Interaction with Europeans

European contact resulted in wars and epidemics, which reduced the Renapi populations on the lower Hudson to 10% of their original size by 1700. The epidemics of small pox, measles, and other respiratory illnesses were particularly devastating because American Indians did not have resistance to European diseases. After a decline in population of about 90%, many of the lands were unoccupied by 1700, leading the Renapi to sell a large tract of land to French protestant settlers. Battles had also broken out with the Iroquois who defeated the Renapi. As more European settlers arrived, war threatened and then erupted. As their lands were sold, many of the Ranapi, with the exception of few families, moved west in the mid-1700s to Pennsylvania. Many became Christian. A fever (probably malaria)spread, and the Renapi left again for the west. People began to depart,  along with some bands from other tribes. Other Renapi left to join the Huron in Ohio. Fewer than 400 Renapi remained in RamaValley by the 1800s. Their population has rebounded during the past 50 years.  Now the tribe numbers nearly 2000 people in RamaValley and about 20,000 throughout the United States and an additional 10,000 in Canada.  After a legal battle during the past 20 years, the Renapi, who were among the first tribes to sign a treaty with  the United States, were successful in 1980 regaining federal recognition as a separate tribe, the Renapi Tribe of Indians.