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SUB PROJECT TO: The Ramapo Mountain People, New Netherland to present
As the GENi World Family Tree grows, we are beginning to find connections between families of African heritage, Native Americans, and others who had connections to or may even have lived in and around the Ramapo Mountain area and the lower Hudson Valley of southern New York and northern New Jersey. The big question: Are there any recognized tribes/clans/nations involved? And, if not recognized, what do we see in the record?
All are welcome to add profiles here to aid in any examination of these relationships. Please try to source your profiles as much as possible. We would particularly like to add DNA TESTING information.
The claim in the Federal Gov't's BIA rejection of the Ramapo for tribe status may have gone a little too far. (read:screen capture ) We do see that candidate individuals in the Ramapo area moved north out of Bergen and Orange counties and joined Native Americans on reservations, ones that were subsequently closed down. A "Brothertown" {an Indian tribe, of combined remnant tribes} migration continued west to Wisconsin and Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Washington.
Caveat: Any inclusion of a profile in related Projects does not necessarily confirm Native American heredity. This project serves as a road map for further study.
Although the Ramapo people (aka RMI) may not be a tribe, it is becoming clear that an untold number of 18th century mixed race individuals from the Ramapo area of the NJ/NY border ended up in tribes. The surname DeGroat has been successfully traced. All these connections are just one focus of this project. Surnames such as Van Dunk and De Vries/Defreese are also of special interest.{MMvB/ Oct 2017}
It is useful to periodically choose profiles and run the historylink routine to trace any profile to your own or another.
Two Examples: