Woodland Indians Forum

Native Americans Find Surprising Ally in N.J. Fight: Trump Administration

Full Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/22/nyre … ah-nj.html

But in this case, the federal government — often a tribe’s adversary — has come to the Ramapoughs’ aid. The federal Justice Department filed a letter last month expressing its support for the tribe, suggesting that the town’s behavior has “significantly chilled Ramapough’s use of the land for religious purposes† in violation of federal protections.

The Justice Department letter comes on the heels of a ruling in Trenton that clarified the Ramapoughs’ status as a state-recognized tribe.

“Freedom of religion is so endemic to the country that I almost can’t believe that people would have the gall to try to suppress it with Jim Crow zoning,† said Dwaine Perry, chief of the Ramapough tribe. “One part is racism, and the other part is that they see an opportunity by manipulating zoning,† he said. “They want to fine us out of existence.â€