Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Ketumpscut / Catumb Reef

Ketumpscut is a Fishers Island-area placename connected with Catumb Reef, now identified as Catumb Rocks in the reef complex east of Fishers Island. Catumb and Ketumpscut are cross-referenced names for the same rocky offshore place. Ketumpscut has been interpreted as meaning "at the great rock," with the form keht-ompsk-ut. The interpretation fits the rocky reef association but should still be read cautiously against J. Hammond Trumbull's original text. Why Place Names Matter “It is important for students to recognize that place names are cultural creations, both in terms of how they are determined and what the names themselves reveal.” — Montana Historical Society, Land of Many Stories (n.d.), Education guide, overview section Ketumpscut is a Fishers Island-area placename connected with Catumb Reef, now identified as Catumb Rocks in the reef complex east of Fishers...