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Poospatuck Reservation

American Indian reservations in New York (state)Brookhaven, New YorkEastern Algonquian peoplesGeography of Suffolk County, New YorkNative American tribes in New York (state)
Poospatuck reservation
Poospatuck reservation

The Poospatuck Reservation is a Native American reservation of the Unkechaugi band in the community of Mastic, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is one of two Native American reservations in Suffolk County, the other being the Shinnecock Reservation. The population was 436 at the 2020 census. The Unkechaugi are descendants of the Quiripi-speaking Native Americans, who occupied much of southern New England and central Long Island at the time of European encounter in the colonial era. Historically they spoke an Algonquian language. They have retained a community; the reservation is the smallest in New York State. The current 55 acre reservation was originally set aside for the Unkechaugs as a 175-acre plot by William "Tangier" Smith after he purchased large tracts of land from Unkechaug John Mayhew in 1691. It is located in Mastic on the north side of Poospatuck Creek, on the east side of Poospatuck Lane, and south of Eleanor Avenue. Poospatuck is situated in the southeast corner of Suffolk County's present-day Town of Brookhaven; and is the township's sole Indian reservation. On account of the innumerable tobacco shops, the reservation is known synecdochally as "Mastic Boges" by those in neighboring towns. It is about 70 miles or 1½ hours east of New York City. The reservation and its people are recognized as Native American by the state of New York but it has not received federal recognition from the US Bureau of Indian Affairs. However, the Unkechaug established that it met the criteria of a Tribe set out in the Supreme Court case Montoya v. United States, 180 U.S. 261, 266 (1901). The Unkechaug proved beyond a preponderance of the evidence that they met the criteria of a common law definition of a tribe consisting of the following: 1. A body of Indians of the same or similar race; 2. United in a community under one leadership or government; 3. Inhabiting a particular though sometimes ill-defined territory. Federal District Judge Kiyo Matsomoto held that the Unkechaug satisfied all 3 Montoya criteria thereby entitling the Unkechaug to Sovereign Immunity from lawsuits because they are a federal Tribe under federal common law. See "Gristede's Foods, Inc. v. Unkechauge Nation"., et Al. Oct 8, 2009 in the Eastern District of New York 06-cv-1260 (KAM)

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Poospatuck Reservation
Poospatuck Lane,

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 40.789722222222 ° E -72.832777777778 °
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Address

Poospatuck Lane 161
11950
New York, United States
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Poospatuck reservation
Poospatuck reservation
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Shirley, New York
Shirley, New York

Shirley is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in Suffolk County, New York, United States. At the 2010 census, the population of Shirley was 27,854. Shirley is the western terminus of Atlantic Crossing 1, a major submarine telecommunications cable linking the United States with the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. Soon, the Emerald Express transatlantic communications cable will provide data connectivity between Europe and North America, landing in Shirley. Shirley is a community in the Town of Brookhaven, on the South Shore of Long Island. It is named for developer Walter T. Shirley, who had the vision in the 1940s to turn the area on Mastic Bay into an affordable enclave. Shirley's company priced its 4,000 four-room homes starting at $4,700, and lots were priced at $295.Shirley is served by the Mastic–Shirley Long Island Rail Road station. The station was a compromise when both Mastic and Shirley campaigned for it. The Smith Point Bridge is the second of only two bridge crossings from Long Island to Fire Island, allowing beach goers easy access to the ocean without taking a ferry boat. The 7th Precinct of the Suffolk County Police Department is located in Shirley. Most of Shirley, the southern part, is served by the William Floyd School District. The northern part is served by the Longwood Central School District. Shirley was once known as “Tangiers”(Named after Willam “Tangier” Smith) and was home to a few summer bungalows in the early 1900’s, most of their owners were from New York City, looking an escape from a vast “urban jungle”. Today however, most of the “Tangiers-era” still stand today while some were renovated or are abandoned, although some were destroyed by hurricanes, winter storms and arson