Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Duke’s Laws Marker: Native Rights and Colonial Power

A roadside marker in Hempstead opens a discussion of colonial control over Native land, trade, and religious practice. A roadside sign can celebrate the founding of government while leaving its consequences unstated. Reading the law beside the marker brings Native land rights, religious freedom, and colonial power into the same public history. At Hempstead in 1665, English colonial law reached into Native landholding, trade, and ceremonial life. The Duke’s Laws required the governor’s approval for land purchases from Native owners, restricted trade, and prohibited Native ceremonial worship in colonial towns. This 1939 marker recalls the convention where that code was introduced. 1 Governor Richard Nicolls convened the meeting on March 1, 1665 . The sign’s “1664/5” reflects the older way of numbering years. Read the convention history and the law’s provisions concerning Native people . 2...