8:30 PM EST
Cost: Free
Event Description:
Join us on Thursday, September 21st, for our 3rd program in WWBA 2023 Series: Legacy of Long Island’s First Peoples, Long Island Native Americans’ Boarding School Experience featuring Marguerite Smith, Esq.
The Indian Boarding School Movement began with the missionary and charity Indian schools in in the New England region in the early 1700s. Montaukett youth like, David, George, and Jacob Fowler experienced being educated by missionaries during the beginning years of the Great Awakening. By 1819, the U. S. Government got involved and operated 408 Native American Boarding Schools.
These schools were ostensibly created to help “educate” Indian children; however, according to a government report released in 1969, it was a deceptive attempt, “to separate a child from his reservation and family, strip him of his tribal lore and mores, force the complete abandonment of his native language, and prepare him for never again returning to his people.” Moreover, the abuse of these children was so egregious, it is estimated that as many as 40,000 children died in these institutions. Despite the enormity of these crimes, most people know very little about either the missionary, charity, or the U. S. Government operated schools.
Marguerite Smith, Esq., a respected attorney and advocate for health and justice, will introduce you to the experiences of Shinnecock Nation members, who attended boarding schools in the 1900s. Smith has been a member of the Board of Directors of the First Nations Development Institute, since the mid-1980s and serves as one of its representatives on the Board of First Nations Oweesta Corporation. She is an enrolled Shinnecock, and she maintains her residence on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation. Smith has been instrumental in advancing Native rights, economic development, cultural preservation and health promotions of her Native Nation and others.
This is a FREE event.
Marguerite Smith, Esq. is an enrolled Shinnecock, and an attorney, educator, dispute resolution professional (consulting on policies and procedures and serving as a mediator and arbitrator in various types of community, family and workplace disputes), and an advocate for health and justice, especially in the areas of racial/ethnic and gender bias prevention and intervention, and economic and environmental justice. Marguerite maintains her residence on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation on Eastern Long Island, New York, and has been instrumental in advancing various Native rights, economic development, cultural preservation and health promotion efforts of her Native Nation and others. She maintains a law practice based in Suffolk County.
She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the First Nations Development Institute since the mid-1980’s and serves as one of its representatives on the Board of First Nations Oweesta Corporation. In addition to work on tribal recognition and resource rights, and supporting health care and Indian family wellness (including ICWA administration and Family Violence controls) and economic development on her reservation, she is active also in other community groups on and off reservation, including SAMP (the Shinnecock Substance Abuse Mobilization Project), Self-Development of People (a grant-making activity of the Long Island Presbytery), the South Fork Community Health Initiative, and is, in 2006, President of the Board of Directors for her county’s cooperative extension service, the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Association of Suffolk County. She tries to save time to be a good daughter, sister, wife, “stepmom and grandma”, and to many, “auntie”!
Zoom Information:
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Meeting ID: 858 6637 3768
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Meeting ID: 858 6637 3768
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This event is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by The Huntington Arts Council, Inc.
