America’s Toxic Legacy

By Dominique Otiepka

The “Toxic Legacy Report”published by the Bergen Record highlighted the history of the Ramapough Lennape tribe and how ostracized they have been over the centuries. These people are seen by the larger society to be barbaric and are not provided basic human rights. The way they are viewed by others is sickening and it is difficult to continue learning about their daily struggles and continuous life threats.   

The racism that is still so prevalent in America is astonishing and is a serious issue that needs to be discussed. I feel that this society is too afraid to talk about people’s differences or embrace them; too often, too many people ignore the issues and chose to take detrimental actions that ruin the lives of marginalized people and strips them of their culture. 

The Tribe’s trust in the government is no longer in existence.They have been promised cleanups of the land in Ringwood that holds the paint sludge, but five of them have already taken place, and the Tribe continues to find more of the dumped sludge in numerous places. It is said that native tribes are a nation within a nation, meaning that perhaps the government does not believe they need to be taken care of. Consequently, their mistreatment prevails.  

It is disturbing to wonder how the first people on this land are not appreciated for their discoveries.  The United States is a leading nation that completely ignores its Native people. The Ramapough Lennape continue to suffer through such heartache, but they are so drawn to their land and its protection.They have survived through such destruction, which makes me look at this Tribe in awe, after learning all they have experienced. 

The poisoning of the mountain area where many of them live is evident within its people. The cancer rates and number of illnesses that they have is disheartening; these people are not even treated like other people. From the continuous exposure to lead, all aspects of the Tribe’s life are impacted. Younger people are dropping out of school because of learning disabilities, which therefore influences their job opportunities drastically. Generations are impacted in several different ways, though somehow, they continue the fight against the injustices done to them and remain hopeful. 

Some Tribe members want to stay true to their land and not leave, while others feel the need to leave immediately. Learning about their situation and spreading awareness can help with what this Tribe is dealing with, and let them remain in the land they are fighting for.