Sunday, July 25, 2010

Federal judge limits delay on Shinnecock recognition

Reported and produced by Tony Ernst

On Wednesday, July 21 a federal judge set limits on a delay in Federal Recognition for Long Island's Shinnecock Indian Nation.

Judge Joseph Bianco gave the federal Department of Interior 10 days to write to him with a final date for approval of the federal recognition of the Shinnecock. Bianco says if the agency fails to do this he will set his own schedule for action to be taken by September 24th. Speaking outside the court house in Islip, Senior Shinnecock Trustee Lance Gumbs, says the delay is hurting the tribe:
“We have health care, education, all the essential elements that make up a community have now been delayed once again because of this frivolous claim. This group didn’t get formed until after our final decision came down and here we are now having to wait an additional 2 months...”
One of two groups that filed challenges to federal recognition of the tribe is the Connecticut Coalition for Gaming Jobs. That group, whose members are not named, claims that federal recognition of the Shinnecock will result in Connecticut's two Indian-run casinos losing money. They allege that the Bureau of Indian Affairs failed to acknowledge that casino developers were backing the Shinnecock and that this compromised the integrity of the tribal structure. Gumbs does not buy those arguments:
“They’re talking about preserving 27,000 jobs in Connecticut. They’re talking about Connecticut’s taxes. What about New York’s taxes? What about New York’s jobs? We had the ability to provide jobs here on Long Island. We had the ability to help out with the budget. Connecticut essentially threw us under the bus by saying ‘protect theirs, forget about New York’. ”
The Shinnecock filed for recognition in 1978 and again in 1998. In 2007 Judge Bianco had ruled that the BIA's delay was unreasonable. That ruling led to the BIA recognizing the Shinnecock in June. The judge says an open-ended BIA process for acting on the challenges constitutes another unreasonable delay.

For the radio broadcast, listen here.

This report was prepared for WPKN 89.5 Bridgeport and WEER 88.7 Montauk (East End Radio). Thanks to WPKN News Director and WSHU Connecticut Capitol Reporter Ebong Udoma.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Mark Ungar, farmer

Reported by Hazel Kahan
Produced by Tony Ernst

Mark Ungar is a man with vision and determination, who walks his talk and who truly believes in what he is doing.

He is a farmer who has created a model of farming designed to liberate people from dependence on others and to teach them how independence and sustainability are achievable—for them, in this lifetime!

His vision is that of an eco-system that is also an economic and educational system that includes volunteers, individual households, farmers, restaurants, farm stand owners, teaching them how to do everything from growing their own heirloom tomatoes from seed to building their own solar panels and processing their own biodiesel. He believes we can all begin to live an organic, sustainable life, right here and now.

Mark spoke to us from Manhattan but you can find him and learn from him in the fields of the East End’s Mattituck every weekend.

Listen here.


Broadcast on WEER 88.7 fm Montauk Saturday, July 3, 7.30 pm

Kevin McAllister, Baykeeper

Reported by Hazel Kahan
Produced by Tony Ernst

Peconic Baykeeper, an environmental advocate organization with offices in Quogue, has this week released a report that reveals the extent to which Suffolk County cesspools are putting the region’s waterways in peril by releasing dangerously high levels of nitrogen into the bays and rivers.

Listen here to Kevin McAllister, Baykeeper, talk about the report.


Broadcast on WEER 88.7 fm Montauk Saturday, July 3, 7.00 pm