This very famous Shinnecock Indian was the wife of Wickham Cuffee. She was a member of the well known Shinnecock family formerly known as Killis, and now spelt as Kellis, by present day members of the family (1963). Elliot Kellis, a well known member of the tribe whom I talked to in 1944, informed me that the name Kellis came from the Shinnecock name Chillis. I think that he was misinformed since, these are descendants of early Scotch settlers in Southampton today bearing the name Kellis. It does not seem to be of Algonkian origin. Ellen Cuffee knew how to prepare all of the old tribal foods of former days such as Samp, clam chowder, corn bread and succotash. She was born in 1839 and died in 1916, one year after the death of her husband.