
Shinnecock, People of the Stony Shore Photo Project attempts to reinforce our connection to the land and aims to present ourselves in a web-based portraiture platform.
The Shinnecock Portrait Project is made possible with Special thanks to MDOC Storyteller’s Institute hosted at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, in June 2018.
Collection: Patchogue-Medford Library DIGITAL PML
Date:
Type of Material: Photograph
Source: https://digitalpml.pmlib.org/search.php?search=item&item=370&page=001
Language: English
Coverage/Location: Unknown
Creator: Red Thunder Cloud [Cromwell Ashbie Hawkins West]
Copyright: No Known Copyright Restriction
Description:
The caption reads:
“This well known Indian was the wife of Wickham Cuffee. She was a member of the well known Shinnecock family formerly known as Kellis and formerly spelled Killiss by the older Shinnecocks.
Elliot Kellis, a well known member of the tribe whom I talked to in 1944 informed me that the name Kellis came from the Shinnecock name of Chillis. This is possible but would have to be verified by an Algonkian linguist since the name Kelliss is a family one else among decendents of the early Scotch settlers of Southampton.
Ellen Cuffee knew how to prepare all of the Shinnecock foods of former days such as Samp, clam chowder, corn bread and succotash. She died in 1916 one year after the death of her husband Wickham. She was born in 1839.”