User:Leotakemaru/Long Island

User:Leotakemaru/Long

Pre-European Settlement Era

Paleo-Indian Era (12,000 BC - 8000 BC)

As the last Ice Age waned with the retreat of the Wisconsin Ice Sheet, early Paleo-Indians ventured into the evolving landscapes of what is now Long Island. This epoch was marked by significant environmental shifts, laying the groundwork for the region's rich ecosystems. These nomadic hunter-gatherers, equipped with stone tools, navigated the newly emerging landscapes, hunting large game and gathering from the abundant natural resources.

Archaic Era (8000 BC - 1000 BC)

Following the Paleo-Indian period, the Archaic stage marked a broadening of subsistence strategies. The inhabitants of Long Island diversified their diet, exploiting the rich marine and terrestrial environments. The main source of protein came from the sea, consisting of fish and shellfish, oysters being of particular importance. Deer and other wild game and various plant foods also became part of their regular diet. Additionally, the archaeological record reveals a shift towards a more settled lifestyle, with small bands forming seasonal settlements.

Early and Middle Woodland Periods (1000 BC - 500 AD)

The indigenous peoples in the Early and Middle Woodland Periods began developing horticulture as well as more efficient strategies for hunting and gathering. They established year-round settlements. Pottery emerged as a widespread technological innovation during this era, serving not only practical storage and cooking purposes but also functioning as a medium for cultural expression. The stylistic variations in pottery across different sites on Long Island suggest a rich diversity of cultural identities and the exchange of ideas among various groups. Additionally, this period was marked by participation in trade networks with other Northeastern Indigenous communities.

Late Woodland Period (500 AD - 1100 AD)

During the Late Woodland Period, there was a noticeable intensification of agriculture, with maize becoming a staple crop alongside beans and squash. This agricultural advancement supported larger populations and led to the establishment of more permanent villages characterized by substantial dwellings, mostly wigwams and longhouses. The increased reliance on farming did not eliminate hunting and gathering, which continued to play a crucial role in the subsistence economy.

The Long Island natives lived in villages of differing sizes and their governing style, because of a lack of evidence, can only be guessed. However, anthropological models suggest that the leaders did not have overarching authority over the rest of the village. Rather, the leaders often sought advice from the elders.

There is a common misconception that there were "thirteen tribes" which inhabited the island before the arrival of Europeans; this was erroneously taught in schools until as late as the mid-1990s. In reality, the early settlers of Long Island were likely tied by kinship and did not identify themselves as distinct tribes. These “tribes” were designated by the Europeans as a method of identifying borders. However, there seems to be two, overlapping, but different cultures. The western Long Island natives probably spoke the Delaware-Munsee dialect. The eastern group’s language is less well-founded, but it is most likely related to the southern New England Algonquian dialect. The kinship system likely tied not just Long Island natives together, but with clans in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

Native Americans and Europeans

Initial Contact

The first recorded encounters between the Algonquian peoples of Long Island and Europeans occurred with the arrival of explorers in the early 17th century, first contacted by Henry Hudson and his crew. These interactions were initially characterized by curiosity and tentative exchanges, however conflicts became common amongst the two groups. Despite this, trade ensued due to its mutual advantages, with the Algonquian trading fur for clothing, metal, guns, and alcohol (5).

The Dutch, recognizing the value of New England's fur market, forged long-term alliances with the Algonquians in 1613, ushering in permanent settlements. By 1621, the Dutch West India Company established itself in the Northeast. By 1621, the Dutch West India Company had established a foothold in the Northeast, initiating a lucrative trade in wampum—beads of significant cultural and economic importance to Native tribes across the Northeast. The wampum was primarily made by Native Americans living on Long Island. The Dutch would thus engage in a triangular trade: purchasing large quantities of wampum from Long Island, exchanging wampum for fur with inland tribes, and shipping the fur back to Europe (7). This triangular trade created peace amongst the Europeans and the Native Americans for decades.

The Pequot War, a struggle over territory between the Dutch and the English, reshaped alliances and power dynamics in the region. The defeat of the Pequots left a void in eastern Long Island's political landscape, who were historically under the influence of the Connecticut Pequots for trade and protection. Indigenous leaders like Uncas, Ninigret, and Miantonomi, alongside the English, vied to fill this vacuum, with the English eventually prevailing with superior military strength and brutality, securing invitations to settle from local sachems of the Montaukett in 1639 (8).

Dispossession

The period between 1636 to 1648 marked a time of land grabbing in Long Island by the Dutch and the English. The Dutch dominated the western part of Long Island while the British occupied the East, buying up land from the Native Americans. Europeans viewed land transactions as opportunities for exclusive ownership and permanent settlement, while the Algonquian peoples viewed the transaction as temporary and communal (10).

As European settlers proliferated on Long Island, the ecosystem underwent significant transformation, and the dynamics between Native Americans and Europeans shifted. The Europeans cleared vast areas of traditional hunting grounds and introduced livestock that damaged Native crops (5). Europeans also began to encroach on Native land, and this growing proximity heightened tensions. This backdrop culminated in Kieft’s War, initiated by a devastating attack that killed 80 Native Americans (11).

Notable sachems, such as Tackapousha of the Massapequa, saw their influence wane post-King Philip's War in 1675. In the face of escalating tensions between Dutch and English settlers, these Indigenous figures endeavored to mediate and protect their communities. However efforts to maintain land rights were undermined by disease, deceit, infringements of land patents, and cultural misunderstandings (5).

Following the English takeover, the Algonquian peoples found themselves increasingly marginalized, their ancient hunting grounds cleared for agriculture, and their economic systems integrated into the European market, particularly through their labor and the dwindling fur and wampum trades. By the 18th century, most native lands had been seized, leaving only small parcels, and many Indigenous people were relegated to roles as domestics, laborers, guides, and seamen (5).

The gradual decline in Indigenous authority reached a critical point when it led to the obliteration of formal acknowledgement for many tribes. A poignant example of this phenomenon occurred in 1910, when a legal decree by New York State pronounced the Montaukett "tribe" extinct, ignoring the presence and testimonies of its members in court. This act represented the final stage in the thorough displacement of Native American communities on Long Island (12). Without status on Long Island, there is no legal route for

Bibliography


 * 1) Strong, J. A. (2022). Montaukett Indians of Eastern Long Island. Syracuse University Press.
 * 2) First European contact with indigenous people. The Cutchogue-New Suffolk Historical Council. (n.d.-b). https://www.cutchoguenewsuffolkhistory.org/timeline/first-european-contact-with-indigenous-people/
 * 3) Wyatt, Ronald. 1982. “The Archaic on Long Island,” 1977. In The Second Coastal Archaeology Reader: 1900 to the Present, edited by James E. Truex, 70-78.Stony Brook: SCAA.
 * 4) The Indian Archaeology of Long Island. Indian Archaeology of Long Island. (n.d.). https://www.garviespointmuseum.com/indian-archaeology-long-island.php#:~:text=The%20first%20people%20on%20Long,Island%20left%20no%20written%20records
 * 5) Strong JA. The Algonquian Peoples of Long Island from Earliest Times to 1700. Empire State Books; 1997.
 * 6) Stone, G. (n.d.). The Material History of the Montaukett. http://easthamptonlibrary.org/wp-content/files/pdfs/history/lectures/19980131.pdf
 * 7) Ceci, L. (1982). The Value of Wampum among the New York Iroquois: A Case Study in Artifact Analysis. Journal of Anthropological Research, 38(1), 97–107. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3629950
 * 8) Mark, J. J. (2024, April 3). Pequot War. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/Pequot_War/
 * 9) Oberg, M. L. (2004). “We Are All the Sachems from East to West”: A New Look at Miantonomi’s Campaign of Resistance. The New England Quarterly, 77(3), 478–499. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1559827
 * 10) Strong, J. (2019). Wyandanch And The Dispossession Of Indian Land On Long Island, New York:Grand Sachem, Puppet, Or Culture Broker? Long Island History Journal.
 * 11) Library guides: William Kieft (1638-1646): William Kieft (1638-1646). William Kieft (1638-1646) - William Kieft (1638-1646) - Library Guides at New Jersey City University. (n.d.). https://njcu.libguides.com/kieft
 * 12) Matthews, C. N., & McGovern, A. M. (Eds.). (2015). The Archaeology of Race in the Northeast. University Press of Florida. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctvx06xs7