MATINECOCKS AND CARNARSIES

TWO NEW YORK STATE NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES ARE UPSET BECAUSE0 THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID NOT CONTACT THEM ABOUT A PROPOSED BRIDGE BETWEEN QUEENS AND BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.THE COST OF THE PROJECT IS THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS.BOTH TRIBES WERE ANGRY AND FURIOUS ABOUT HAVING TO READ ABOUT IT THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS.

THE TWO TRIBES, WHICH CLAIM THE AREA AS THE ANCESTRAL HOME LANDS, ARE THE CARNARSIES AND MATINECOCKS. ALTHOUGH BOTH TRIBES ARE NOT FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED AND DO NOT OWN ANY OF THEIR ANCESTRAL LAND. THE LAND IN QUESTION WAS THEIR DOMAIN A LONG TIME AGO. THE LAND IN QUESTION IS THE NEWTOWN CREEK AREA. ORIGINALLY THE LAND WAS OWNED BY THE MESPEATCHAS, (MASPETH, NEW YORK IS NAMED AFTER THE TRIBE) WHO WERE LATER ABSORBED INTO THE MATINECOCKS. THE MATINECOCKS CLAIM THAT THEIR ANCESTRAL LAND WENT FROM FLUSHING TO NASSAU COUNTY ON LONG ISLAND. THE CARNARSIES LIVED IN THE SOUTH PART OF THIS AREA.

BOB SINGLETON, OF THE GREATER ASTORIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY SAID THAT ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIGS NEAR THE (NEWTOWN) CREEK OVER THE LAST CENTURY HAVE UNEARTHED A WEALTH OF ARTIFACTS. IT IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC NATIVE AMERICAN SITES IN NEW YORK.

FEDERAL LAW REQUIRES THAT A NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE HAS TO BE NOTIFIED WHEN A FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECT EFFECTS ITS ANCESTRAL HOMELAND.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS CONTACTED TWO (2) OUT OF NEW YORK STATE TRIBES (THE DELAWARE NATION IN OKLAHOMA AND THE STOCK BRIDGE-MUNSEES IN WISCONSIN). THESE TWO FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES CLAIM NEW YORK AS THE ANCESTRAL HOME.

CHIEF "LITTLE FOX" OF THE MATINECOCKS REPORTEDLY SAID, "WE WERE FORCED OFF THAT LAND MANY YEARS AGO. WE ARE STILL HERE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY LAND." THE MATINECOCKS AND THE CARNARSIES EACH CLAIM TO HAVE ABOUT 300 DECEDENTS IN THEIR TRIBES.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO WORK WITH ALL FOUR TRIBES. THE TRIBES HAVE 30 DAYS TO COMMENT ON THE PLAN.

JERRY REID, 51, OF HOLLIS, QUEENS, A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE CARNARSIES SAID, "A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK WE ARE EXTINCT, BUT WE HAVE MANY DESCENDANTS THAT ARE STILL LEFT."

WE (THE MOHEGAN TRIBE) SHOULD TRY AND HELP TRIBES LIKE THE MATINECOCKS AND CARNARSIES PROTECT WHAT HAD BELONGED TO THEM. IT COULD HAVE BEEN US INSTEAD OF THEM. WHAT DO YOU THINK?