Indigenous peoples of New Jersey

The Indigenous peoples of New Jersey are the tribes who historically and currently live in the land that is now the State of New Jersey in the United States of America. These tribes belong to the Northeastern Woodlands, an Indigenous cultural region. The principal tribe at the time of European colonization was the Lenape tribe.[1]

History

Precontact

The earliest human inhabitants of what is now New Jersey were Paleo-Indians who arrived in the region 13,000 years ago following the recession of the Wisconsin glaciation.[2]

17th century

In the 1600s, around 8,000 Indigenous people lived in colonial-era New Jersey.[3]

18th century

By the 1700s, Indigenous peoples had been decimated by colonization, war, and disease, and most had left New Jersey.[4]

Federal recognition

There are no federally recognized tribes within New Jersey. However, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires the State of New Jersey to consult with federally recognized Native American tribes on all projects that could affect historic tribal lands or other properties with cultural or religious significance to Native tribes.[5][6]

Federally recognized tribes with historic ties to New Jersey are:

State recognition

Three tribes are state-recognized by the State of New Jersey[7]:

See also

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "History - Native Americans". New Jersey Almanac. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  2. ^ "ABORIGINAL SETTLEMENT IN NEW JERSEY DURING THE PALEO-INDIAN CULTURAL PERIOD ca. 10,000 B.C. - 6000 B.C." (PDF). Government of New Jersey. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  3. ^ "A Short History of New Jersey". Government of New Jersey. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  4. ^ "Native Americans First Populated Area". Cumberland County, New Jersey. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  5. ^ "Project Review". New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  6. ^ "Tribal Directory Assessment Tool (TDAT)". United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  7. ^ "NJ AG Recognizes 3 Tribal Nations". Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
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