultra-exclusive Shinnecock Hills Golf Club," a release for the documentary said. "As thousands descend, Rebecca Hill-Genia, a Shinnecock activist, wants the throngs of visitors to understand one thing: the world-renowned golf course’s
celebrated slopes and sand traps were literally carved out of a sacred Shinnecock burial ground."

The battle lines have become even more firmly delineated this summer, as the erection of a large electronic billboard by the Shinnecock Nation on land it owns on Sunrise Highway sparked public outcry and litigation.

“Here we sit in the middle of 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous', yet 60 percent of people in our community are below the poverty level,” said Vice Chairman of the Shinnecock Nation Lance Gumbs. "These economic divisions continue to grow as property values rise, pricing out long-time farming and working-class families. Fishing communities, meanwhile, are having to move to other areas as pesticides and runoff from irrigated lawns have decimated fish populations."

The documentary features interviews with Shinnecock Nation leaders, Town of Southampton officials, developers, farmers, and baymen. And it spotlights Hill-Genia, who for years has stood before a series of town boards, fighting to protect the ancient burial grounds faced with desecration as a sea of development slammed the pricey Hamptons.

In an interview with Patch, Wurmfeld she was inspired to create "Conscience Point" in 2013, when she was out in Southampton to screen her last film, "Shepard & Dark."

Wurmfeld, who grew up in New York City and who spent time in East Hampton, met Hill-Genia at the Shinnecock Cultural Center in June, 2014.

"She invited me to come to her fire pit; she'd started a community fire pit for Women Against Violence Every Day. I asked her if I could film and she was game," Wurmfeld said. "I really just let her speak. She spoke about the struggle many are facing on the reservation and she connected the struggles of today to the arrival of the settlers in 1640 — and all the injustices since. I was totally struck by how honest and open she was."

But it was Hill-Genia's refusal to crumble, her determination to create change and have a positive impact on the community, that sparked Wurmfeld's passion for the project. "I decided at that point to try and focus my lens on Becky. Becky was really my inspiration from the get go."

Hill-Genia thanked Charles Certain of SEA-TV who has kept recordings of the many town board meetings where she's crusaded to protect ancestral land. "We have been at this for so very long, asking for the same thing, over and over," she said.

When the two women met, a spark ignited a flame as steady and fierce as the simmering fire pit. "To me, this was the universe answering my call for help," Hill-Genia said.

The goal, she said, was not to "wallow in" despair over current circumstances but to see how collectively an impact could be made on the town board. "They seem to be pushing our legislation from town board to town board, town attorney to town attorney. They say they are going to help and then they don't. We have seen so many town boards come and go."

And then came Wurmfeld, with a light of hope. "She came with care, and the right questions, and the right frame of mind, with her heart in the right place. You could tell right away she was a special kind of person," Hill-Genia said.

Filming began in June, 2014; PBS came onboard in 2017. Wurmfeld moved her family to the East End for a time so she could "dig in" to the community and focus on filming.

"I have always been sensitive to the situation of our really disturbing history, from an American perspective," Wurmfeld said. "The time has come to all stand behind Native American history and understand their perspective and not only understand but support their voices going forward."

The recent Peconic Bay scallop die off is a big wake up call that development is crippling natural resources, Hill-Genia said. "People, no matter what their race or creed, still have to drink the water. You can't eat dead scallops."

The documentary, she added, is a symbol of hope. "I hope people will know that every single voice can be heard, every single voice counts. I have, myself, felt hopeless at times, but this is not a hopeless situation at all. If we get together with like-minded people, environmentalists, we are building an alliance of people to stop overbuilding, overdevelopment. We are in a crisis situation, and we can sink or swim. Now isn't the time to give up. We have a last bit of hope. Let's get it together and move forward. I know we can do this."

Added Wurmfeld: "I'd like to see the resources in the Hamptons pooled toward a positive impact. If change can't happen in the Hamptons, I'm not sure where it can, to be honest."

While her message was primarily about the plight of the Shinnecock Nation, Wurmfeld said she hopes all in the community can rally for change, with Community Preservation Funds used to benefit the Shinnecock people. "If there's any way they can return the land, a golf course is the thing," she said. "Whether or not that is a futile argument, that's the right thing to do," she said.

The documentary was shown at the Hamptons International Film Festival, in New York City, and in Los Angeles. After the PBS premiere, Wurmfeld hopes to kick off an impact outreach campaign, with panels set up with Native Americans, environmentalists and others to spark dialogue. In addition, there is a hope to set up a cross-dialogue with Martha's Vineyard, where the Wampanoag Tribe faces many of the same challenges, existing in a wealthy tourist area.

The need for change is immediate, Hill-Genia said. "Day by day, each week, each month, look at the development in the last 20 years alone. Time is marching on. It seems like every project that comes before Southampton Town gets an approval; it's so irresponsible, what they are doing to the land. The bad thing is they know it, and do it, anyway. The almighty developers are controlling them. We gave them a perfect way to slow it down, to team up with the Shinnecock Nation to protect sacred ancient places, but they refused to get onboard with us. They ignore us and treat us as if we are invisible. Now is the time to get straight in their face and not get out until we accomplish what we need to accomplish."

Gumbs applauded the documentary. "It finally tells our story from our prospective about the injustice and inequity we have faced since first contact. From the outright theft of our land, the complete disregard and disrespect for our ancestral burial sites, to the pollution of our waterways and sustainable way of life. The point is to make your conscience aware that all is not as it is perceived in the posh Hamptons," he said.