In our ongoing Women of Algae series, we visit with Shinnecock Tribal member Tela Troge, who is not only an attorney for the Tribe, she’s also a member of the newly formed Shinnecock Kelp Farmers’ Coop, on Shinnecock territory in New York’s upscale Hamptons. An estimated 1,500 Shinnecock members are left in the U.S., and about half live on the Nation’s territory on Long Island.
In this interview Tela describes the historical importance of kelp and a healthy coastline, critical to the Shinnecock’s ancient culture; how it was nearly destroyed, and the steps being taken by six women to rebuild and regenerate kelp farming and the ocean seaweed-based community.
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