Montaukett facts for kids
Indian Field by Little Reed Pond
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| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| United States (Long Island) | |
| Languages | |
| English, formerly Mohegan-Pequot | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity, Native | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Shinnecock, Pequot, Narragansett |
The Montaukett people, often called Montauk, are a group of Native Americans. They speak an Algonquian language. Their homeland is on the eastern and central parts of Long Island, New York.
The Montauk are connected by language and heritage to the Pequot and Narragansett peoples. These groups live across Long Island Sound in what is now Connecticut and Rhode Island. Around the year 1600, the Montauk changed their language dialect. You can still see old signs of their villages at Theodore Roosevelt County Park. This park is near the village of Montauk, New York.
Contents
What Language Did the Montauk Speak?
The Montauk people spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Before the 1600s, they used the "N" dialect of the Mohegan-Pequot language. Around 1600, they started using the "Y" dialect instead.
What Does the Name Montauk Mean?
The exact meaning of the name Montauk is not known today.
How Were Montauk People Identified?
Early European writings often called Native Americans on Long Island by the name of their land. Examples include the Montauk and the Shinnecock. European colonists sometimes thought different groups were separate tribes. But these groups often shared the same culture and language. The Native Americans on the east end of Long Island shared a common culture. This culture was also similar to other Lenape groups along the northern shore of what is now called Long Island Sound.
A Look at Montauk History
European explorers visited Long Island starting in the 1500s. Giovanni Verrazano came in 1524. Henry Hudson explored in 1609. Later, Adriaen Block visited in 1619. He named the area "Visscher's Hoek" while mapping it.
The 1600s: Early Encounters
In 1637, during the Pequot War, the Montaukett joined the European settlers for safety. A Montaukett man named Cockenoe was captured. He later worked with John Eliot in Boston. In the 1640s, Cockenoe helped translate parts of the first Bible printed in America, the Eliot Indian Bible. He then returned to Long Island.
In 1639, after the war, a settler named Lion Gardiner bought an island from the Montaukett chief Wyandanch. Gardiner named it Gardner's Island. It is one of the largest privately owned islands in the United States.
In 1648, settlers bought land from Connecticut. This land became the town of East Hampton. The Montaukett were left with only the lands to the east.
During the 1650s, the Montaukett population began to shrink. In 1653, Narragansetts attacked and burned a Montaukett village. They killed 30 people and captured one of Chief Wyandanch's daughters. Lion Gardiner helped get her back. In return, he received a large piece of land in Smithtown, New York. The Montaukett people were also suffering from smallpox. They feared being wiped out by the Narragansetts. White settlers in East Hampton gave them temporary shelter. Many small battles happened, ending in 1657.
After 1653, different groups of East Hampton settlers bought more Native land. This expanded East Hampton's control further east. More agreements were made in 1660, 1661, 1672, and 1686. These agreements allowed East Hampton townsmen to let their cattle graze on Montaukett lands. Fort Pond Bay gets its name from a Montaukett "fort" on its shores.
By 1658, historians believe there were about 500 Montauk people.
In 1660, Wyandanch's widow sold all of Montauk. This included land from Napeague to the tip of the island. The price was 100 pounds, paid in "Indian corn" or "good wampum".
In 1661, a deed called "Ye deed of Guift" was issued. It said that all lands east of Fort Pond would be used by both the Native people and the townsmen.
In 1686, Governor of New York Thomas Dongan created a new governing system for East Hampton. This system did not include Montauk. This lack of authority has caused arguments over control ever since. The Dongan Patent allowed the Montauk Proprietors to buy the remaining lands. These were between the ponds and east of Lake Wyandanee (Lake Montauk). This further separated the Montaukett from managing their own lands.
In 1687, the town of East Hampton bought the remaining Native lands east of Fort Pond for 100 pounds. The Montaukett were given the right to live there forever, but not to govern. The Montaukett agreed to receive two pounds per year instead of the 100 pounds lump sum. In 1702, the Montaukett noted that these yearly fees had never been paid. They were unhappy with how the town treated them. So, the Montaukett tried to sell the same lands to two rich men from New York. But this went against an earlier agreement. That agreement said the Town Trustees had the only right to buy Montauk lands. The town challenged the sale. They quickly made a new agreement with the Montaukett. This agreement detailed the deals and rights between both sides.
The 1700s: Challenges and Changes
An agreement in 1703 limited Montaukett livestock. They could have only 250 pigs and 50 cattle or horses. The "Agreement Between the Trustees of East Hampton and the Indians of Montauk" (1703) said the Montaukett would live on North Neck. This area is between Great Pond and Fort Pond. Land east of Great Pond, including Indian Fields, was for colonial use, mainly for cattle grazing. The Montaukett could move east of Great Pond if they did not bother the colonists' grazing rights. The agreement also said how the Montaukett could use their land. Fields had to stay open for colonists' livestock. They could keep a 30-acre field fenced to protect their winter wheat crops. If the Montaukett moved from North Neck to Indian Fields, they had to take all their belongings. They could return to North Neck, but not live in both places at once.
Even with these limits, the Montaukett population slowly grew. They strengthened their social ties by marrying people from other groups. The colonial government saw this as a threat. In 1719, they made another "agreement." This one stopped Montaukett people from marrying non-Montaukett people. All these rules in the 1700s made the Montaukett feel like tenants on their own land. They were unhappy with their white neighbors.
By the 1740s, the population was about 160 people.
Around 1759, the Narragansett attacked the Montauk. The Montauk sought safety with white colonists in Easthampton. Diseases had greatly reduced their numbers. By 1788, most Montauk had joined the Brotherton Indians of New York.
The 1800s: Land Disputes and New Beginnings
In 1839, enslaved people who had taken over the ship La Amistad came ashore. They were looking for supplies. American authorities were told, and the enslaved people were recaptured. They were later freed in a very important trial.
In 1851, a court judgment was made against the Trustees of East Hampton. On March 9, 1852, a deed to Montauk was given to Henry P. Hedges and others. Their ancestors had helped buy Montauk from the Montaukett Indians in the 1600s. Mr. Benson paid $151,000 for 10,000 acres (40 square kilometers) at the east end. The deed giving up claim to Montauk was recorded on March 9, 1852. Benson also got clear ownership of Montaukett land at Big Reed Pond. He bought it from tribal members for $10 each. This deed split the lands covered by the Dongan Patent. This left the unsettled Montauk lands without government. Less than a month later, on April 2, 1852, a New York state law was passed. It created the corporation of the trustees of Montauk. It also confirmed their right to govern.
In 1879, construction began on an extension of the Long Island Rail Road to Montauk. This possibility of more tourism led to the idea of selling the Montauk peninsula. The Town Trustees sold it to Arthur W. Benson in 1879 for development as a resort.
Mr. Benson started buying any land in the area for future development. All of Montauk not already owned by Mr. Benson was sold to him in 1890. The sale noted it was "subject to the rights of the Montauk tribe of indians." It also said that a few members and their families still lived there. According to Marla Pharoah's story, the remaining Montaukett families were allegedly "bought out." Two of their houses were moved to Freetown. Others were burned down, and their belongings were stolen.
The first train from the Austin Corbin extension of the Long Island Rail Road arrived in Montauk in 1895. The land for the station had been bought in 1882.
In 1896, the Montaukett started a court case to get their land back. This case lasted until 1917 and caused them to lose all their money.
In 1898, the Benson/Corbin plan did not work out. The United States Army bought the Benson property. They wanted to build a base called Camp Wikoff. This camp was to quarantine soldiers returning from the Spanish–American War. This is how Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders met the few remaining Montaukett people. They stayed in a place known as "Second House."
The 1900s: Further Dispersal
In 1906, while their court case was ongoing, New York State passed a law. It allowed the Montaukett to claim land using old colonial deeds from 1660 to 1702. But because of the court battle, the Montaukett lost their legal status. They also lost their right to money. Judge Abel Blackmar told more than 20 Montaukett people in the courtroom that the tribe no longer existed. He said they had lost their claim to the reservation. This was a very difficult moment for the tribe.
In 1910, there were about 29 Montauk people on Long Island. In 1923, there were 30.
In 1924, Robert Moses began taking over Benson's land. He wanted to create state parks at both ends of Montauk. These were Hither Hills State Park in the west and Montauk Point State Park in the east. A parkway, State Route 27, was planned to connect them.
In 1926, Carl G. Fisher bought all the remaining Montaukett lands not owned by the state. He bought 10,000 acres (40 square kilometers) for $2.5 million. He planned to make Montauk the "Miami Beach of the North." He called it a "Tudor village by the sea." His projects included connecting the freshwater Lake Montauk to Block Island Sound. This was to replace the shallow Fort Pond Bay as the port. He also built the Montauk Yacht Club and the Montauk Downs Golf Course. Other projects included Montauk Manor, a luxury hotel, and the Montauk Tennis Auditorium. This auditorium later became a movie theater and is now the Montauk Playhouse. He also built the six-story Carl Fisher Office Building. This building is now called The Tower at Montauk, a residential condominium.
In the Great Hurricane of 1938, water flooded across Napeague. This turned Montauk into an island. Floodwaters from the hurricane covered the main downtown area. This area was then located in Fort Pond Bay. It was moved 3 miles (5 kilometers) south, right next to the Atlantic Ocean. State Route 27 became the main road. Through all these changes, the Montaukett remained strong. They continued to ask for federal recognition and the return of their ancestral lands.
How Did the Montauk Live?
Before Europeans arrived, the Montaukett made wampompeag (or wampum). They made these beads from quahog clamshells found on Long Island. Before they got metal tools from Europeans, Montaukett artists made "disk-shaped beads from quahog shells." These were used for trade and payments to nearby tribes.
The Montaukett people farmed, fished, hunted, and gathered food. After Europeans arrived, the Montaukett joined the new economy. They used their traditional skills. They hunted game and fowl for colonists' tables. They made bowls, tools, and toys from wood. Later, they built houses and mills. They also crafted baskets, eel pots, and chair bottoms. The women harvested corn, squash, and beans. The men fished and hunted whales using dugout canoes. They also bought guns and furniture from local European craftsmen. Montaukett men were skilled at whaling. Whaling businesses eagerly sought them out. Between 1677 and 1684, a system of credit allowed Native men and their families to buy goods. They would pay for these goods with their share of the whale catch during the next whaling season.
Christian preachers, like James Davenport and Azariah Horton, paid attention to the Montaukett. Settler colonists wanted the Montaukett to become Christians. Reverend Azariah Horton preached to them from 1740 to about 1750. He stayed and preached in their wigwams. He traveled from Jamaica to Montauk, spending most of his time in Montauk. In December 1741, Rev. Horton wrote about visiting sick Montaukett people in their wigwams.
In 1749, Samson Occom, a Mohegan Native American from Connecticut, came to Montauk. He came to preach and educate them. He began to take over Azariah Horton’s mission. Rev. Horton eventually left for New Jersey. Rev. Occom was very talented. He was not formally educated until age 16. But he mastered English, Greek, Latin, and theology starting in 1743. Later, he became a Presbyterian minister. He helped form the Brothertown group with members of the nearby Shinnecock band. They moved from Long Island to escape colonial expansion. They went first to Oneida County, New York. Later, most moved to Brothertown, Wisconsin, and other parts of the United States. They married into many northeastern Native tribes. Today, they live on many reservations across the country. They are part of the Brothertown Indians movement. Because of Rev. Occom, the Montauk were likely the best-educated Native group on Long Island.
Eventually, too much in-shore whaling led to fewer whales. Native labor from the Montaukett and other groups became vital for deep-sea whaling. This continued throughout the late 1700s. Both Rev. Horton and Rev. Occom wrote in their records (around 1740–1760) that Montaukett men were working at sea during their visits.
Attempts to make the Montaukett fit into European society continued. For example, in 1830, Rev. Thomas James (minister) preached to the Montaukett. He was in Sag Harbor on an anti-slavery mission for free Black former slaves in the whaling industry. Reverend James gave the Montaukett shelter near the village. This was during their problems with the Narragansett. He also allegedly got them to sell land from Napeague to Montauk Point to himself and a few other men. Rev. James supposedly wrote a Catechism in the Montauk language. This was a form of Mohegan-Pequot, but it has never been found.
Deep-sea whaling continued into the 1800s. But labor practices were often unfair. However, not all Native men faced forced labor or debt in seafaring. In the 1800s, whaling ships often had mixed crews. White, Native, and African-American sailors met people from international ports. Ships traveled for years at a time. In 1859, oil was discovered in Pennsylvania. This, along with the demand for kerosene and the Civil War, led to the end of whaling. Men sailed from Sag Harbor until 1871. That year marked the last deep-sea trip from the port. After 1871, Montaukett men sailed from New Bedford. Men from all backgrounds left whaling for factory jobs. From 1830 to 1920, Native whalemen worked as free agents. Native men chose to go to sea. It was a good option compared to opportunities on land or reservations. Native men from eastern Long Island continued whaling into the early 1900s.
Some Montaukett stayed near Montauk. This was often because the land was hard to reach. But over time, Montaukett people spread out from the "reservation." They moved to places like Freetown, Eastville, and the Shinnecock Reservation. They also appeared in government records in Southampton, East Hampton, Sag Harbor, Southold, Greenport, Brookhaven Town, Smithtown, Oyster Bay, and New York City. They often worked as laborers, farmhands, domestic servants, or seamstresses.
Allison Manfra McGovern studied the history of the Montaukett through archaeology. She looked at two houses at Indian Fields compared to Freetown. She concluded that Montaukett people were deeply involved in local and global markets. They were both producers and consumers. They also kept social ties with other workers, employers, and family members throughout and beyond East Hampton Town. Stonybrook University also made interesting cultural observations when they studied the Pharoah Home(s) at Indian Fields.
Where Do Montauk Descendants Live Today?
Many Montauk descendants today live in Wisconsin with the Brotherton Mohegans. Others live on the Shinnecock Reservation. Today, people with Shinnecock heritage live among other tribes. These include the Montauk, Pequot, and Mohegan tribes, and vice versa.
There are no Montauk tribes officially recognized by the federal or state governments. The Montauk Indian Nation and the Montaukett Tribe of Long Island are unrecognized tribes. They sent letters in the 1990s saying they wanted to ask for federal recognition. However, neither has fully submitted a request.
Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. has tried to pass laws to restore state recognition for the Montaukett Indian Nation. He did this in 2013, 2017, 2018, and 2019. But Governor Andrew M. Cuomo vetoed these bills. He said that a tribe must follow a federal process to get recognition. He argued against creating a costly, separate state process. The last bill in 2019–20, sponsored by Sen. Kenneth LaValle, did not pass.
Notable Montauk People
- Olivia Ward Bush (1869–1944), an African American-Montaukett writer, poet, and journalist.
- Cockenoe, an early translator for the Eliot Indian Bible. This was the first Bible printed in America.
- Stephen Talkhouse – In the late 1800s, the most famous Montaukett was Stephen Taukus "Talkhouse" Pharaoh. He was known for walking 30 to 50 miles round-trip each day. He walked from Montauk to East Hampton or Sag Harbor. Stones on his routes, now part of the Paumanok Path hiking trail, mark his journeys. P.T. Barnum featured Pharaoh as "The Last King of the Montauks." However, he was neither a king nor the last Montauk.
