Montaukett Heritage Signs In N. Amityville: 'We Are Still Here'

Lindenhurst NY

20 December, 2021

9:29 AM

Description

NORTH AMITYVILLE, NY—Six streets in North Amityville have new signs, markers from the Town of Babylon to recognize the history of Long Island's Montaukett Indian Nation, which has a presence in the hamlet to this day. The six streets bearing the new heritage signs are: Fowler, Hunter, Devine, Brewster, Steele and Miller, all connected to Montaukett families that have lived in the area for generations. The signs bear the Montaukett Indian Nation seal, with the motto "We are still here!" The tribe has been fighting to gain state recognition for years and there is currently an active bill in the New York State Senate. Sandi Brewster-Walker, a Montaukett Indian Nation member who grew up in North Amityville on one of those six streets, told Newsday that the heritage signs meant a lot to her. "We've been up against colonialism, racism, you name it, but we're still here." Leaders of the Montaukett Nation recently joined with other Long Island Native American groups to advocate for an unmarked burial sites law, citing a long history of the mishandling of native remains from construction sites. Earlier this year Montaukett members protested a condo development in North Amityville over concerns it contained native remains, prompting a New York State review of the site.