Ramapough Leadership and the Death of a Land Defender: A Legal Record
- mumtahw
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
For three and a half years, I have been told that the leadership of New Jersey’s Ramapough Munsee Lenape Indian Tribe remained silent regarding the death of one of their most prominent members — my son, Muriyd “Two Clouds” Williams — out of fear.
Fear of the federal government.
Fear of state authorities.
Fear of local law enforcement.
There appears to be a common belief that Indigenous peoples inherently fear American governmental institutions. Under that assumption, inaction by tribal authorities in response to the unexplained death of one of their own might seem understandable.
That narrative, however, deserves examination — particularly in regard to the Ramapough.
For nearly a decade — beginning in late 2016 when Two Clouds relocated to Mahwah to assist tribal leadership in defending their religious land from what they described as unlawful encroachment by the adjacent Ramapo Hunt and Polo Club — the Ramapough have consistently utilized legal and institutional channels to assert their rights.
From 2016 through 2017, with Two Clouds playing a central role, they litigated to protect their right to assemble and conduct religious ceremonies on that land. They also opposed the proposed Pilgrim Oil Pipeline, which was slated to pass through Mahwah and one of their ancestral cemeteries.
After continued disputes with neighboring property owners and municipal authorities, tribal leadership filed a federal lawsuit in 2018 against the Township of Mahwah and the Ramapo Hunt and Polo Club, alleging violations of civil rights and religious freedom.
In 2019, a settlement was reached with Mahwah that eliminated accumulated fines and affirmed the tribe’s ability to gather for religious ceremonies. During that same period, leadership pursued reinstatement of state recognition, which was later restored.
In 2021, the Ramapough filed a federal civil rights case against Daniel “Strong Walker” Thomas, who at the time was head of CPAIN. That matter was settled in 2024.
In 2022, they executed a long-awaited agreement with the Ramapo Hunt and Polo Club Homeowners Association.
For six consecutive years, the Ramapough did not retreat from institutional engagement. When land was threatened, they went to court. When permits were denied, they challenged municipal action. When their racial identity and legitimacy were questioned, they litigated.
They organized protests, mobilized allies, engaged constitutional litigators, utilized televised interviews, independent media platforms, local journalism, and national advocacy networks.
When tribal rights were challenged, leadership acted.
Until July 6, 2022.
By that Wednesday, Two Clouds had been missing since Sunday. It had been exactly one month since he had been elected Tribal War Chief — entrusted with safeguarding the well-being of more than 5,000 tribal members.
Despite prior litigation involving Daniel Thomas, he appeared unannounced at Ramapough religious land and issued threats in a live Facebook broadcast. Tribal members, including elders, reported feeling unsafe. Two Clouds traveled to Massachusetts in an effort to seek peaceful support in addressing those threats. He left on Friday, July 1, and returned to Mahwah the following day. Late Sunday morning, after communicating for hours about picking up his son, he went silent. He could not be located for days.
His body was recovered on July 6, 2022, on the same religious land he had worked to defend.
Although prior threats against him were known within the tribal community and sometimes reported — including the burning of his van less than a year earlier, and sudden brake failure which caused a serious crash a few months after that — no formal investigation was conducted after his death. No police interviews were taken. Public-facing cameras were not reviewed.
The cause of death was publicly characterized as accidental before an autopsy was performed. The Bergen County Medical Examiner later listed drowning as the cause of death. The New Jersey State Chief Medical Examiner subsequently stated that the "features of drowning cannot be identified" and overturned that determination.
Despite their prior pattern of publicly challenging perceived bias from local authorities, no public call for independent investigation was issued. No formal demand for review was made through the same legal or media channels previously utilized.
The only documented action taken by leadership the following day was a letter sent to the medical examiner listing possible causes of death — including foul play. In that letter, it was represented that I was in agreement with its contents. I was not.
In the years that followed, no coordinated legal, media, or institutional effort was initiated by leadership to pursue independent review.
The only outreach to me occurred in the spring of 2025, during a significant internal leadership dispute that resulted in engagement with law enforcement and the courts.
Approximately three years after Two Clouds’ death, both the former and current principal chiefs separately sent messages to me. One claimed to have a “strong lead” that he was immediately taking to the prosecutor’s office. The other stated that an investigation was already ongoing.
Those statements are inconsistent.
I have not been contacted by any federal, state, or local institution to confirm that an investigation has been opened. Nor has any law enforcement agency reached out to me in my capacity as next of kin. For more than three and a half years, I have publicly advocated for independent review and accountability.
The public record reflects that Ramapough leadership has repeatedly utilized:
Federal court.
State court.
Local law enforcement.
National constitutional litigators.
Media platforms.
Advocacy networks.
The record reflects sustained institutional engagement in matters involving land, sovereignty, and internal governance.
The record does not reflect comparable mobilization following the suspicious death of the tribe’s own elected War Chief.
The record speaks for itself.
M.
*Correction made 2/21/26 to NJ M.E.'s quote, "feature of drowning could not be identified' to "features of drowning cannot be identified" for accuracy.
Selected Public Record and Reporting
The following references provide additional documentation of Ramapough leadership’s prior engagement with federal and state courts, local government, and media platforms in asserting tribal sovereignty and religious rights.
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