The racial background of members of the Shinnecock Nation has been an issue facing the tribe for more than a century, Newsday reports.

As an Eastern tribe, the Shinnecocks have a long history of contact with outsiders that dates to the 1600s. Tribal members have married into White and African-American families.

Some people have suggested the intermarriage means the Shinnecocks are no longer a legitimate tribe. But the overwhelming majority of tribal members strongly claim their Indian heritage.

The Shinnecock Nation is recognized by the state of New York and has a reservation on Long Island. A federal judge has declared them to be a legitimate tribe in the eyes of the law. But the tribe's petition for federal recognition is still pending at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Get the Story:
Doubts nothing new for tribe (Newsday 12/1)
For Shinnecocks, the "right time" (Newsday 11/30)

Court Decision:
New York v. Shinnecock Nation (November 7, 2005)

Only on Indianz.Com:
Federal Recognition Database V2.0 (May 2005)

Relevant Links:
Shinnecock Nation - http://www.shinnecocknation.com

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