Home

*Month Of November*

It is important to remember that the first Long Islanders were not European explorers but Native Americans. The first European settlers came over in the 1640's. The Native Americans had been here at least 9,000 years earlier. This was their homeland.

The Native Americans of that time period left behind some tools and that is how we know they were here then. Archeologists (scientists who study old sites and look for remains) have found many spear points that were used by early Native Americans as a tool or weapon.

The early Native Americans were members of the Algonquin tribe and were broken into thirteen communities on Long Island. They all spoke a very similar language and were known as a peaceful people. Each community had its own Sachem or leader who met with other sachems.

The Native Americans were hunters, fishermen and farmers. They became excellent whale hunters and made boats called dugouts out of single tree trunks.

There are very few Native Americans left on Long Island. Many died of diseases brought to the New World by the Europeans. Some left Long Island, feeling pushed out by the European settlers. Still, there are two Native American reservations on Long Island - the Possepatuck reservation in Mastic and the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton.

Created by Katie Carbone and Tyler Galetti