“Before there were towns, there were Nations — thirteen voices that still echo across Long Island.”

Before there was Long Island, there was Paumanok — The Land of Tribute.
Before there were towns, there were thirteen Nations — each with its own territory, leadership, and language, all connected by water, trade, and respect.

From the Unkechaug in Mastic to the Montaukett on the far East End, Native people lived across this island in harmony with its tides, forests, and seasons.
Each Nation had its own story, but together, they formed a network — a living community that spanned the entire length of Long Island.

These are the Thirteen Algonquian Nations of Paumanok:
Unkechaug, Shinnecock, Montaukett, Matinecock, Setalcott, Nissequogue, Massapequa, Rockaway, Merrick, Secatogue, Corchaug, Manhasset, and Patchogue.

Each name carries meaning and identity — rooted in geography, ecology, and spirituality.
They weren’t “tribes” in the modern sense, but Nations — connected by kinship and communication.
The waterways were their roads; the forests were their resources. Trade routes and alliances created balance and peace across the island.

At the center of these relationships were two guiding principles: respect and responsibility.
Respect for the earth, and responsibility to the people.
Each Nation knew that the land wasn’t something to own — it was something to honor.

Even after colonization fractured these communities, their descendants continue to live, work, and lead here. The Unkechaug and Shinnecock Nations remain federally and state-recognized, carrying forward a heritage that belongs to all of Long Island.

So when you drive from Mastic to Montauk, from Rockaway to Ronkonkoma, you’re traveling across thirteen Nations — one land, one legacy.

How You Say It