The tri-state area was originally home to the Lenape Nation, which stretched across New York City, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, and extended into regions of Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
The Ramapough Lenape people have been pushed into lands that are unlivable. The three clans, Turtle, Deer, and Wolf clans, now live within a seven-mile radius around the Ramapough Pass within Rockland County, New York, and Bergen County, New Jersey. Their water and soil are contaminated with heavy metals. Ramapough natives have brought this to the local governments, and they are failing to listen. The New York University Grossman School of Medicine has continued to collaborate with the Lenape community over the past twelve years to support their flourishing.
“When they listen, when they hear us, they need to put aside their feelings,” said Patricia Osterhoudt (Deer Clan) about the local lawmakers.
The Ramapough Nation has been denied federal recognition twice, despite being recognized by the state of New Jersey. This has made it increasingly difficult for them to negotiate with the local and federal governments. Their soil is contaminated with lead and mercury. Lead was not regulated in the United States until the 1960s and 1970s. The use of lead paint in car production wasn’t regulated until the end of the 1970s. Chief Mann (Turtle Clan) had a legal dispute with Ford Motor Co. in 2009 due to decades of toxic metals and waste being dumped near their homes. This resulted in a $10 million settlement for approximately 600 people from Upper Ringwood, many of whom were members of the Ramapough Lenape Nation. Despite the settlements, they continue to live in unsafe conditions.
Upper Ringwood, New Jersey, is facing the same chronic health issues due to its proximity to the Superfund site. Even when people leave Ramapough country, they are…
