The Canarsie Indians, also known as the Canarsee, are a Native American people who historically inhabited what is now the New York City borough of Brooklyn and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. They were closely related to the Lenape people and shared many of their cultural practices and traditions. The Canarsie were a semi-nomadic people, living in villages along the coast during the summer and moving to inland hunting grounds during the winter.
Early History
The Canarsie were first encountered by Europeans in the 16th century when Dutch explorer Henry Hudson sailed into New York Harbor. At the time, the Canarsie were living in a village called Nyack or Manhatta on the island of Manhattan. Hudson's arrival marked the beginning of a long period of conflict between the Canarsie and the Dutch settlers who followed him.
The Dutch settlers quickly took over much of the Canarsie land and began to build their own settlements. The Canarsie resisted the Dutch encroachment but were eventually defeated. They signed a treaty in 1645 that gave the Dutch all of their land in Brooklyn and Queens. The Canarsie were forced to move to a new village on Staten Island.
Life on Staten Island
The Canarsie lived on Staten Island for several decades but found it difficult to adapt to their new environment. They missed the fishing and hunting grounds of Brooklyn and Queens and suffered from the cold weather and harsh living conditions. In the 1680s, a group of Canarsie decided to move back to their homeland.
Return to Brooklyn
The Canarsie returned to Brooklyn in the 1680s and established a new village called Caanarsie in what is now the East New York neighborhood. They lived there for several generations, raising crops, fishing, and hunting. However, the population of the Canarsie continued to decline and they eventually lost their land to the growing city of Brooklyn.
Present-Day Canarsie
The Canarsie people are now extinct, but their legacy lives on in the name of the Canarsie neighborhood in Brooklyn. There are also several organizations that work to preserve and promote Canarsie culture and heritage.