Kinship in Language

Sewanhaky is a linguistically rich and diverse landscape that can be understood through the relatedness between Indigenous languages and dialects. Indigenous peoples, including Matinecock, living closer to the Muh-he-con-neuk (Hudson River) spoke dialects related to Munsee speaking Lenape peoples; those living on the eastern half of the island, closer to the Atlantic Ocean, spoke dialects related to Mohegan-Pequot, Abenaki, and other Eastern Algonquian languages.

In 1791, Thomas Jefferson visited Poospatuck, an Unkechaug community and recorded a vocabulary list. Since 2009, efforts have been underway to revitalize Shinnecock and Unkechaug languages. Connections between Shinnecock and Unkechaug communities, and Anishinaabe communities in the Great Lakes region, reflect a shared history as Algonquian speaking peoples.