Setauket embraces its Native American history with Corn Festival Powwow
By Serena Carpino
The Setalcott Nation held its annual Corn Festival Powwow on the grounds of the Setauket Elementary School on July 13 and 14.
After a rainy start Saturday morning, the two-day event included storytelling as well as performances from indigenous dancers and drummers. In addition, eventgoers heard speeches from Setalcott Nation chairwoman Helen Sells and tribal members Chiitra Wells and Monique Fitzgerald.
According to Sells, a graduate of Setauket Elementary School, the powwow is a celebration of Setalcott history.
“We started this 18 years ago and decided that we would try to keep this going because of the history,” she said. “Because history, if you don’t keep it going, gets lost.”
The tribe has successfully kept the tradition alive, with most of the vendors at the event having participated for the last 18 years.
This celebration has brought some Setalcott members back to their roots, while it has allowed others to connect to their roots in a way they have never done before.
Robin Murdock, a retired Army veteran of 22 years, came back to his former community for the first time in 30 years to attend the event. Although this was his first time present, Murdock explained that the tradition “signifies how we come back together and show community. It’s important for how we pass on the culture, and let people know that we are still here. It’s a time for the kids to see what their ancestors have done and to hopefully carry that on.”
Sells explained that the original deed to transfer ownership by the Setalcott tribe of their land — that became the future Town of Brookhaven — to the British was signed on April 14, 1655.
The land on which American Legion Irving Hart Post 1766 stands, located on Christian Avenue in Setauket, was given to the American Legion by Sells’ grandmother, who wanted to honor her brother, a veteran of both world wars.
“That’s why it’s called Irving Hart American Legion,” Sells, whose full name is Helen “Hart of the Morning Star” Sells, explained.
Setalcott Nation’s close community and familial ties also reflect the tribe’s core beliefs.
“We value life and family,” Murdock said. “We cherish our history. We are people of courage, and we try to stand for the right things. Those are our [peoples’] values.”
