Hochul Vetoes Montaukett Recognition Bill Again

Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill Dec. 22 that would have granted New York State recognition to the Montaukett Indian Nation — but tribal leaders say they will keep fighting for their members.

Although the governor’s veto message was vague, at issue in the bill, which has been vetoed seven times — four by Hochul and three by her predecessor, Gov. Andrew Cuomo — is whether the Montauketts will make a land claim, according to the tribe.

“I am constrained to veto this bill as the Montauketts have not yet demonstrated that they meet the requirements necessary for recognition,” Hochul wrote, but critics say that excuse was a smokescreen.

The Montauketts — who would be the third Native American tribe on Long Island to win state recognition and the first to do so in more than two centuries — said Hochul’s questions about “who we are” were already answered.

“The governor’s legislative and executive team introduced the issue of the land claim on Friday,” the day before the veto, Montaukette Chief Robert Pharaoh wrote. “The land claim issue was not part of any of our reinstatement bills, but it seems it’s the one thing keeping our nation from being reinstated.”

The Montauketts have been fighting for acknowledgement since the tribe lost a Suffolk County court ruling in which a judge stripped them of their land and erroneously declared the tribe extinct in a controversial 1910 ruling.

Retiring Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. (D-Sag Harbor), who has been pushing for Montaukett recognition for years, said, “The veto puts the governor on the wrong side of history again by failing to correct an injustice perpetrated more than a century ago steeped in racist stereotypes.”

He added: “Most disappointing is that it was the governor’s office that raised expectations for success this year only to have ‘Lucy’ Hochul pull away the football one more time with a disingenuous and baseless veto.”

Pharaoh said he and the tribe will try again in 2025.

“We are still here, and preparing for our 115th year since the racist ruling, and will continue our fight for our social justice, sovereignty, and equality,” he said.