Shinnecock Reservation is a Native American reservation for members of the

Shinnecock Indian Nation The Shinnecock Indian Nation is a federally recognized tribe of historically Algonquian peoples, Algonquian-speaking Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans based at the eastern end of Long Island, New York. This tribe is headq ...

in the town of Southampton in

Suffolk County, New York Suffolk County ( ) is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of New York, constituting the eastern two-thirds of Long Island. It is bordered to its west by Nassau County, to its east by Gardiners Bay and the open Atlantic Ocean, to its no ...

, United States. It is the most easterly of the two Native American reservations in Suffolk County; the other being

Poospatuck Reservation The Poospatuck Reservation is a Native American reservation of the Unkechaugi band in the community of Mastic, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is one of two Native American reservations in Suffolk County, the other being the Shinne ...

in the town of Brookhaven. It lies on the east side of Shinnecock Bay on southeastern

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, near Tuckahoe, Shinnecock Hills, and the village of Southampton. The population was 819 as of the 2020 census. Roughly that many tribal members additionally live off the reservation.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the Indian reservation has a total area of 1.3073 mi² (3.3859 km²), all land.

Demographics

At the 2010 census there were 662 people and 256 households in the Indian reservation. The population density was 506.4/mi² (195.5/km²). There were 204 housing units at an average density of 156.0/mi² (60.2/km²). The racial makeup of the Indian reservation was 6.04% White, 4.53% Black or African American, 76.59% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.03% from other races, and 12.08% from two or more races. Of the 256 households 36.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 11.7% are vacant, 8.6% are for rent. The age distribution was 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 20, 7.4% from 20 to 24, 11.3% from 25 to 34, 18.7% from 35 to 49, 21.3% from 50 to 64, and 12.5% 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. According to the 2000 Census, the median household income was in the Indian reservation was $14,055, and the

median income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...

for a family was $14,143. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $13,750 for females. The per capita income for the Indian reservation was $8,843. About 61.3% of families and 50.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 66.1% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Tribal recognition and gambling prospects

The Shinnecock Nation formally requested federal recognition from the United States government in 1978 and received it in 2010. Recognition was supported by New York Governor

David Paterson David Alexander Paterson (born May 20, 1954) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 55th governor of New York, succeeding Eliot Spitzer, who resigned, and serving out nearly three years of Spitzer's term from March 2008 to ...

. This enabled the tribe to move forward with its plans for a casino; it has already been discussing this with the state and local governments. Opposition to additional casinos in the New York market is based in part on dilution of demand: both the Foxwoods Casino in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

and those in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

attract thousands of New Yorkers, and

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack within ...

opened a casino in 2011, and its proximity to the wealthy and powerful located in the neighboring

Hamptons The Hamptons, part of the East End (Long Island), East End of Long Island, consist of the town (New York), towns of Southampton (town), New York, Southampton and East Hampton (town), New York, East Hampton, which together compose the South Fork ...

communities of the South Fork. The Nation has been in discussion with state and local officials on plans to build a Class III casino, as it wants to generate revenues for economic development and welfare for the tribe. It would share revenues with the state for such an enterprise off the reservation. The tribe and other parties prefer a location out of the Hamptons area, which is already bogged down with heavy traffic during the summer season, when the population of the Town of Southampton doubles.DANNY HAKIM, "U.S. Recognizes an Indian Tribe on Long Island, Clearing the Way for a Casino"
''New York Times'', 16 June 2010, accessed 20 October 2014 In addition, they would face heavy competition on eastern Long Island, as New Yorkers make up 30% of the customers of the highly successful

Mohegan Sun Mohegan Sun is a large casino and entertainment complex located on 240 acres (97 ha) of the Mohegan Indian Reservation in Uncasville, Connecticut, along the banks of the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. It is owned and operated by the fe ...

and

Foxwoods Foxwoods Resort Casino is an integrated resort owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on their Indian reservation, reservation located in Ledyard, Connecticut. Including six casinos, the resort covers an area of . The casino ...

Casinos in Connecticut. The Shinnecock Indian Nation and their partners (Gateway Casino Resorts, LLC and Michael J. Malik Sr. dba MJM Enterprises and MJM Enterprises & Development) paid D.C. lobbyists $1,140,000 from 2005 to 2009 to support their effort to gain recognition and approved gaming.

References

External links

Shinnecock (state) Reservation, New York
United States Census Bureau
2010 Census for New York (you must choose State: New York, County: Suffolk, Area: Shinnecock Reservation
{{authority control Shinnecock Indian Nation American Indian reservations in New York (state) Southampton (town), New York Geography of Suffolk County, New York