The result:
Removal from the reservation of illegal drugs and weapons along with the (mostly) young men involved in this sorted business.The people of Shinnecock need our support - moral and economic. One way this can be done is by telling our elected officials in Town Hall to stop funding a campaign designed to prevent our native neighbors from ever breaking out of the cycle of poverty that drives some to seek a quick but dangerous way out.
Elimination of a source of drugs for area residents inside and outside the Reservation.
Terrorizing of a population who woke to the sound of helicoptors circling their land.
Hope that drug addiction on the Reservation and off may be eradicated.
Even before the recent trial in Federal Court which saw the Town attempting to deny Shinnecock from building on their Westwoods land, Southampton Town had spent well over a million dollars fighting the Shinnecock Nation's efforts to establish a gaming casino.
US law provides that one of three ways a Tribe can be recognized is by a decision of a Federal judge. After Federal Judge Thomas Platt issued his decision in favor of recognition of the Shinnecock's status as a sovereign Indian nation our elected officials including both US Senators and Rep. Tim Bishop all continued to oppose Federal recognition for Shinnecock. Senator Schumer wrote to the Secretary of the Dept of Interior asking that no action be taken on the Shinnecock's application for recognition.
We need to tell our representatives to change course and support, not oppose Federal recognition for the Shinnecock Nation. This will bring economic benefit for all of us.
And while we are in this mode we can also send a note to our representatives in Albany along with the Governor. Remind them that State law recognizes the Native Tribes within New York borders as sovereign. They have every right to conduct commerce without taxation by the State.
BTW: The Native Businesses along Montauk Highway in Southampton are still open selling totally legal items not made in China such as mocasins from New Mexico and organic fair-trade coffee grown by indigenous people of Latin America and roasted on the reservation.
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Town Supervisor Patrick Heaney: pheaney@town.southampton.ny.us
Members of the Town Board are:
Hon. Nancy S. Graboski NGraboski@town.southampton.ny.us
Hon. Linda A. Kabot, Councilwoman LKabot@town.southampton.ny.us
Hon. Steven T. Kenny, Councilman SKenny@town.southampton.ny.us
Hon. Christopher R. Nuzzi, Councilman Cnuzzi@town.southampton.ny.us
Congressman Tim Bishop tim.bishop@mail.house.gov
Senator Chuck Schumer
145 Pine Lawn Road #300
Melville, NY 11747
Phone: 631-753-0978
Fax: 631-753-0997
Senator Hilary Clinton http://clinton.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm?subj=issue
Governor Eliot Spitzer http://161.11.121.121/govemail
State Assemblyman Fred Thiele ielef@assembly.state.ny.us
State Senator Lavalle http://senatorlavalle.com/send_email.asp
