New York State lawmakers have once again passed legislation that would grant state recognition to the Montaukett Indian Nation — a bill that has been vetoed six times by two governors.
Tribal leaders remain optimistic about their prospects of Gov. Kathy Hochul finally signing the bill into law, despite repeated setbacks. 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.
