— by Louise R. —

It is not every day that the New York Times reports on a story so close to home. But as an article published April 14 makes clear, the story of the Ramapough Lenape Nation and the Pilgrim pipelines — set in the Highlands area around Mahwah, NJ — has national and perhaps even global relevance.

In his article, Noah Remnick tells a poignant story about the beleaguered Ramapoughs, their struggles to fend off eradication and obscurity, and their acrimonious history with a younger Donald Trump. Remnick also recounts the Ramapough nation’s recent awakening in the face of the Pilgrim pipelines and its courageous leadership role in defending our region’s water supply.

If you feel beaten up by recent events, this inspirational article is truly worth reading. The communities of northern New Jersey, indeed all communities in the U.S. and the world, need to take a page from the Ramapough playbook and keep resisting the destruction of the Earth by the fossil fuel industry!