The Shinnecock Tribal Nation has bought a piece of land in Hampton Bays after a six-year pursuit.
The Nation closed on the sale of an eight-acre piece of vacant land at 13 Indian Rd. in May. It’s next to their 80-acre Westwoods territory that the Nation is developing for a gas station and plaza. They held a ceremony to honor the land and welcome back Shinnecock stewardship.
Shinnecock Attorney Tela Troge said that the land has always been a part of the Nation’s ancestral land. But she said they lost access to the land back in the late 1890s after the removal of Shinnecock people from the area. Now the Shinnecock were able to get it back through this sale.
“It was really uplifting and powerful to be reconnected with the land, which, again, is just breathtakingly beautiful and pristine in condition,” Troge said. “So it was really, really an incredible day and a worthwhile pursuit.”
In 2019, the Nation heard that land was being put up for sale by the owners. Troge said the Nation filed legal paperwork after discovering that the Town of Southampton had tried to buy it through its Community Preservation Fund.
“We thought that was totally unacceptable, because we consider it part of our territory at Westwoods, our ancestral territory, and we didn't feel that it was appropriate for the Town of Southampton, who've been extremely adversarial to us, to claim ownership of our reservation,” Troge said.
That stopped the sale of the parcel, and it didn’t go back on the market until February 2025. Despite competing offers from other potential buyers, which included the town, Troge said the Nation’s final offer was then accepted by the sellers.
“It's a really historic moment, and it really marked just the first of many planned acquisitions as we continue to develop our economic development and expand our resources,” Troge said.
The Nation currently has no plans for the newly acquired parcel, and the gas station project next door is stalled due to the town's litigation. The Nation is currently in a legal battle with the Town over its construction of a travel plaza in Hampton Bays. Troge said the purchase is significant because it's the first time the Nation has acquired additional land with full property rights intact.
“Of course, we need money, just like everyone else in the country, to take care of our kids and our elders, but we also plan to use the money that we get from economic development, to restore the land base and take care of the land that is so important to us,” Troge said.
