Remains Found, Town Pitches Plan To Buy Shinnecock Burial Ground

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Southampton Town officials have stepped forward with a plan to purchase property where remains were found in Shinnecock Hills.

Human remains were found in Southampton in August, police said. According to Southampton Town Police, Suffolk County homicide detectives are investigating human remains discovered in a wooded lot, located on Hawthorne Road; the remains were taken to the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner to be examined by an anthropologist.

The remains were found on what's believed to be an ancient burial ground for the Shinnecock Nation, according to Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman. The owners of the property, KB Southampton LLC, have agreed to sell the property to the Town for $450,000, he said.

The Southampton Town board will hold a public hearing on Oct. 9th at 1 p.m. to determine whether Community Preservation Funds should be used for the purchase.

“I want to thank the owners of the property and the contractor for doing the right thing and stopping work upon discovery,” Schneiderman said.

The remains were found during excavation of the construction site on Aug. 13; it could take some time before it is determined whether the remains are those of the Shinnecock Nation, Schneiderman said. An archeological study may also be required of the property to determine whether there are other remains at that location, he added.

The findings may also prompt formal procedures when ancient remains are found at construction sites in the future, the supervisor said.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe, "Shinnecock Hills Preservation Fund," was created by a group entitled "Shinnecock Graves Protection" with an eye toward protecting and preserving the ancestral grace.

On Aug. 13, 2018, the page reads, "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. Now, $50,000 must be raised to rebury the remains and preserve the site which is sacred to us."

When the remains were found, the page continued, "We were helpless to stop the digging and raking of bones initially deemed by local law enforcement to be part of a crime scene. This tore at our souls. We could only offer songs, blessings, and prayers to heal our ancestor and ourselves. Yet, we are thankful that the property owner and construction workers contacted Shinnecock tribe members immediately after finding the skull and 18th century glass bottle, which signifies that this ancestor was a leader of our people during colonial times."

Those who authored the page allege that "in many other instances, when people have dug foundations on land that is on Shinnecock Indian aboriginal territory, the ancestral remains found were thrown away, stored in private collections, or put on display in museums. Homes and businesses were then built on these burial sites, so we could never return our ancestors’ remains to their original resting place. There are reports that this is still going on as if we are not even human."

The location of the grave is on private land in the Shinnecock Hills where the Shinnecock people were "forcibly removed" in 1859, the page said. "Our ancestors rest in the Shinnecock Hills — their graves facing west, so they may enter the spirit world through the sunset with ease and join the Creator. Our elders have always asked us to protect our land and protect our ancestors’ burial sites. In this way, our next generation may know where we come from and that they walk in the footholds of their ancestors who sacrificed everything for our survival," the page said. "Now, we cannot protect and preserve that which is sacred without your help."

The GoFundMe said that $50,000 must be raised for the Shinnecock Indian Nation to pay for the reburial of its ancestor's skull, bones, and the glass bottle unearthed in August, as well as well as or site restoration.

"Originally, the Nation was told we would need to pay $185,000 for various costs to stop construction, rebury our ancestor, and preserve this sensitive area. We are so grateful that the property owner and the Town of Southampton have graciously met with us and in good faith agreed to preserve the property as a historic site and limit the Nation’s contribution to $50,000 for the purpose of site restoration," the page said, adding that the meeting took place earlier in September with Schneiderman.

If the goal is surpassed, the funds will go toward future preservation and long-term stewardship efforts for ancestral grave protection, the page said. 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 presently have clear individual protections in place for graves found on private land, unlike the policies of 46 other states, organizers added.

"The time is now for us to achieve our elders' directives," the page said.

To donate, click here.

Photo courtesy GoFundMe.