Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Manantic / Menantic Creek

Manantic names a neck and creek in the western part of Shelter Island. The same source notes that Shelter Island people pronounced and spelled the name locally as Menantic. Manantic was a traditional local name found on Shelter Island source materials and in local speech rather than as a deeply attested early legal form. Project context connects Menantic with western Shelter Island and remembered Manhanset geography, including associations with Poggatacut. The source rejects the idea that Manantic means a spruce or cedar swamp. Instead, Manantic is interpreted as island creek, explained through an element for island and a tidal-stream ending, because the creek has a small island at its outlet. Why Place Names Matter “The naming or renaming process provides a chance to recognise the local history, culture and identity of the area.” — City of Port Phillip, Road naming,...