Ramapough Visit Akwesasne, Share Environmental Battles

By Amberdawn Lafrance

In the fall of 2007, Chuck Stead, an educator with Cornell University and Ramapo College, came to Akwesasne to talk to the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's (SRMT) Environment Division Natural Resource Damages (NRD) Program. Mr. Stead brought with him the heart-wrenching story of the Ramapough Nation (a.k.a. Ramapough, Ramapo, Lunaape, Munsee, Delaware Nation) of the Ramapo Mountains on the border of New Jersey and New York. Mr. Stead is not a member of the Ramapough Tribe, but grew up in the Ramapough Mountains, trapping and eating the local animals. Members of the Ramapough Nation are suffering from environmental contamination of toxic paint sludge from the neighboring industrial facility, Ford Motor Company. Mr. Stead came to Akwesasne to gather information about the SRMT's NRD case against Alcoa and General Motors, and to hear our story of survival amid environmental contamination.

During this initial visit, the Environment Division shared as much information with Mr. Stead as possible, even taking him around the community to talk to individuals about their personal experiences with living next to an industrial landfill. It became painfully clear that these two Nations had similar experiences in their dealings with contamination, health effects, cultural losses, and the struggle to overcome these obstacles. On April 2nd, Mr. Stead came back to Akwesasne and brought with him a Chief of the Ramapough Nation, Chief Vincent Eagle Spirit Mann of the Turtle Clan, and his Administrator Charlene Defreese. This time, they came to tell their story of success, of how they've fought for their land and their health and are working with the Ford Motor Company to clean up the contamination.

Their visit began with special greetings at the Mohawk Nation Longhouse where they met with Mohawk Nation Chiefs, Clan mothers, and community members, and heard our Ohén:ton Karihwaté:kwen and drank fresh maple tree sap. Chief Mann introduced himself in his native language, which is Munsee and was given the opportunity to share his stories and personal experiences. He also asked that we help each other out as Nations to stay in contact and fight against industrial contamination to protect our mother earth. The rest of their visit included a stopover to the Akwesasne Mohawk Museum with a tour from Sue Ellen Herne, a presentation from Lloyd Benedict about fish hatcheries and sweetgrass gardens, a meeting with Tony David, Water Resources Program Manager, about Akwesasne's Fish Advisory, and a meeting with the Akwesasne Cultural Restoration Program to talk about the current status of the NRD Settlement that was announced in May 2013. Their visit wrapped up with a dinner in their honor at the Akwesasne Cultural Restoration Office, which included Mohawk corn soup, fried bread, hash, pulled caribou meat, vegetables, and strawberry shortcake.

Since their first visit 7 years ago, Mr. Stead and members of the Ramapough Nation have made great strides in negotiations with the Ford Motor Company. Ford produced more than 6 million cars at the Mahwah, N.J. plant from 1955 to 1980. The paint used on the cars contains lead, arsenic, benzene, chromium and other chemicals. With large-scale production came large-scale pollution when Ford dumped millions of gallons of paint sludge in the woods surrounding Mahwah. More than 40 years later, some of the paint sludge is still there. The approximately 3,500 tribal members who live in the area have higher rates of cancer, birth defects and other health problems from decades of contaminated water and soil. Now, Ford Motor Co. is cleaning up the old buried paint sludge in Torne Valley along the Ramapo River. Phase 1 of the cleanup project, or OU1, covers a large tract of land near the Ramapo River and occupies the site where United Water pumps a good deal of Rockland's water supply. According to Stead, the cost to Ford for the first phase is $15 million and has taken approximately 9 months to complete while the next phase, the one up at OU2 may take more than a year to complete. Ford has hauled out in excess of 40 thousand tons of contaminated sludge and soil.

According to Chief Mann, "As for the current status of the cleanup in the Turtle Clans' core area of Ringwood ‎N.J. we are in a holding pattern until the Remedy Review Board makes its final decision based upon all the comments and documentation that we have provided. We currently are having an Environmental Assessment being done by Ramapo College, as well as waiting for the new health assessment that is being done by the ATSDR and the NJHSS. We should have both of these documents to provide to the EPA to be added for consideration by the end of May 2014. As this process is taking place myself and other Ramapoughs are searching our homelands for paint sludge as well, to make up for the EPA's and Fords insufficient remedial investigations. Prior to 1969, our people only saw an average of 1 death per year, and after the dumping by Ford we are losing up to 30 people a year to cancer. Even with this knowledge, the EPA and the State of New Jersey still have failed us and our Nation. Fifty years of living in and on a Toxic Superfund site has reduced our average life expectancy by more than 20 years. The battle continues, and assuredly will for generations to come." 

Akwesasne and the Ramapough Nation will continue to work together and support each other throughout their struggles, and their celebrations, with protecting the environment for generations to come. If you would like more information about the Ramapough Nation, you can visit their webpage: http://www.ramapoughlenapenation.org