Photos: ©Adelaide de Menil /Rock Foundation
CELEBRATING BONAC 2024
A special thank you to everyone who joined us for two CELEBRATING BONAC events this autumn, and especially to director and producer of The Bonackers documentary Joanne Friedland Roberts for making this collaboration possible. On September 15th the East Hampton Historical Farm Museum hosted “Speaking Bonac: Tales, Traditions and Wisdom”, which featured Dr. Nicholas Biniaz-Harris–a linguist and researcher who studies the distinct Bonac dialect, who introduced us to this unique way of speaking. Whether you come from “b’low the bridge,” “upstreet,” or “upisland” the audience had fun learning new Bonac expressions of the “finest kind.”
On October 6th “The Arts, Culture and Traditions of the Springs” took place as part of the annual Heart of Springs event at the Springs Historical Society & Community Library in East Hampton. Wisdom keepers, baymen and longtime locals shared stories, songs, and traditions, along with displays of centuries-old crafts including decoy carving, quilts, fishing techniques, whaling relics and wampum at this unique gathering celebrating the centuries-old Bonacker community of East Hampton.
Be sure to join us on Friday, December 20th at LTV Studios in Wainscott, New York for the debut of the film which highlights the ongoing survival story of the men and women whose families have, for almost 400 years, fished and farmed the land and seas of Long Island’s East End. Meet, on film and in person, these long-time locals as they share their sagas, struggles, traditions, and enduring wisdom. After the screening, join the “Celebrating Bonac” holiday gathering. Mix and mingle with our neighbors and listen to Dan Koontz perform his original song, Fireplace Road. More information can be found here.
CELEBRATING BONAC 2023
In October we had the pleasure of collaborating with Joanne Friedland Roberts–director and producer of The Bonackers documentary film project–for two wonderful programs held in East Hampton. The first, hosted by Duck Creek Arts, showcased the arts and traditions of our local Bonacker community–the men and women who have fished and farmed the lands and seas of Eastern Long Island for over four hundred years.
Guests explored the rich cultural arts passed down through generations, while discovering this community’s unique history and lifestyle. Indigenous artists, baymen and longtime locals shared tales, songs, stories and traditions, while featuring displays of centuries-old crafts, including historic artwork, decoy carving, fishing traps, nets, wampum jewelry and beads. In addition, participants learned about the important Indigenous origins of many of these art forms and techniques.
A traditional Native American blessing was performed by Shane Weeks of the Shinnecock Nation, sea shanties from the whaling days were sung to an enthusiastic crowd, and a beautiful reading from Peter Matthiessen's 1986 classic Men’s Lives was given by PMC Vice President Scott Chaskey. An engaging panel discussion hosted by Joanne helped to conclude the event. We are grateful to the many participating artists and baymen who made the afternoon one to remember including Dave Bennett, Albie Lester, Brent Bennett, Michael Butler, Arnold Leo, David Cataletto, Peter Van Scoyoc and others.
We hope you enjoy the recording of the event below!
THE BONACKERS
Peter Matthiessen wrote Men's Lives in 1986 as an elegy to East End fishermen and baymen, whose livelihoods were being threatened – and nearly wiped out –by government regulations pushed by a powerful lobby of self-interested recreational anglers, overdevelopment, and subsequent environmental pollution. In doing so, he also paid homage to the original inhabitants of Long Island: the Shinnecock and Montaukett Native people who welcomed the first settlers to the region they had called home for thousands of years.
Over the past few months, the PMC has been grateful to spend time learning more about the history of these unique communities through the guidance of several local historians as well as award-winning producer and filmmaker Joanne Friedland Roberts. Joanne’s upcoming documentary, The Bonackers, tells the evolving story of the descendants of these first settlers, who’ve fished and farmed the land and sea of the East End for the past three hundred and seventy-five years. The film will introduce viewers to these fiercely independent locals, who may well be the last of their kind.
As filmmaker (director and producer) Joanne Friedland Roberts recalls …
“When I moved to the Springs back in the early 80’s, I was captivated by the light reflecting off the water and the pull of the tides. Every morning I watched the Baymen chugging out of Accabonac Harbor, returning at the end of each day, their wooden boats filled to the brim with the seafood we’d buy for dinner. Their saltbox cottages, buoy filled yards, lack of pretense and down to earth lifestyle contrasted powerfully with the mansions, Mercedes and luxury drive lifestyle that surrounded us. I was drawn to their basic values and traditions and wanted to learn more about their history and culture.
A friend gave me Men’s Lives, written by Peter Matthiessen, and I imagined the words and photographs moving beyond the page via video. Over the years many of my Bonacker neighbors have become good friends and I’ve been recording their stories for a sixty-minute documentary about their escalating struggles on the East End. Their powerful commitment to holding onto their culture in spite of ever-increasing obstacles will come to life as one story leads to the next and family sagas unfold as we head onto their boats, bays and farms, and into their pick-up trucks, homes, and community gatherings.
The Bonackers will weave the stories of these longtime locals with wonderful historic footage from LTV's ‘hidden archive’ along with songs of the sea and photographs from private collections layered throughout. Our aim is bringing the Bonacker community to the forefront, sharing their knowledge, their culture and their traditions.”
To learn more about the “The Bonackers” documentary film project, please click here.