Coastal Cultural Experience: Boat Tour of Shinnecock and Peconic Bays

A brief look into Native American history on Long Island
by John Maniscalco

As someone who is currently not a permanent resident of Long Island, its pretty safe to say when I decided to come to Stony Brook University I had a bit of trouble pronouncing some of the names of certain places out here. These places include, but are not limited to Patchogue, Setauket, Massapequa, and Quogue. However, I am not writing only about my struggles to pronounce certain names of places in Long Island. Instead, I want to write about the origins, history, and ultimately the significance of these names as they pertain to Long Island history. In other words, where do these names come from, what is their story, and why are they important.

Just as a brief side note, this semester I have the distinct pleasure of being able to participate in the semester by the sea program offered here at the Stony Brook Southampton campus. While here, myself and my classmates are taking a special class known as coastal cultural experience. Anyway, it was during this class that it was revealed [at least to me] that many of the names of places in Long Island originate from the Native Americans who lived here many years ago. As the class went on, we also learned that the tribes in Long island are a part of the Algonquin system. Algonquin in this context serves as an umbrella term in the sense there were many Native American tribes that were Algonquin. To compare, this is like in Europe in the sense that there are many countries, but that the people who live there at one time or another will identify as European. Furthermore, this umbrella term can be used in the sense of language as well. What I mean by this is that many of these tribes spoke very similar languages; sort of like how in Europe the Italians, French, Spanish, and Portuguese all speak languages that are based in Latin. Thus, resulting in four separate languages that are very similar as well. As for the tribes of Long Island and New England area, the same can be said for their languages too. At one point in time, there were thirteen tribes in Long Island. Some of these tribes included the Setaukets, the Matinecocks, the Shinnecocks, and the Montauks. However, as of today only the Shinnecocks and Montauks remain in the eastern part of Long Island.

The fact of the matter is quite simple, at one time Native Americans were quite prominent in much of the continental United States, especially here in Long Island. Unfortunately, in Long Island like many other places, many of the Native American people and their tribes have been eradicated for various reasons. With that said, the point I mentioned in the beginning comes into question. It come into question in the sense that even though many places in Long Island have Native American names to remember this group of people, it can also be said that naming places after them is only a small way to remember the Native Americans of Long Island. Ultimately, the Native Americans were a prominent part of Long Island history, and I am glad to know that at least the first step to honoring and remembering this group of people properly is in place. However, as I’ve mentioned before there is still more that can be done to honor the Native Americans of Long Island, and I personally have the coastal cultural experience class to thank for broadening my horizons and my knowledge of Long Island history. I can’t wait to see what happens next week!


Shinnecock Bay Boat Tour
by Emelie Einhorn

We all know traffic in the Hamptons is something out of your worst nightmare, but have you ever considered using the water to travel around the area? If you wanted to move between the South Fork and the North Fork, for example, you could just swing through the Shinnecock Canal, the last functioning canal on Long Island. It’s a necessary and useful installation, as it allows for quick travel between waterways that would otherwise be impossible. Since there is a difference in water level, the boat you are travelling in must either be raised up or sunk down several feet. We experienced both as we travelled through the canal in both directions. There are enormous black locks that, when closed, create an isolated pool of water where your boat is floating. Depending on which direction you’re travelling, the depth of water in the pool will either be increased or decreased depending on the water level of the bay you’re travelling to. Sometimes the locks aren’t even necessary if the water levels between the two bays are similar enough, but during our trip that wasn’t quite the case, so we were able to experience the rising and falling of the water trapped within the locks.

A photo of Ponquogue Bridge. It serves as a landmark in East Shinnecock Bay as it is easily visible throughout almost the entire area on a clear day. While not evident in this instance, the metal of the bridge shines very brightly in the sun.

The two black locks are closing as we begin to prepare to enter the Peconic Bay. This canal has a long history and was once referred to as Canoe Canal when it was used by the Native American tribes in the region. This canal is the last functioning canal on Long Island and it serves its purpose well.

Here we can see the change in water level as the locks are being drained. The difference in water level between the East Shinnecock and Peconic Bays was about 2.5 feet at the time of our trip, with the Shinnecock being higher and the Peconic being lower. If not for the locks, there would be an enormous outflow from the Shinnecock into the Peconic, which would create more than a few problems for the communities – human and marine – living around and in the bays.

Shinnecock and Peconic Bay Boat Tour
by Kim Marko

This week was the first of many trips exploring the New England area to learn about the coastal history, so it was only fitting that we started the semester with a boat ride in local waters. As we were cruising though the Shinnecock and Peconic bay, Dr. Kurt Bretsch and Dr. Tara Rider were walking around the boat answering any questions we had and telling us all about the history of Southampton and the surrounding areas. I have driven through the Hamptons countless times going to the beach or going out to Montauk and one of my favorite things has always been looking at the huge houses.

Today when you hear the words ‘The Hamptons’ most people thing ‘rich’ ‘beach’ or ‘the Kardashian’s’ but the Hamptons weren’t always like they are today. In the 1920’s, there wasn’t much to see or do out here, which was a strong pull for writers and artists. Not long after more and more people from all over started coming out to the Hamptons to spend the summer. Those huge and gorgeous houses I talked about earlier were used as summer houses, that is until the 2008 recession hit.

In 2008 the Stock market crashed, sending the country into a recession. Suddenly these houses that were being rented out from Memorial Day to Labor Day were staying empty because people could no longer afford to stay out in the Hamptons for that long. In order to rent out the houses, the owners of these houses had to start doing week and weekend rentals instead of full summer rentals; which creates a slightly different scene than what it used to be out here. Now when you’re out in the Hamptons most of the people you see are out here for a few days either for the beach or to go to the vineyards.


Hampton Bays: The evolution of Long Island Wine
by Alyssa Shanley-Lente

My first real taste of long island began on a wonderful sunny day as the Coastal Culture Experience class took off on their first field trip of the year. With a light breeze and the tide going out we began our boat trip to learn about the Shinnecock and Peconic Bays. Throughout the entire trip I learned lots of new information due to the fact that I am originally from New Mexico and know absolutely nothing about the area, but it wasn’t until we were on our way back that I heard something that particularly caught my attention. This piece of information happened to be about the wineries on long island and how they have changed over time.

Now this subject only caught my attention so much because one of the professors began talking about Martha Clara Vineyards which are a big staple of the area. She then began to say that when the vineyards around the area first opened throughout the 1970’s they were scoffed at by others around the country. This was because although the wine bottles were labeled as “Long Island Wine” the wine only consisted of about ten percent of grapes that had been grown in long island while the rest were from other areas around the country. However, only in the more recent years have local wineries been able to find their footing due to some of the best soil for grape growing.

Nowadays, local winemakers have crops that are able to produce enough grapes for the wines produced to actually be considered a “Long Island” wine. These vineyards also happen to be the biggest leader in European wine grapes nationwide which I found really interesting since there are so many places that produce wine within the country such as California. All in all it was a great trip and I got to learn a lot more about the local wine and vineyards located throughout the island.


Shinnecock Bay Boat Tour
by Cassidy Bell

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t imagine sleeping on a pile of seagrass would be all that comfortable. Although to be fair to the early settlers here in the Hamptons, using eelgrass as a resource for filling cushions probably made more sense than it does now. During much of the 17th century, the demand for products such as beds and sofas was met by utilizing one of the most abundant resources available to coastal settlers: eelgrass. While the use of eelgrass in these products was partially due to its abundance at the time, it also had several benefits as a component of household items, such as its resistance to rot. Instead, eelgrass simply dries with age, allowing it to be compacted for use in cushioning as well as in insulation for the walls of houses. Unfortunately, while this process of drying may have been preferable to rotting at the time, the long term effect was noticed more recently in the 1900s. The process of drying lead to the grass dropping down and creating air spaces within the walls, causing the entire wall system to become highly flammable and leading to many old homes going up in flames quickly and completely.

Outside of its historical uses in the home, eelgrass is incredibly important for its ecological role in marine systems such as the one here in Shinnecock Bay. Eelgrass forms the foundation of the bay’s marine habitats, providing everything from sediment stabilization to increased habitat complexity for different marine animals (Pickerell et al.). Perhaps one of its most important roles in Shinnecock Bay is its mutualistic relationship with shellfish. Clams and scallops rely on the eelgrass for protection from predation and tidal currents while the eelgrass living in these habitats can provide nutrients that the eelgrass needs to stay healthy (Pickerell et al.). The destruction of eelgrass habitats and the heavy removal of shellfish have led to large declines in both that have noticeably damaged the ecosystem of the bay and surrounding areas. This has been combatted by groups like the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Project that are actively working to restore local habitats and support the historically and ecologically important eelgrass as it begins its journey to recovery.