Ramapough Mountain Indians
Ramapough Lunaape Nation Inc. | |
| Named after | Ramapo Mountains, Lenape people |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1980, incorporated |
| Type | nonprofit, state-recognized tribe |
| EIN 22-2226221 | |
| Purpose | Ethnic/Immigrant Services (P84) |
| Location |
|
| Membership | 5,000 (1992) |
Official language | English |
Executive Director | Vince Morgan |
Key people | Dwaine Perry, President |
| Revenue | $300,350 (2022) |
| Expenses | $110,633 (2022) |
| Staff | 0 |
| Website | ramapomunsee |
The Ramapough Mountain Indians (also spelled Ramapo), known also as the Ramapough Lenape Nation or Ramapough Lunaape Munsee Delaware Nation or Ramapo Mountain people, are a New Jersey state-recognized tribe based in Mahwah. They have approximately 5,000 members living in and around the Ramapo Mountains of Bergen and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey and Rockland County in southern New York, about 25 miles (40 km) from New York City.
They were recognized in 1980 by the state of New Jersey as the Ramapough Lenape Nation but are not recognized federally or recognized by the state of New York. Since January 2007, the chief of the Ramapough Lenape Nation has been Dwaine Perry.
The Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation claim a line of descent from the Lenape, whose regional bands included the Hackensack, Tappan, Rumachenanck/Haverstroo, Munsee/Minisink and Ramapo people, while absorbing people with varying degrees of Tuscarora, African, and Dutch and other European ancestry. The Lenape language in this area was Munsee, an Algonquian dialect. The Tuscarora spoke an Iroquoian language. After relations with European colonists began, ancestors of the Ramapough Lenape Indian Nation also spoke Jersey Dutch and English. Presently they speak English. The Ramapough are working to restore the Munsee language among their members.