Opening from On This Site - Native Long Island

Yaphank, Weeks Pond Settlement

Yaphank, a village in Brookhaven town, was originally the name of the creek south of the hamlet. A land deed signed in 1664 by Unkechaug Sachem Tobacus mentions a river called Yamphanke. In the 17th century, the Unkechaug Indians, who had their primary residence in nearby Mastic, built temporary campsites near what was later known as Weeks Pond. Unkechaug families whose primary residences were in Mastic regularly maintained temporary campsites near Weeks Pond along the river identified as Yamphanke in a 1664 deed. Preserving the memory of these seasonal encampments illustrates how Indigenous communities actively moved across the landscape to harvest diverse inland and coastal resources. Yaphank, a village in Brookhaven town, was originally the name of the creek south of the hamlet. A land deed signed in 1664 by Unkechaug Sachem Tobacus mentions a river called...