Southampton, NY
The Summit of Sugar Loaf Hill
- Project Type
- Conservation
- Acreage
- 4.6
- Address
Southampton NY, 11968
About
After years of work with the Shinnecock Graves Protection Warrior Society (SGPWS), and months of negotiations with the Town of Southampton and the owners of Sugar Loaf’s summit, the Trust acquired this most sacred land on July 22, 2021, in a simultaneous transaction wherein the Town purchased the development rights on the property, thereby protecting it from any residential development in the future.
Roger Waters, an advocate for the Shinnecock people, provided the bulk of the private funds necessary for the Trust to purchase the property and restore it to its natural state, for which we are most grateful.
The Trust is working closely with the SGPWS to restore the land now that, the existing structures have been removed. The Trust and SGPWS are exploring appropriate ways for the public to learn about and experience the beauty of this sacred site, while honoring the peace and tranquility of ancestors buried there. Upon completion of the restoration, the Trust will petition the Town Board for approval to transfer fee title of the parcel to the Niamuck Land Trust (NLT), an indigenous-managed conservation organization. This will be the first time that land within Shinnecock Hills will be returned to and repatriated by members of the Shinnecock Nation.
“This acquisition is about a hill, a summit, the most sacred place to the Shinnecock people, a place where their ancestors were buried 3000 years ago. It acknowledges for all parties involved that the land we live on here in Southampton is the ancestral land of the Shinnecock people,” said John v.H. Halsey at the Southampton Town Council meeting when it voted unanimously to purchase the development rights on 4.6 acres at the peak of Sugar Loaf Hill on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.
“I want to thank the Shinnecock people, especially the Graves Protection Warrior Society for their guidance and patience throughout. This would not have happened without the leadership of Tela Troge, Becky Genia, and Shane Weeks. It is our intent to manage this land with the SGPWS until such time that we can return it to the Shinnecock people, the ultimate stewards, as a place for their ancestors to rest in peace as well as a place for the public to learn about the history and culture of the Shinnecock Nation,” added John.
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There is much more land to protect in Shinnecock Hills in partnership with the SGPWS and the Town. In order to accomplish this, more private funds will need to be raised. To this end, the Trust has established a special fund for this purpose – the Shinnecock Land Acquisition and Stewardship Fund. These funds will cover the remaining costs for this project as well as future acquisitions, restoration and ongoing stewardship related to sacred Shinnecock land.