Latest news with #Native-American
New York Post
09-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
You're saying these Long Island towns wrong — even the ones you think you know: ‘Butchered'
This will have you spit out your 'cawffee.' It's a dead giveaway that someone isn't from Long Island if they bungle how to pronounce local communities – but it turns out even 516 and 631 lifers are doing it wrong. Teams like the New York Islanders and Long Island Ducks even post videos of out-of-town players brutally mincing Wantagh, Patchogue and other Native-American names. Advertisement 6 The New York Islanders and Long Island Ducks post videos of out-of-town players brutally mincing Wantagh, Patchogue and other Native-American names. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post But you may not have to venture far to find folks messing up Massapequa and Ronkonkoma, which have been anglicized over the past few centuries. Their real pronunciations sound unrecognizable to the modern ear, according to former longtime Unkechaug Nation Chief Harry Wallace, an expert in Algonquian. 'Our language wasn't written in the sense of being translated into English or French — the sound is what they're trying to copy,' Wallace, based on on the island, told The Post. Advertisement He compared how Algonquian is the root base of many different Native American languages, some of which were spoken on Long Island, much like the Romance languages, such as French, Spanish, and Italian, all of which stem from Latin. However, during colonial times, much was lost in translation because the European settlers 'didn't know how to spell,' especially with hard consonants like the letter 'H,' which are vital to the Algonquian language, he added. From there, readers would only see, but not hear, the real pronunciation. Ultimately, it turned into a telephone game that has been ongoing for a few hundred years. Advertisement Wallace recognizes that there's no one official way to sound out some towns, such as Wantagh, which islanders say as 'wan-tah.' And the local way of saying Patchogue as 'patch-hog' is pretty close to its origin, he said. These, however, are some Native American-named local towns that even the most bona fide residents are getting wrong, according to Wallace. Copiague 6 Algonquian is the root base of many different Native American languages, some of which were spoken on Long Island. Copiague Chamber of Commerce / Facebook Advertisement Townsfolk and the recorded voice on the Long Island Railroad alike sound out this Suffolk community as 'co-peg,' but really it should be pronounced closer to 'co-pi-ah-e' with a short 'I' and long 'E,' he explained. '[Europeans] would elongate the A when they read it…and that's all they would hear after,' Wallace added of what translates loosely to grove or forest. Massapequa 6 As with other Algonquin hard consonants, the real sound is 'Mass-a-peek' without the open vowels at the end. Massapequa Park / Facebook The town that has caught the eye of President Trump over as it fights to keep its Chiefs team logo in the face of a state ban on Native American mascots isn't straightforwardly pronounced 'Mass-a-pequa,' said Wallace, who opposes the school using the name. As with other Algonquin hard consonants, the real sound is 'Mass-a-peek' without the open vowels at the end, he added, explaining that it means place of great water. Cutchogue 6 While it's spoken today as 'cutch-hog,' Wallace said the real way is 'cutch-e-hoki,' spelled as 'kecheahki.' Alamy Stock Photo Unlike Patchogue, residents aren't remotely close to getting the pronunciation of the quiet North Fork escape spot on. While it's spoken today as 'cutch-hog,' Wallace said the real way is 'cutch-e-hoki,' spelled as 'kecheahki.' Advertisement In the same vein as Massapequa, it translates to mean great place. Setauket 6 Wallace says it as 'Se-tau-ah-ki' and added its definition is place of streams, something the north shore enclave by the Long Island Sound is known for. Alamy Stock Photo Similar to Cutchogue, Setauket, spoken like Secaucus in New Jersey, is a world apart from its perceived pronunciation. Wallace says it as 'Se-tau-ah-ki' and added its definition is place of streams, something the north shore enclave by the Long Island Sound is known for. Ronkonkoma Advertisement 6 Its prototypical 'Ron-cahnk-ama' pronunciation — which Neil Patrick Harris projected on the LIRR 2 a.m. drunk train in a sitcom — should be 'Ronkon-koman.' James Messerschmidt That's right, Long Island's showstopper that's been a punchline on 'How I Met Your Mother' and an Artie Lange monologue on an insufferable Yankees fan 'has been butchered,' Wallace said. Its prototypical 'Ron-cahnk-ama' pronunciation — which Neil Patrick Harris projected on the LIRR 2 a.m. drunk train in the sitcom — should be 'Ronkon-koman,' he explained. Advertisement The town name derives from its kettle lake, formed by the glacier that carved North America, which was sacred to its native population. One translation for Ronkonkoma is 'deep cavern place' in reference to the lake, which is tied to urban legends of hauntings and drownings attributed to a Native American-related curse — a story Wallace has explicitly called bunk on.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump Is Pleased Because He Finally Agrees With Elizabeth Warren On Something: Scrap The Debt Limit To Prevent An 'Economic Catastrophe'
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. President Donald Trump endorsed abolishing the federal debt limit, unexpectedly siding with long-time critic Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) as Congress races to keep the government from hitting its $37 trillion borrowing cap. What Happened: Trump on Wednesday urged Congress to "entirely scrap" the nation's debt limit, echoing a call Warren issued last week. The president said, in a Truth Social post, that leaving the cap in place hands "economic catastrophe" to politicians who weaponize every vote. Warren posted a similar message on May 30, warning that failure to act would "prevent an economic catastrophe." Trending: Start investing with eToro's CopyTrader — . Screenshot From President Donald Trump's Truth Social Account Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has told lawmakers the government could exhaust its borrowing authority by August, intensifying a partisan clash over Trump's 1,100-page tax-and-spending plan, which already includes a debt-limit increase. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that package would swell federal deficits by $2.4 trillion over 10 years — a projection Warren blasted even as she embraced Trump's call to kill the It Matters: The unusual alignment between Trump and Warren follows years of barbs — Trump once mocked Warren as "Pocahontas" over her Native-American ancestry claims. At the same time, Warren has labeled his economic agenda "textbook corruption." Their latest spat flared again on Tuesday when Warren warned Trump that his 'One Big Beautiful Bill' could fuel rising rents and violate Senate procedural rules. While Trump and Warren now agree on abolishing the limit, they diverge on his broader package. Warren argues it favors the wealthy and piles on debt, citing CBO data. On the other hand, Trump insists the measure delivers growth via tax relief, spending trims, and border security funding. House and Senate leaders must decide whether to keep the limit-scrapping provision in Trump's omnibus bill or stage a separate vote. A failure to strike a deal before August would force the Treasury to deploy "extraordinary measures" — an expensive stop-gap both parties say they want to avoid. Read next: Nancy Pelosi Invested $5 Million In An AI Company Last Year — Here's How You Can Invest In Multiple Pre-IPO AI Startups With Just $1,000. Invest Where It Hurts — And Help Millions Heal: Invest in Cytonics and help disrupt a $390B Big Pharma stronghold. Photo courtesy: / This article Trump Is Pleased Because He Finally Agrees With Elizabeth Warren On Something: Scrap The Debt Limit To Prevent An 'Economic Catastrophe' originally appeared on
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Republicans roast Democrats in trying to ban ‘Chiefs,' Native-American mascots in NY schools
Republicans are planning to attack their Democratic opponents over New York's effort to force Massapequa to drop its Chiefs mascot as part of a ban on Native-American imagery in school logos. The GOP sees the mascot controversy as another example of Democratic-run Albany pushing fringe issues, and wants them to pay a political price for it. 'We have a lot of chiefs in volunteer fire departments in New York,' said John McLaughlin, a pollster for New York Republicans and President President Trump — also known as the commander-in-chief. 'Hochul and the Democrats should focus on improving reading and math and not indoctrinating our students,' he said. McLaughlin noted that Hochul is already unpopular on Long Island — she has a 55% unfavorable rating in the New York suburbs compared to 36% favorable in a recent Siena College poll. She is up for reelection next year. The comments come after US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Massapequa on Friday and threatened to bring a civil rights case against the Empire State for forcing the high school to ditch its mascot. The event was coordinated by Nassau County Executive and Trump pal Bruce Blakeman, who is up for re-election this fall. 'Denigrating whole communities like Massapequa and Wantagh is not a good look for Governor Hochul, who seems hell bent on making as many enemies as she can on Long Island,' Blakeman, who also is also eying a run for governor next year, told The Post Sunday. Blakeman's Democratic opponent for county executive, Seth Koslow said, 'School pride matters, but it's hard to believe this is the top concern of the federal government right now.' The New York Board of Regents' and state Education ordered schools to ban Native American mascots back in 2023. The members of the education policy-making board are appointed by the Democratic-controlled state legislature. The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee is using the controversy to tar Democratic incumbents up for re-election next year on Long Island and elsewhere, including Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen. 'It's another day that ends in 'y,' so obviously Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen's Democrat Party is more concerned with demonizing a high school mascot than lowering taxes and costs for Long Island families,' said NRCC spokeswoman Maurenn O'Toole. 'Democrats are completely missing the plot, and voters will hold Suozzi and Gillen accountable for their utterly foolish, destructive, and out of touch agenda next fall.' But Suozzi told The Post Sunday, 'I support the Massapequa Chiefs.' Suozzi said Republicans are engaging in cheap politics to change the subject. 'This is nonsense, and just another distraction from national Republicans. Congressman Suozzi supports the Massapequa Chiefs, but not the petty partisan politics that people can't stand,' said Suozzi senior campaign adviser Kim Devlin. 'National Republicans should spend their time reducing prices, negotiating a bipartisan fix on immigration, lowering their own proposed record-breaking deficits, and protecting people's healthcare—not cutting it. Congressman Suozzi has always stood with our communities, and no amount of desperate distortion will change that.' State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs, a close ally of Hochul who also is the Nassau County Democratic leader, said Trump and the GOP are trying to deflect from their unpopular policies in DC by focusing on mascots. 'This is a Republican distraction. The Democrats have not made this an issue,' Jacobs insisted. 'The Republicans are trying to distract from all the damage they're doing in Washington. They want to talk about mascots instead of tariffs, cuts to Medicaid, SNAP benefits and education programs,' Jacobs said. 'This is what Republicans do every election — they try to scare and anger people.' Hochul, through a rep, sought to distance herself from the mascot controversy. 'The decision being discussed was made by the independent State Education Department, which is not under our Administration's jurisdiction,' said Hochul spokesman Gordon Tepper. 'While Secretary McMahon focuses on WWE-style distractions, Governor Hochul is focused on what matters: fully funding Long Island's public schools and making sure every kid gets a high-quality education.' Last year, Trump and the GOP successfully slammed Democrats for supporting the unpopular policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete against biological females in sports. Republicans said they are pleasantly surprised — even baffled — at state officials going after local school districts on Long Island, of all places. Numerous Long Island towns have native American names — honoring tribal history — Massapequa, Wyandanch, Manhasset, Mineola, Quogue, Amagansett, Patchogue, Hauppauge, Patchogue, among others.
New York Post
02-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Republicans roast Democrats in trying to ban ‘Chiefs,' Native-American mascots in NY schools
Republicans are planning to attack their Democratic opponents over New York's effort to force Massapequa to drop its Chiefs mascot as part of a ban on Native-American imagery in school logos. The GOP sees the mascot controversy as another example of Democratic-run Albany pushing fringe issues, and wants them to pay a political price for it. 'We have a lot of chiefs in volunteer fire departments in New York,' said John McLaughlin, a pollster for New York Republicans and President President Trump — also known as the commander-in-chief. 5 New York Republicans are planning to bash state Democrats over the controversy surrounding Massapequa High School being pressured to change its Chiefs mascot. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'Hochul and the Democrats should focus on improving reading and math and not indoctrinating our students,' he said. McLaughlin noted that Hochul is already unpopular on Long Island — she has a 55% unfavorable rating in the New York suburbs compared to 36% favorable in a recent Siena College poll. She is up for reelection next year. The comments come after US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Massapequa on Friday and threatened to bring a civil rights case against the Empire State for forcing the high school to ditch its mascot. The event was coordinated by Nassau County Executive and Trump pal Bruce Blakeman, who is up for re-election this fall. 'Denigrating whole communities like Massapequa and Wantagh is not a good look for Governor Hochul, who seems hell bent on making as many enemies as she can on Long Island,' Blakeman, who also is also eying a run for governor next year, told The Post Sunday. 5 Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman holding up 'Chief Nation' shirts at a press conference at Massapequa High School on May 30, 2025. Courtesy of Nassau County Executive Blakeman's Democratic opponent for county executive, Seth Koslow said, 'School pride matters, but it's hard to believe this is the top concern of the federal government right now.' The New York Board of Regents' and state Education ordered schools to ban Native American mascots back in 2023. The members of the education policy-making board are appointed by the Democratic-controlled state legislature. The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee is using the controversy to tar Democratic incumbents up for re-election next year on Long Island and elsewhere, including Reps. Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen. 5 Blakeman accused Gov. Hochul of 'denigrating whole communities' in Long Island by forcing schools to abandon their mascots. Stephen Yang 'It's another day that ends in 'y,' so obviously Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen's Democrat Party is more concerned with demonizing a high school mascot than lowering taxes and costs for Long Island families,' said NRCC spokeswoman Maurenn O'Toole. 'Democrats are completely missing the plot, and voters will hold Suozzi and Gillen accountable for their utterly foolish, destructive, and out of touch agenda next fall.' But Suozzi told The Post Sunday, 'I support the Massapequa Chiefs.' 5 A Chiefs mural seen at Massapequa High School. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Suozzi said Republicans are engaging in cheap politics to change the subject. 'This is nonsense, and just another distraction from national Republicans. Congressman Suozzi supports the Massapequa Chiefs, but not the petty partisan politics that people can't stand,' said Suozzi senior campaign adviser Kim Devlin. 'National Republicans should spend their time reducing prices, negotiating a bipartisan fix on immigration, lowering their own proposed record-breaking deficits, and protecting people's healthcare—not cutting it. Congressman Suozzi has always stood with our communities, and no amount of desperate distortion will change that.' State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs, a close ally of Hochul who also is the Nassau County Democratic leader, said Trump and the GOP are trying to deflect from their unpopular policies in DC by focusing on mascots. 'This is a Republican distraction. The Democrats have not made this an issue,' Jacobs insisted. 'The Republicans are trying to distract from all the damage they're doing in Washington. They want to talk about mascots instead of tariffs, cuts to Medicaid, SNAP benefits and education programs,' Jacobs said. 'This is what Republicans do every election — they try to scare and anger people.' Hochul, through a rep, sought to distance herself from the mascot controversy. 5 A Massapequa Chiefs scoreboard at the high school's baseball field. AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File 'The decision being discussed was made by the independent State Education Department, which is not under our Administration's jurisdiction,' said Hochul spokesman Gordon Tepper. 'While Secretary McMahon focuses on WWE-style distractions, Governor Hochul is focused on what matters: fully funding Long Island's public schools and making sure every kid gets a high-quality education.' Last year, Trump and the GOP successfully slammed Democrats for supporting the unpopular policy of allowing transgender athletes to compete against biological females in sports. Republicans said they are pleasantly surprised — even baffled — at state officials going after local school districts on Long Island, of all places. Numerous Long Island towns have native American names — honoring tribal history — Massapequa, Wyandanch, Manhasset, Mineola, Quogue, Amagansett, Patchogue, Hauppauge, Patchogue, among others.
