Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs - 1890

Page 33

REPORT OF THE COMbIISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.. XXVII (Colonial and State Laws, p. 27.) A few Indians on the islands of Chap-peqniddick and Gay Head, Duke Oounty, hold their lands in severalty. Nezo Fork.-The Shinecocks, about 140 persons, residing on Long Island, New York, once owned quite an extensive traot of land, but are now confined to a small peninsula known as Shineoock Neck, of about 640 acres. It is alleged that as early as 1703 their chiefs convexed all their lands to the whites, hut on account of snhsequent dissatisfaction . the pnrchasers leased hack a considerable portion (about 3,640 acres) for a thousand years at a merely nominal rent. Further difficulties arising between the proprietors and the Indiaoa,the State of New York, , on the 16th of March, 1859, enacted the following law: S E ~1.. The trustees of the said tribe of Indians are hereby ranthorized and empow-ered, in behalf of the said Indiana, to convey, release, and quit-claim to the trustees of the said .ro o.r ria tors of common and undivided lands and marshes in the town of Sunthau#pron,b.vdeedi t, thoordiuaryform, and lobe nckuoaladgeci in the osual man-ner before tho coonts judge of SudulkCuunty, nil theirri-ht, titie and interest inand I t.o- certain lands in the t o a n of Sauthamoton. Suffolk ~ a n n t vs.e nerally known as I ~~ . , . . .. Shioeoack Hills and Sehonnack Neck andlying north of a certain line oommenoingat the head of the Creek and running along the Iodisu ditch, where the fenoe now stands, to thestephen Post Meadow, so celled, thencealongthe old ditoh on theaouth side of the said meadow to old Fort Pond, where the water fence formerly stood. And the said trustees of the mid proprietors are hereby authorized to receive the same in consideration of a deed in like manner, in the ardiomry form and to he ac-knowledged in the nsnal manner before the county judge of Suffolk County, convey-ing, confirming sndrelessing to the saidtrustees of the saidlndians, in behalf of the said Shioeoock tribe, sll that tract of land oommonly oalled Shinecook Neck and 17- ing south of the befom-desorihed line, commeneing at the head of tbe creek on the east side of sail neck and ronning along the Indian ditch to where the fence now stands, to the Stephen Post Meadow,so called; thenoe along the old ditch on the sbuth side of the aaid meadow to old Fort Pond, where the water fence formerly stood. SEC. 2. The trne intent and meaning of this act is, and it shall he oonstrued to be, to enaMe the ssid Shinecocktribe of Indians to exchange all their rights in and to the land north of ssid line for a full release to them by aaid trustees of said proprie-tars of all their rights in and ta all lsnda sonth of said line, and the consent of the people of the State of New York is hereby granted to snoh exchange. The several tracts of land in western Xew York, reserved in the treaty of 1797 (7 Stats., p. 601), were snbsequenty sold by the Senecas, , except the Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Tonawanda Reserves. The In-dians claim the absolute ownership in fee of these reserves, subject only to the right of the Ogdeu Land Company* or its assigns to pur- i i Massachusetts in 1791 sold its right of pre-emption to theHolland Land Company, composed of gentlemen residing in Holland (see Amerioan State Papers, Indian Maim, Vol. 1, pp. 665,667, nnd 7 Stem., p. TO), and that oompanj. on the l2th of September, 1R10, conveyed said right by deed to David Ogden, who sold shares of said right to various persons, and subsequently the legal title became vested in ThomasLudlow Ogden, of New York, and JosephFellows, on behalf of the Qgden Land Company. In 1872 the capital of this oampnny wss reprewnted by twenty shares, bf which fifteen belonged to estates, three to iudividnale, and two were held in trust (see speech of Hon. A. H. Sevier in Senate, March 17, 1840, page 61, of "C&se of New York Indians," and S. Ex. Doe. No. 95, p. 512, Forty-eighth Congress, second se~sion).