N.Y. Indians Want the Hamptons Back !

Fox News ^ | Thursday, June 16, 2005 | Kieran Crowley and Marsha Kranes

[RuthannaK]

NEW YORK — The Southampton, N.Y.-based Shinnecock Indians (search) on Tuesday fired the first arrow in their battle to reclaim ancestral lands — filing a federal lawsuit seeking the return of 3,600 acres of prime real estate "stolen" by the state a century and a half ago.

The 1,300-member tribe also is asking for monetary damages — conservatively estimated at $1.7 billion — and 150 years of back rent and interest in what it called "the largest Indian land claim ever filed."

The suit is seen by many locals as an attempt to force favorable action on the Shinnecocks' bid for federal recognition and its plan to open a casino in the booming resort area.

Members of the tribe beat animal-skin drums, shook rattles, chanted an "honor song" and whooped yesterday as their leader, Randy King (search), entered federal court to file the suit.

"This day has been decades in the making. We only seek what is ours," said King, chairman of the tribe's board of trustees.

The tribe wants title to all non-residential property within a 3,600-acre area of Southampton Town — land it claims it was cheated out of in 1859.

The land targeted in the suit includes the world-renowned Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (search), Southampton College's sprawling campus and the elite bayfront National Golf Links of America (search).

[fish hawk]

Hahaha, your knowledge of Indians, my friend, would not fill a thimble. I wont argue with you about this as it's not worth it but at least do a little research and don't depend on what you learned in public schools. As far as Indians go, I are one and was raised around them and a reservation. I believe I know just a little bit more about what they believed and the way they thought than you.

Treated like individual American citizens, yes. Deported to ....where did you say?

[af_vet_1981]

Hahaha, your knowledge of Indians, my friend, would not fill a thimble. I wont argue with you about this as it's not worth it but at least do a little research and don't depend on what you learned in public schools. As far as Indians go, I are one and was raised around them and a reservation. I believe I know just a little bit more about what they believed and the way they thought than you. Treated like individual American citizens, yes.

Delusions of grandeur amongst slums of squalor ...

Deported to ....where did you say?

Asia

[Vicomte13]

Well, fear not!

Just let the border remain open for the rest of this presidential term and another couple, and there will be interesting new lessons in property rights being learned by everyone alike. And all will be learning it in Spanish.

Deported to Asia, deported to England...all the same thing, I guess.

[VinnyCee]

"This is clearly about Reservation SHOPPING and land grabs and not wanting your neighbourhood spoiled by casinos." - RuthannaK

"Land grabs"? Let's try and concentrate on thinking about who really did all of the "Land Grabbing" around the North American Continent.

There can only be one answer considering that 100% of what is now the U.S.A. was acquired in a gigantic and viciously violent "land grab" to end all "land grabs".

[VinnyCee]

"If it were up to me I would declare all treaties with Indian tribes to be null and void." - af_vet_1981

We should all feel lucky that it's not up to you because that humanitarian mentality is akin to a 300 year step backwards.

[af_vet_1981]

We should all feel lucky that it's not up to you because that humanitarian mentality is akin to a 300 year step backwards.

I can understand that comment if you are an illegal alien or belong to a different nation that wants to subvert our nation.

There should be only one nation within our borders and those borders should be respected. Every American born within those borders is a Native American.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[VinnyCee]

"Every American born within those borders is a Native American." - af_vet_1981

I am refering to the Indigenous peoples that have always lived on the continent and a minority of these Nations have legal contracts that spell out the rights the involved Nations choose to retain.

[af_vet_1981]

I am refering to the Indigenous peoples that have always lived on the continent and a minority of these Nations have legal contracts that spell out the rights the involved Nations choose to retain.

There are no Indigenous peoples that have always lived on the continent. There should not be any other Nation in the United States of America unless it has invaded us and we are at war.

[RuthannaK]

VinnyC, since when are you not peoples of the earth? As such its your duty to share the earth as it doesn't really belong to anybody but who God created. Your people came over the Aleutians and across the seas like our people did.
Currently this country needs to be for all Americans, but hanging on to what traditions you can. Go "lightly my friend" as the past is a hard master to be at peace with. It may ask more of you than you can actually assimilate into the reality of today. God speed my friend...

[Vicomte13]

"Every American born within those borders is a Native American."

Fine. But every such "Native American" is not an American Indian, and does not bear the burden of that history. I will grant that people with very slight Indian blood do not bear much if any burden. But those who are full bloods or half bloods, or quarter blood, have almost all known poverty and struggled with major disadvantages. And this should not have been so, for that was what they were trying to prevent by the treaties their grandparents originally negotiated.

But the white Americans and the US Government: they did not uphold their end of the treaties, and the Indians were deprived of the material properties and rights they negotiated for.

In the past 50 years, real strides have been made to correct that. Nevertheless, the overhang of the past wrongs is marked heavily on the Indians of today, not just, or even primarily, in vague psychic scars, but in the real economic and educational disadvantages that the near past has left them with.

Unlike other groups in America who have also suffered, the Indians made treaties with the US government so that they would not have to so suffer. The government broke the treaties then, but today, to a much greater extent, it attempts to enforce those obligations and laws as they were originally negotiated.

So it is fine that everyone is a Native American.
Everyone isn't an Indian, and the more Indian one is, the more one has been forced to carry a great big stone he should not have had to carry, up a hill he should never have had to climb.

One cannot simply with a wave of the hand dismiss legal claims, sealed in contracts and solemn treaties, because one does not want to have to pay up. That's called "theft". It worked in the past - interesting that the term "Indian giver" was applied to Indians and not the government! - but it does not work that way any more, and it will not again.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[freepatriot32]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

List of Ping lists

[af_vet_1981]

One cannot simply with a wave of the hand dismiss legal claims, sealed in contracts and solemn treaties, because one does not want to have to pay up. That's called "theft". It worked in the past - interesting that the term "Indian giver" was applied to Indians and not the government! - but it does not work that way any more, and it will not again.

One law for one people

We should break up any sovereign nation that tries to exist within our borders. Otherwise we will become like Europe and Canada. Islam will exploit the weakness and we will see Sharia law applied here in Islamic enclaves.

[F.J. Mitchell]

We stole the Hampton Inns from the indians, too??????

Next they will be claiming Holiday Inns, Best Westerns and Motel's 6.

[patton]

I think your assessment is exactly correct.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

One cannot simply with a wave of the hand dismiss legal claims, sealed in contracts and solemn treaties, because one does not want to have to pay up. That's called "theft".

I completely agree. What kind of person goes reneges on an agreement? Not one of good character, and not one you'd make an agreement with a second time. The idea I sometimes see promoted around here that we should declare what Indians have been promised null and void is morally bankrupt and should have no place in conservative thought. Conservatives are people of their word...or at least they should be.

Some of the comments made on these threads disparaging American Indians make me sick.

[hineybona]

im lovin this..All the LIB in the Hamptons , the cryers and whiners , the Ward Churchill supporters. Now the tables are turned on them ..Lets see how much they embrace their Native American Brothers when they come to take their land away ..HAHHAHA
BTW , half the time these "Native Americans" are not even remotely related to any tribe at all..I've seen African American con artist trying to pull this off in NYC"I'm part Indian "