Small group of protesters near U.S. Open seeks to educate public about Shinnecock Nation

Josh Peter | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption U.S. Open: What to know about the course at Shinnecock Hills SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Steve DiMeglio dissects the historic course which last hosted the U.S. Open in 2004.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Shinnecock Nation sits less than two miles from the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, site of this year’s U.S. Open, and fans driving past the tribe’s reservation on their way to the tournament may see something unexpected.



East of the tribe’s cultural center and museum, and not far from a strand of smoke shops on Montauk Highway, a small group of protesters sits behind more than a dozen handmade signs with messages that include:



— “Human Remains Dug Up To Play Golf’’



— “We Don’t Play Golf On Your Cemetery’’



—“U.S.G.A. Playing Golf on Desecrated Graves of Shinnecock Indians’’



According to the protesters, Tiger Woods and his fellow golfers are walking across an ancestral burial ground this week during the tournament run by the United States Golf Association (USGA).



“And they don’t know,’’ Denise Silva-Dennis, one of the protesters, told USA TODAY Sports Thursday. “They don’t know because they’re here to play golf and win the tournament.’’



By contrast, Silva-Dennis said, she and the other protesters are here to educate people about the Shinnecock’s history and plight. But she wanted to make something clear — they are not trying to disrupt or stop the tournament, in part because the tribe benefits economically.



A retired teacher, Silva-Dennis said the curriculum in Southampton schools did not include the history of the Shinnecock Indians.



“It’s time to tell the story,’’ she said.

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It’s a complicated story, with varying viewpoints.



The Shinnecock reservation is home to about 500 people and the tribe has about 1,500 members, according to tribe spokeswoman Beverly Jensen. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club was built on land that once belonged to the Native Americans, and it has employed many Shinnecock over the years.



In addition to incorporating the tribe’s name into its own name, the club uses the image of an Indian wearing headdress as the logo for its merchandise.



“It’s a slap in the face, that’s what it is,’’ said D.J. Eleazer, 39, who said he was born and raised on the reservation. “People use our name and we don’t get a kickback from it.”



At the moment, Eleazer was helping direct traffic onto the reservation, where the Shinnecock are charging $50 a car for parking and set to make tens of thousands of dollars during the tournament. Also, Eleazer said his father has worked at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club for more than 20 years as a greenskeeper.



“It’s a touchy subject,’’ he said of the relationship between the tribe and the golf club.



Eugene Cuffee, a former trustee on the reservation, said some of the supposed critics are taking photos of the golfers this week at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.



“So they’re full of crap,’’ Cuffee said.



Standing outside the Shinnecock cultural center and museum, Rev. Mike Smith, who lives on the reservation, explained that his father worked as the head superintendent at the the golf club for about 30 years and his younger brother worked there for almost 20 years. Smith worked at the course, too.



“We all grew up on the golf course and we had good memories,’’ he said. “And then you grow up and learn some of the political dynamics, so there are mixed feelings.’’



Some of the most vehement opinions could be found among the group of protesters on Montauk Highway, where Silva-Dennis, the school teacher, handed out a flier that, in part, states, “16 Shinnecock graves were removed from where the Golf Club now sits. …Shinnecock ancestral remains were desecrated and deserve a final, undistrubed resting place.’’



She said her daughter is involved in litigation seeking redress for land “stolen’’ from the Shinnecock and helped organize the protests. But Silva-Dennis’ husband was elsewhere.



“He’s at the golf course,’’ she said, adding that the USGA provided tickets to Shinnecock people as a gesture of goodwill.



The USGA also has pledged to build a golf facility here in the name of Oscar Bunn, the first Native American professional golfer.

“It is our hope that this effort binds the community in a meaningful way, honoring the past while providing opportunity for future generations to connect with the game we all love,” Craig Annis, USGA head of communications, said in a statement this week.



The USGA recognized the Shinnecock during its opening ceremony and is expected to do so again during its closing ceremony.



“It’s a real complicated dynamic,’’ said Silva-Dennis. “Because we need economic development for resources on the reservation to fund the different programs we have. The golf club is a source of income.’’

But others at the protest said they would press for a return of the land, although no one was prepared to walk to the course on Thursday and demand it be returned now.



“I wish it was that simple,’’ said Jensen, the tribe spokesperson.



It seems nothing is simple about their story. The headdress has provoked controversy for its depiction of Native Americans, said Jensen, who stressed she has no objections to the logo.



“Why’s it offensive?’’ she asked. “I see nothing wrong with it. In fact, I think it’s nice that they put an Indian headdress on there.



“I mean, they took our land. At least they paid tribute to the Shinnecock.’’



A moment later, Jensen added, “We’ve been beaten over the head since 1640, when they (colonists) came with a plan to take our land. But are still here. No matter what, we are still here.’’



And there they were, the protesters along the highway. An occasional driver honked their horn as they passed the women and the signs with messages that also included:



— “Burials Desecrated for Golf Course Construction”



— “Steal Our Land, Use Our Name, Offer Us Crumbs”



— “No More Theft of Native Land’’



Jennifer E. Cuffee, one of the protesters, acknowledged the words on the posters were jarring.



“All we’re trying to do is tell the truth,’’ she said. “And unfortunately the truth hurts.’’