Chief Harry Wallace of the Unkechaug

Introduction

Harry Wallace is the Chief of the Unkechaug nation on Poospatuck land in Mastic, New York.

History

1994

On an April 5th, 1994 tribal election monitored by Suffolk County officials, Harry Wallace was elected as tribal Chief and a Tribal Council was formed. The council consisted of seven members: the Chief, three trustees, a record keeper, a secretary, and a wampum keeper.¹

After his election win, Chief Wallace led many civic action projects including a cemetery cleanup, road repairs, powwow ground cleaning, and assisted tribal members with home repairs.²

After the elections of 1994, Chief Wallace encouraged more formal tribal gatherings on the powwow grounds on the Poospatuck reservation and invited dance and drum groups from other tribes to participate. The gatherings were limited to tribal members and their invited guests.³

Since the 1990s, Chief Harry Wallace has been instrumental in reaffirming traditional culture for Unkechaug and has led a campaign to reclaim tribal lands, along with improving the Poospatuck reservation facilities.

2017

Chief Wallace has also helped establish annual Algonquian Revitalization classes in partnership with Tina Tarrant of Shinnecock, Stephanie Fielding of Mohegan, and Stony Brook University in New York.

1. John Strong, We Are Still Here, pp 74[↩]
2. John Strong, We Are Still Here, pp 75[↩]
3. John Strong, We Are Still Here, pp 35[↩]