Dancers at the Shinnecock Nation powwow in September 2015. Photo from Shinnecock Nation / Facebook
Leaders of the Shinnecock Nation of New York are considering their options after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the tribe's land claim. Tribal leaders say their ancestors were cheated out of about 3,600 acres in 1859. But the federal courts have refused to consider the merits, instead dismissing the claim because pursuing it after all these years would be too "disruptive" to local governments and non-Indian residents. “We will not let this historical injustice stand and we will continue to stand up for our rights,” the tribe's trustees wrote in a letter on Monday. Chairman Bryan Polite told Newsday that options include filing petition before the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and going back to court. Get the Story:
Shinnecocks angered by Supreme Court’s refusal to hear land claim (Newsday 6/30) 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Decision:
Shinnecock Indian Nation v. New York (October 27, 2015) District Court Decision:
Shinnecock Nation Indian Nation v. New York (November 28, 2006)
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