The mayor of Southampton Village has partnered with a nonprofit group to provide the Shinnecock Nation with 100 beach parking passes. Mayor Jesse Warren said although the beach is open to the public, the parking is not free.
A one-day parking permit at the beach costs $50 and an entire season costs $500. Tribal members would need to show a tribal ID card at the gate for a free day pass. Warren said he reached out to the nonprofit group that made a donation to purchase the day passes.
“We’re not going to solve a century’s long problem overnight, but I do want members of Shinnecock Nation to know that I am trying and doing everything within the limited power that I have,” Warren said.
The tribe has rallied to gain free access to Cooper’s Beach. They have said they shouldn't have to pay for access to their own ancestral land.
Warren said he reached out to Southampton Town and Suffolk County to urge them to also provide tribal members passes to access other beaches.
