The Southampton Town Board acted Tuesday night to purchase about 3 acres of a 13 acre hillside site along Shinnecock Bay. The property currently owned by developer Robert Romeo is an ecologicaly sensitive site in the Shinnecock Hills and is believed to contain Native American graves.
At a hearing on the purchase speakers from the Shinnecock Nation and the Inter-Tribal Historic Preservation Task Force as well as non-native neighbors voiced dissapointment and urged the Board to purchase the whole 13 acres.
Native grave sites have been identified on eastern slopes of high points in the area. One of these sites adjacent to the Romeo property was developed in the 1980s.
Shinneock Rebecca Genia of the Preservation Task Force said "we have been talking over 4-1/2 years about what this property means to us"
She recounted how the Task Force was formed after a land owner built a horse barn over a native grave site where bones had been discovered on Shelter Island. The owner bulldozed the graves, sending bones flying, after promising to stop construction. After the main house was destroyed in a fire, the property was sold for preservation.
Reverend Holly Haile Davis of Shinnecock* noted that native grave sites have been found on the Shinnecock Hills Golf Course and neighboring Southamtpon College.
Reverend Davis spoke about grave sites of saints and kings in England, Scotland and in Egypt preserved as holy places.
"· People from all over the world make pilgrimages to Egypt's Mount Sinai in order to behold the ancient St. Catherine's Monastery, respected by Muslim and Jew and Christian, and which is to this day protected, because there are people who are committed to safeguard that hallowed place and believe it important to do so as long as it is possible.
At St. Catherine's there is a sign posted on which it is lettered plainly for all the world to read, these words: "DO NOT FORGET THAT YOU ARE IN A HOLY PLACE".
"It seems that many of our non-Shinnecock neighbors have forgotten that YOU ARE IN A HOLY PLACE, and that the Shinnecock Hills – all of the Shinnecock Hills, is a HOLY PLACE - an ancient burial place for our people."
"We have asked you to not desecrate our HOLY PLACES. And we have asked repeatedly for our Hills to be preserved, we have asked continually for this land and our spiritual beliefs and our sacred connection to this land be respected, and time and time again you ignore what we say, and over and over you draw lines on your paper, and trace boundaries on your maps, and sign checks in your checkbooks and record deeds in your deed books, and you think your inadequate attempts to truly protect and care for this HOLY PLACE worthy of our gratitude. "
Shinnecock Hills resident Hope Sandrow said that the area has been a battle ground and urged the Board to start a reconcilliation with the Shinnecock by purchasing all of the site.
A move by Suffolk County to purchase part of the Romeo property is still under consideration.
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This report was prepared for broadcast on WPKN Local News, heard Monday-Friday at 6:30 pm on WPKN 89.5 Bridgeport and WPKM 88.7 Montauk.
* A complete record of Reverend Davis' remarks is posted on this week's East End Report.
