Shinnecock Tribal Liaison

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County has had a long-standing and supportive relationship with the Shinnecock Indian Nation. This work began more than 40 years ago working with their shellfish hatchery and continues to this day with programs focused on nutrition, education, agricultural practices, shellfish aquaculture and natural resource management. The CCE Marine Program, in particular, has strong ties to the Tribe through ongoing projects relating to shellfish restoration, coastal planning and coastal habitat restoration.

In an effort to further foster and support this partnership, CCE Suffolk is looking to launch a new program for summer 2025. This program will ensure that the Tribe can continue the important work they want to accomplish and that CCE is there to assist, as needed. To kick off the program, CCE Suffolk is seeking to engage one summer intern this year.

Roles and responsibilities

The CCE summer intern will take part in tasks which include but not be limited to:

• Coordinating directly with the Shinnecock Environmental Director to help manage ongoing projects including field work and written initiatives.
• Developing new planning, tracking, accountability, and reporting tools to allow for better management of existing programs.
• Identification of additional funding opportunities to support the natural resource management and restoration goals of the Tribe.
• Generally supporting the CCE Marien Program Director in addressing Tribal needs including identifying and organizing specific site visits.
• Developing concept plans for new initiatives under the direction of the Shinnecock Environmental
• Director with the assistance of CCE Suffolk staff.
• Assisting with community engagement for various projects within the Tribe.

The Summer Intern will be supported by the CCE Marine Program Director and Associate Director. They will guide the intern and help them determine how best to address Tribal needs in the most efficient way possible such that they can accomplish the goals identified above.

Qualifications and previous coursework

• The intern would be expected to work on the reservation two days a week (preferably Tuesdays and Thursdays to avoid traffic for commute)
• The intern would be expected to work offsite (Riverhead or Southold) the remaining days of the week

Learning outcomes

The summer intern will interact with the greater Marine Program staff involved with shellfish aquaculture, habitat restoration, youth education, water quality monitoring, citizen science, storm water management, commercial fishing and groundwater management to understand how these programs might assist the Tribe in the future.