Indigenous Art and Life on the Eastern Edge of Long Island

On Oct. 29, at the East End of Long Island, where on one side of Shinnecock Bay trees rise like mountains and on the other, empty multimillion-dollar beach houses stretch along the shore, a bald eagle flies through the gray sky, moving as it has for centuries.

Shane Weeks, also known by his traditional name Bizhiki Nibauit, a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, watches it from the sandy shore. "Whenever we see an eagle," he said, shaking tobacco onto his hands, "we put tobacco down. We thank that eagle for what it did  -  for helping us, and for reminding us that we still remember."

The Shinnecock and Unkechaug Indian Nations artists are using art, including dance, photography, craft, and language, to teach others, to hold onto their culture, and to make their presence known.