The name Massapequa, meaning "large shallow pond," comes directly from the Lenape language. This region was part of the vast Algonquian civilization.
Deep History: Indigenous history on Long Island stretches back over 12,500 years, with the Lenape Confederacy emerging around 1000 BCE.
Trade Networks: Sophisticated trade existed, as shown by non-local tools discovered in Massapequa, indicating connections across the tri-state region before the arrival of Europeans.
Disruption: The established Lenape way of life began to change drastically with the arrival of Dutch settlers in the late 1630s from their initial landing place on Manahatta.