we are protectors of Truth
narrators of our own stories
we rely only on proof
and The Owner of All Glory
WE WILL HAVE OUR SAY
In fighting for Justice, one cannot make every piece of information publicly available; strategy is of great importance. Therefore, everything that we know still cannot be divulged. In due time more may be offered. In the interim, we are certain that more rumors and intentional fabrications will likely continue to be created. We have no control over that happening. Many people are invested in keeping the murder of our son, relative, and friend quiet. There are many people who were involved in the planning and execution, and who sustain its coverup. Most of them are relatives of one another, and some are friends of theirs, so their interest and loyalty does not lie with Two Clouds. All we ask is that supporters of our mission ask for proof when rumors, accusations, or theories are presented. That is how we will beat falsehood: with truth.
In the following video you will see, for the first time, some of what we have known for quite awhile. This article is a companion to the video, offering more details and insights that were unable to be included in the video in an attempt to keep it as short as possible. Additional documentation through photos, snapshots of online posts, and necessary links are being added for our readers' information .
We are confident that Creator will make our current effort as successful as all our others. We ask that everyone remember Two Clouds was an Afro Native Muslim. Furthermore, he was a wonderful human being who treated others well, and he dedicated- literally gave- his life to the people. We all (Black, Native, Muslim, and every category in between) have a responsibility to stand up for him and demand that his murderers and conspirators pay for what they did.
With that, we want to stress to all who would like to join us in advocacy: please do not attempt to go rogue by making major moves on your own. Throughout this tragedy we have had problems with people sorely overstepping their bounds, trying to take actions which should only be handled by his immediate family. Doing so can be extremely detrimental to the case we are building. As you will find, most of what people believe they know is inaccurate and/or severely lacking because they simply do not have the facts nor nuances within those facts. We do ask that you share this article and the video itself as much as possible as well as other videos and shorts pertaining to Two Clouds that you like or deem important.
The Justice we will receive in this world for our beloved is but the beginning. Two Clouds' legacy must be secured for generations to come. We must learn and share his research, his teachings, his accomplishments, his fight. We must fulfill his goals. We must become him, fearless fighter for Creator's people. We must show that he is alive and well in us.
"And never think of those who have been killed in the cause of Allah as dead.
Rather, they are alive with their Lord, receiving provision."
Al Qur'aan 3:169
The Opening
1) At the beginning of the video Two Clouds is speaking in Munsee, one of the many languages he spoke fluently. This short piece (an introduction of himself as Niishwak Akumahkwak [Two Clouds] and Tekaroniake, Two Skies in Kanien'kéha, the Mohawk language) is from his last project, a documentary that he did with his mother on the history of Mohawk Indians in the Tioga Point, Pennsylvania area. His mother's family relocated there from a Mohawk reservation in Canada during the nineteenth century, but virtually all remnants of their people's centuries-long presence has been erased. Even historians and museum curators in the area adamantly claim that Mohawk people never lived there. Two Clouds and his mother had begun research proving the opposite, and planned to start lecturing at various institutions presenting the facts.
His contribution to the project is in three parts on the Beyond Clouds YouTube channel:
Two Clouds and His Mom (Umu Muriyd)
2) This was the last day Two Clouds and his mother shared together in person. They laughed and talked, joked and enjoyed each other as they always did. They talked about the medicinal benefits of mushrooms, specifically as a treatment in micro-dosages under the care of a medical professional. They went into the tent and discussed Islaam and spirituality, rituals and ceremonies. He told her of his concern that "they" (a group who owned the land) would try to make him remove the cabin that he was building, and planned to have complete by the winter so he would have shelter on the land when harsh weather approached. He again explained how the tribal chief had purposely put up a non-permitted sign in front of the home where he (Two Clouds) had been staying.
The premises, which is directedly across the street from the Mahwah Police Department, was rented by the chief's friend who allowed Two Clouds, and more recently Two Clouds' elderly and sickly friend, to stay there. (The friend had just been freed from a four-year jail sentence for a small crime that happened on the prayer land and he- as the only person who consistently accompanied Two Clouds during his two-year fight for that land- was found guilty. He is still fighting the sentence in court., maintaining his insistence of innocence)
Two Clouds reiterated to his mother what he said to her in the past, that he pleaded with the tribal chief for weeks about the sign, telling him over and over again that he would get evicted if it was not removed. All the chief had to do was get a simple permit, but he would not. Not only was he inciting trouble that he himself would not have to be confronted by, he was making it very dangerous for Two Clouds because he lived so close to the police station. He had many run-ins with officers when he was actively fighting for and winning land back for the Ramapough, and some of them did not like him. Things had been quiet for him- they all stayed out of each others way- yet the tribal chief was stirring a pot that had already cooled and settled.
Above is a better view of the sign that
had no need to be there as the house is
not affiliated with the tribe.
Right is from a Facebook thread where
the members of the tribe and Two Clouds'
friend who was staying with him discussed
the sign and questioned why it had been
taken down.
3) The rings that Two Clouds is wearing are just two of many items that are missing. These rings (and another copper band that he had worn for years) were extremely precious to him. They were not in any of his belongings which his mother pored over piece by piece. He would not have given them to anyone as they had a deep spiritual significance for him, and were to be given to his mother if anything ever happened to him.
Land
4) This scene is important because when people hear that Two Cloud's body was found "in a river" they most likely imagine a very large body of water. The Ramapo River is indeed large, but this section of it is more aptly a river basin; much smaller than the idea of a "river" brings.
In this area the water is low enough that Two Clouds would sometimes wade through it. In fact, when he was new to it years ago he had fallen out of a canoe and panicked because he also had the idea that the basin was as deep as the actual river. Ever since that day his mother and he would periodically laugh about the incident because he found all he had to do was stand up. From that moment he and that basin were one, and he knew it like the back of his hand.
In one video he spoke about how he could see the marine life in the water when he canoed standing up.
A closer view:
Here his mother mentions that water's height:
5) Also, in this scene take notice of the shoreline where it was said Two Clouds was found.
There is dirt, mud, rocks, tree limbs, twigs, small pieces of debris, and water along the edge. When he was retrieved Two Clouds was wearing no shoes, only socks. Although the detectives stated that they found nothing at the scene that made them assume foul play, if he was on the shoreline with no shoes it seems like that should have been a little suspicious. Or even to think he was canoeing in a boat that had mud on the floor with no shoes should seem, we believe, odd if not also suspicious.
More than that, Two Clouds was waiting around that morning to get the call from his toddler son's mother to pick up his son for a party. He never would have been walking along nor standing in dirt and mud in socks or even slides with socks. Apparently, a strong young man who a lot of people (including some police officers) knew was skilled on that water was found dead on the shoreline or around water wearing only socks with no shoes in sight, and no one thought that was odd enough to look into a little before deciding there was no foul play. The detectives on the scene looked for possible culprits and signs of wrongdoing among the trees and found nothing so decided, no.
Had questioning of family and associates started that day, or anytime thereafter, detectives could have learned of the inconsistences and begun an investigation immediately- and possibly made arrests. However, when the lead officer informed Two Clouds' mother nearly three months later that the case had been closed (without asking her nor anyone else a single question), there was no report, no notes of an investigation, nor anything documenting that his death had been looked into at all when she went to collect the officer's findings.
6) Interestingly, the operations report which only documents everyone who was on scene after Two Clouds was found and what was done while they were there (this is where detectives stated they saw no evidence of foul play on the land near the incident), reads that Two Clouds was found approximately twenty feet from shore, and his capsized boat approximately ten additional feet from him. However, a woman contacted us with footage (not showing here for her protection) from the day before he was found (Tuesday July 2, 2022). The boat is there, but no body is visible- on the shoreline or in the water. Also, S3 stated to Two Clouds' mother directly that he was hounded by S1 to go to the prayer land that same day to look for her son. He said he went with relatives to search, saw Two Clouds' parked car and overturned boat but not Two Clouds. (For some reason he did not tell anyone that his "friend" had been missing since Sunday nor what he found- not even the police. We do not know why.)
Another very important twist is that a relative of S1 is one of the people rumored to have stated in the very beginning, long before the autopsy report was available, that Two Clouds was missing an eye and an ear (he was actually missing one full ear and part of the other), and that he was on the shoreline with only his upper half in the water. He is said to have also mentioned items that were not found present when the body was taken for assessment, but that add up with scene photos from the medical examiner. Two Clouds' mother has questioned this man and he denied knowing anything. However, she has documentation proving that he not only lied to her, but he has also come up with (at least) four different stories which, of course, seems highly suspicious and significant in the murder of Two Clouds. Again, had police done an investigation maybe there would have been arrests from the very beginning.
We have so many questions that need to be answered:
a) Had Two Clouds actually been on the shoreline then moved later, after S1's relative saw him? Was he there to help?
b) Did the person who told the reporter that Two Clouds was found on the shoreline not know that the police stated he was found in the water?
c) Who told that person about the shoreline in the first place? Was he/she the relative? Someone with relative?
d) If he was found in the water, when was he placed there?
e) If both the state trooper (who was at the scene), and medical examiner (who did the thorough assessment and autopsy) did not believe he fell out of the canoe, why was it flipped over?
A friend of Two Clouds who has been a professional canoeist for many years told Umu Muriyd directly that canoes do not simply flip over, especially on calm water, even if someone falls out of it.
f) Did someone purposely turn it over? If so who and why? It is a very heavy sixteen-foot long boat. Who helped?
Furthermore...
g) How would all of this happen in such an open environment without being noticed by neighbors or random visitors to the river and park?
Two Clouds would literally have been fighting for his dear life. He had fought off groups of 5-8 violent guys multiple times in his past, walking away barely scratched. His murderers would have had a real battle on their hands- it would not have been quiet.
These photos give an idea of how large and open the land
is, and how easy is it to see any mischief happening during
the day, especially since there are many cameras around
belonging to the Polo Club and neighbors.
h) Would they have risked being seen during the day by neighbors who would call the police upon seeing a fight- or someone being dumped into water and a canoe being flipped over? i) Did they murder him elsewhere then transport him in the darkness?
j) Would the crime scene have been a secluded indoor space where no one could see or hear from the outside, a place where he was known to frequent and let down his guard... even freshen up or take a nap after his exhausting road trip and before he picked up his son?
k) Is that why S1 tried so hard to convince Umu Muriyd (the night of the day her son was found) that he was on the land that night to bring Two Clouds a body pillow because he (S1) was so concerned that her son would be uncomfortable sleeping in his car?
Even though Two Clouds had slept in cars, on boulders, on the ground for a decade without a pillow, even in the dead of winter, and for the past six months with S1 hanging around him. Yet S1 had never bothered to bring a pillow until he was murdered.
l) Was S1 trying so hard to push the pillow idea because he was afraid that cameras saw him on the land?
m) Did something happen that he believes could implicate him?
n) Is that why he was at Two Clouds' funeral limping with "cuts" on his arms (according to multiple Ramapough who were there)?
o) Is that why he was at the funeral with a long sleeved denim camo jacket on during a sunny 84 degree day? Were those "cuts" from moving brush and branches to tuck and hide Two Clouds' dead body along the shoreline where he would not be found?
p) Is that why he was at the ceremony on the land (right after the funeral) staring out as if in a daze onto the basin exactly where the police stated Two Clouds' lifeless body was found?
Many people noticed his behavior at the funeral and the ceremonies that followed immediately after. It was that very day that many people began to voice their concern to us that S1 in particular had murdered Two Clouds.
A few stated that they warned Two Clouds to be careful of S1 because he was a liar and crook who caused trouble everywhere he went.
Two Clouds talking about sleeping on boulders:
The Facebook reply below is by a Ramapough who points out what she noticed about S1 at Two Clouds' funeral.
(For clarity: This response was to S2 who made yet another angry post toward the Ramapough. The remark about not knowing her is because S2 had popped up on the land five or six months before Two Clouds' death, right around the time S1 moved up from Florida. She claims to be Ramampough, but no one seemed to know who she was- including elders, tribal office secretary, or people within her peer group like this woman who grew up on the mountain and in the area. After Two Clouds was found murdered people started questioning who she knew up there because she and S1 were causing so much chaos together, trying to push their way into tribal government when neither of them were from the mountain (S1 was made a subchief [without being elected] soon after Two Clouds' death but she has not been given a high position so that angers her); they both popped up and immediately started crowding Two Clouds at every chance, and were with him on the trip to New England; both refuse to answer questions or give any information that could be helpful in finding answers to what happened to their alleged friend. She (they both) also fabricates stories a lot (such as telling people that she fought on the land with Two Clouds in the early days when he did not even know her), and she does a lot against the tribe so many do not trust her.
The next Facebook dialogue is by the same person but to S1 directly. He replied to an original comment that adamantly states Two Clouds was murdered by someone in the tribe. S1 demands to know what are the facts to back that up, and wants to discuss it privately through Messenger. It is not until the bottom left snapshot that she realizes the profile name is actually S1 then she confronts him straightforward.
It is important to note that the last snapshot at the bottom right is innaccurate information. Apparently, S1 told people that he had been questioned by the police, but there is no evidence that he nor anyone else have been questioned by the police. Not even Two Clouds' mother has been asked questions. Again, when she went to the Mahwah PD the clerk (or secretary) searched multiple times and found no report nor notes that any investigation or interrogations had taken place.
The Post
7) Two Clouds spoke with three of his very close friends less than twenty-four hours before he was murdered. One of them, with whom he had a profound and extensive conversation that day (Saturday July 2) documented on Facebook the day after he was found some of what they spoke about.
Following are some clarifications that are needed to further understand the haunting post.
a) The "Ramapough brothers" were S1 and his biological brother. They followed Two Clouds up to New England to accompany him to the meeting he thought had been set up in order to garner support for the situation with the Boston man (more on that later). S2 joined them via a different route.
b) Contrary to what so many wish to believe, Two Clouds was indeed disrespected due to his complexion. Some older people were jealous that he got so much done immediately after he arrived in Mahwah, at the age of only twenty-four. Yet the larger problem was his darkness. Some point out that some of the Ramapough are also dark. What those people do not understand is that they saw their darkness as Indian, but they saw Two Clouds as "the Black guy who thinks he's Indian." Oddly enough, he is said to have been ancestrally more Ramapough than anyone else on the mountain, but even if he was not, his contributions to the tribe far exceed anyone else there, even if their families have been there for generations, making Two Clouds indeed- some could argue- more Indian than anyone there.
c) This friend (and seemingly the person who gave him the news and/or someone else) thought Two Clouds may have died due to foul play- and for good reason. He states that Two Clouds kept talking during their phone call about people who were acting very jealous of him since he had been elected war chief just weeks before, and of the work he had done for the people. He was very afraid that they would murder him. Then in less than twenty-four hours he was indeed dead.
Who is Muriyd 'Two Clouds' Williams?
8) Meaning of his name:
Muriyd مريد entirely devoted, committed (to spirituality); seeker of spiritual knowledge; what a student is called in Tasawuf/Sufism
Abdullah عبد الله slave/servant of Allah
Muhammad محمد praise worthy
9) Two Clouds was a staunch Muslim who followed the Qur'aan and sunnah (traditions of the Prophet Muhammad). That is why in some photos he has a darkened mark on his forehead called a prostration mark. People who prostrate in prayer a lot tend to have one. That is not to say that he was not flawed. Being Muslim does not mean you get it right every time. It means that you strive to get it right and when you do not, you acknowledge that, repent, and work towards getting better. There were that he did wrong that people have used to try to smear and slander his name. Two Clouds was as human as the rest of us and expected to sin- but he always repented to Creator, too.
A skill Two Clouds was very good at was being able to compartmentalizing relationships and what he shared with different people. Some people were very surprised to find after his death that he was Muslim because he knew how to relate to others in ways that were good for them. So in other words, if someone could not understand Islaam conceptually- Muslim or non-Muslim- he simply did not engage. Yet if a person could understand or be open to Islaamic ideas or history, he would talk for hours and hours with that person, respectfully discussing his thoughts and theirs, regardless of their background. And this talent was not limited to spirituality.
Part of Two Clouds' mission was to help bridge the gap between the Muslim and Indigenous communities. Here he is speaking to a congregation about eight months before his death.
10) Two Clouds' mother was born into the Nation of Islaam. After Elijah Muhammad passed away in 1975 her mother, like so many others, no longer had an affiliation with a temple/mosque. So Umu Muriyd grew up with a Muslim identity, but learned Islaam at home from her mother. At sixteen she joined the Nubian Islaamic Hebrews Ansaarullah Community. Two Clouds was born three years later into that movement. When he was about five years old they became members of Masjid As-Haabul Yameen lead by Imam Qasim Amin Nathari then Masjid Darul Islam lead by Imam Ali Jabbar.
11) Like most other Indigenous peoples, Two Clouds' family lost touch with their Native cultures. Being mixed race, residing in majority Black neighborhoods, they identified mostly with their African American and Islaamic heritages.
With both sides of his family being revolutionary minded, Two Clouds was molded and expected to serve his neighbors and community. As a toddler he would join his mother at Newark's Do Something chapter and Black Cops Against Police Brutality. Growing up he learned directly from elders who had served under Imamu Amiri Baraka, Sheikh Hisham Jabbar, the Black Panthers and others. At a very early age he washed and anointed bodies of the dead, and fed the homeless outside Newark's Penn Station. During adolescence he studied and became skilled in various forms of martial arts, boxing, and kickboxing, opting to practice by kicking trees to toughen and strengthen his legs. At thirteen he traveled to Egypt for an intensive study of Arabic Fusha which started his love of languages. The Prophet Muhammad, Malcom X, and Fred Hampton were just a few of his heroes.
12) There are many people who have reserved themselves to the notion that Two Clouds was just another 'Black guy' who had it hard in life, no one to love him, no one who cared until he found his way to Mahwah with the Ramapough. They think that the water, air, trees- and ancestry- there miraculously changed him in a matter of weeks into a great warrior and leader (although the same water, air, trees, and ancestry had done nothing for people who had been there for generations). They believe that "the things he went through as a child" depressed him so much that twenty and some odd years later he took his own life because of it.
These ideas are thoroughly absurd and can only be expressed by people who did not know Two Clouds nearly as well as they think they did. They seem to have viewed him through narrowminded racial tropes attributed to their limited access to actual relationships with people who are like Two Clouds, from where he is from, taught as he was taught. It must be remembered that he was molded by a certain type of person: strong, disciplined, principled, spiritual, experienced in fighting for racial justice, unafraid. "If you see a wrong change it with your hand" and "There is nothing to fear but fear" type of people.
In Newark, NJ hardship is not something that is held onto in secret; it is spoken about out loud, publicly because it is a commonality among the people. Challenges, even when they are rooted in trauma (as is the case inter-generationally no matter where we go globally), are seen as tools to strengthen and make better human beings; Newarkers do not sulk.
Two Clouds was taught "there is always a Plan B... or F". In other words, if this does not work try that, or that over there. He was from a different time and place that, frankly, the people who were around him in and around Mahwah, for a day, months, or just a lecture, do not understand. They have no box for him so they try to stuff him into ones they have already accepted for themselves, but he does not and never has fit. Rather than admit that they can be wrong in their assumptions, they pretend it is everyone else who is misinformed, even while those supposed boxes are bursting at the seams. Yet the truth remains, nonetheless. His true friends and loved ones know who he was and will be always.
How did Two Clouds end up in Mahwah ...?
13) Two Clouds' great-grandfather was very light skinned and could have easily passed for white, yet in Newark he and his family became Black. It is important to realize that being Indian or Indian adjacent is just recently becoming en vogue. It was hard enough being Black, being Indian was a no-no. Therefore, many, many mixed-raced Indigenous people became Black not only out of convenience, but they also had more in common with Black struggle as they also knew what it was to be so harshly oppressed by America. Two Clouds stated many times that the Newark area is filled with Afro Indigenous Ramapough.
14) Two Clouds' mother knew that his grandmother had a book that his great-grandfather wrote documenting generations of their Indigenous lineage. Umu Muriyd wanted her son to know who he was from his paternal side, too, so encouraged him for years to ask for a copy. It took a very long time for him to be able to get prints of it because his family did not want him returning to the Ramapough Mountains.
When he presented his lineage to the authorized person among the Ramapough he was still rejected as a legitimate member. It took an elder to whom he was obviously related to demand he be acknowledged and receive a tribal card. However, he was regularly threatened to be kicked out whenever he would not bend to the tribal government's will, and even when his son's mother was campaigning with her Ramapough affiliates to have him shunned. Eventually, the tribal genealogist attempted to dismantle the lineage that his great-grandfather documented, saying that it was inaccurate.
Here is a text between Two Clouds and one of the tribal council members.
What sparked Two Clouds' transition from language student...?
15) Two Clouds starting going to Mahwah in October 2016. In no time, a matter of weeks, he started working on securing the land for the tribe. Bare in mind that was the time everything was happening with the Dakota Access Pipe Line (DAPL), and resistance was in the air. That particular struggle was high profile due to the internet, and people were ripe for protest. Muriyd had just taken the Munsee name Niishwak Akumahkwak (Two Clouds), and spirits were high about the tribe's land which was used from time to time for religious ceremonies. It was learned that there was also a proposal to run an oil pipeline straight through the tribal land as well as a Ramapough cemetery, from New York to Linden, NJ. To take advantage of the revolutionary climate, to stand with Dakota and stop the same thing from potentially happening to them, the tribal land was named Split Rock Sweet Water Prayer Camp and resistance began.
Two Clouds was the head of the camp and also the fire keeper. When DAPL protests ended and they extinguished their fire (a spiritual symbol), they came to the the Prayer Camp to add some of the ashes to the fire there, as a show of solidarity with the Ramapough. Tents were set up, videos were uploaded, invites were streamed, allies of every shape and color came to sit around the fire to talk, sing, vibrate, feel. They brought sleeping bags on weekends, and small groups to experience an 'authentic' Native American life. They brought signs, slogans, mics, and news cameras. Almost immediately there was buzz about who the real tribal chief should be. Almost immediately some tribal members smiled in public while cursing him in private, accusing him of coming there to exploit and take fantasy amenities that they did not even benefit from themselves.
16) Two Clouds accomplished great things for the Ramapough, but they could have done it themselves had they wanted to; had man or woman had the knowledge and courage to do so. Much of the evidence was right at the tribal office tucked away in file cabinets. He drew up a document and his good friend helped him edit it. Then he presented the evidence to the court and won. The tribal chief is the figure head, but it is Two Clouds alone who is responsible for the Ramapough's land back success.
Many do not like when we consistently point that out, but truth will always be truth. Now, that is not to say that he did not have people recording and uploading his talks, donating clothes and cans of food, spreading the word, stopping by for an hour or two to say hi. Of course, they were there! He and we were and are grateful to them! However, when they got too cold, hungry, or tired and had to leave; when they became too frightened or could not risk getting arrested; when sitting outside in extreme heat or cold or taking photos around tipis lost its luster, Two Clouds was always still standing- alone in the dark, dodging bullets, and escaping coyotes and bears. He was the researcher, the speaker, the interpreter, the griot, the warrior. He was articulate and fearless enough to go into the Bergen County court numerous times and tell them exactly where they could find this statute and that, or that he thought they should be following Ramapough laws not vice versa. He was the one to bravely kick police officers off the Prayer Camp because "This is sovereign land, and you will not come past that fence or else you will be in violation of tribal law!" It was all cute and exciting to Natives and allies alike... until it wasn't.
No one was used to the type of person Two Clouds was, and though most will make it seem that they were always for him, they were not. People smiling in your face while stabbing you in the back is as old as time. And for a young, dark skinned, Afro Native/Black man from the hood- no matter how sincere or helpful he is- that can only summon disaster.
17) It may seem harsh to say no one cared about the Ramapough before late 2016, but a quick Google search before Two Clouds, during Two Clouds, and even after Two Clouds will show if that is an accurate statement or not.
Was Two Clouds successful in his endeavors?
18) Besides all of the things we have already mentioned that Two Clouds accomplished and gave to the Ramapough without asking for anything in return, he did lots of other great things, too. Among them are:
a) He fought hard and won the ability to attend Ramapo College on a Ramapough Indian scholarship. The scholarship already existed, but only one or two people had taken advantage of it. Some of the tribal members accused of him of only coming there to take advantage of them and go to school for free. That was ridiculous because he was already putting in tons of work for the tribe. How would that be trying to use them? If anything, the scholarship would have been rightly earned. Furthermore, no one else was trying to use it, so what was the real issue? Plus, he could have gone to school for free elsewhere. It did not have to be while putting his life on the line or freezing and going hungry in order to fight for the land that none of them were helping him in doing.
The actual reason Two Clouds fought to go to Ramapo College in particular was because it was the least the college could do for the Indigenous people whose land they are on, and he really wanted the Ramapough youth to be inspired by him so that they would do the same. Education is not pushed very much in the tribe, and he knew that trend could not continue to be a problem if the tribe was to flourish in the future.
*The Ramapo College family, staff and students were heartbroken over his death.
b) Also immediately, Two Clouds petitioned to have a tenured history professor fired because she was teaching racist information about the Ramapough, and saying they were not really Indigenous. As always, he won that fight, and became a huge resource for the president, dean, students, and some of the other professors who worked there.
c) Two Clouds was a cartographer so a project that he was most proud of is this one that he did with a college colleague:
d) Two Clouds had a close working relationship with the Mahwah Museum. One of the projects he was about to begin was translating antique documents from the Munsee language to English.
*The Mahwah Museum family was devastated over his passing.
e) The last one that we will mention (there are many more) is the work he was doing with a local land conservancy group. Two Clouds knew all of the Ramapough land (not just the prayer camp) very well, far better than tribal members who had been in the area their whole lives. He would take photos for the organization, draw maps, and more.
If you have not noticed, Two Clouds' work looked towards the future. He was not steeped in ceremonies and powwows only. He knew that the Ramapough need to be documented, in sustainable ways so they are easy to find in the future, and hard to erase. He made moves to cement a future for their descendants. Land. Language. Education. Documentation. The things that matter.
What happened to Two Clouds...?
19) People are still consistently pointing the finger at WD and insisting (with no proof) that he murdered Two Clouds because no Ramapough "could do something like that". While we believe there is definitely a chance he could have been involved (this article tells why:
This was posted by WD two days after Two Clouds was
murdered and one day before his body was found. We
find it very suspicious, especially since he, S1 and S2
seem to be affiliated with one another.
the evidence seems to prove that he certainly was not the main player. However, we do believe the murderer and his cohorts absolutely thought they could call to account other possibilities that would neutralize their scent (WD, white neighbors, Polo Club members, medical emergency) and knock us off their trail.
(Above are just two Facebook posts from WD that are included in the part 3 article linked above. There are others included chronologically with those from S1 and S2 showing how collusion between the three is very plausible.)
20) Here are texts between WD and Two Clouds' mother. He contacted her after she forwarded 'part 3' to many of the people on his Facebook friends/fans list so that they could read what happened to Two Clouds and see what WD is doing in the world when he's not online disrespecting other Native tribes and individuals (very often darker in tone) stirring up trouble instead of offering resources and provisions to his people as Two Clouds used to do for his.
Bare these things in mind as you read the texts:
a) shortly after this interaction WD was stripped of his titles because his tribe did not believe he was "humbly" serving them;
b) the 'don't tip the canoe' post he made after Two Clouds was found dead, when people believed he had fallen from his canoe and drowned, makes it obvious that his "condolences" were false, and that loss of life (at least Two Clouds') is actually not of value to him;
c) his concern was to make it clear that Two Clouds never punked him in public (which is not true), and he did not bother to refute any of the other accusations from the article that implied he could have been involved in the murder. (Most may think that clearing the air about homicidal accusations if you are innocent are more important than saving face.)
d) Umu Muriyd's response is that Two Clouds was doing the work of Creator (written in Munsee), and then she mentioned the Misink specifically because WD actually believes that the Misink murdered Two Clouds for him as a form of retribution and because Two Clouds was Muslim. He also believes that the Misink are dealing with the Ramapough who are doing wrong.
The Misink are a rough encircling of trees on the prayer land that have been cut to various sizes. Some of them don large faces or masks, and certain ceremonies and events are held in the center. The Lenape have faith that these trunks are living gods or protectors of the woods. Although they could not stop themselves from being chopped down or dissect themselves into stomps- nor put themselves into a circle formation- people believe that they have power to make things happen. WD takes it even further in trusting that the Misink murdered the only person who saved them from being stolen by non-Natives, and who took care of them and the woods far better than anyone did then or since.
Oddly enough, Two Clouds was seemingly the only one who realized the white man who made and mounted the faces did it wrong! That is because while references to culture and ancestry are constantly made, virtually no one on the mountain knows their true history. That is why Two Clouds was always the one called when stories, history lessons, or prayers needed to be purveyed.
Two Clouds had concluded that many of the Lenape rituals and beliefs that are practiced and acknowledged today is paganism. One of his many essays that will soon be published points to this find. He was hopeful that Creator would use him to help guide his people back to true monotheism, the worship of The One Kiisheelumukweeng (Creator) through Islaam, leaving prayers to nature and ancestors behind. He believed that those were not the ways of the original Munsee/Lenape people, and that its implementation is what has caused them to lose favor with The One Creator.
e) WD stated that his reaching out to Two Clouds' mother is proof that he is innocent. Of course, that is a ridiculous notion.
He also attempts to use Umu Muriyd's "grief" in a way to almost gaslight her by implying it is because of her sorrow over the death of her son that she is coming after him unjustifiably. The "emotional woman" trope that has been a consistent accusation (especially by women). However, it is not her grief that has made others (including himself) write damning posts, spread absurd rumors, not call for help when they knew Two Clouds was dead and alone in the woods, and do nothing to help seek justice.
21) We find it very unconscionable for the Ramapough to vote Two Clouds in as war chief then when he was found dead right after returning from official business in trying to keep them all safe, not the tribal chiefs, clan chiefs (including his own clan chief who he supposedly had a good relationship with), tribal government nor member has risen to insist on an investigation. A few people have questioned here and there in private (tribal Facebook group), but never publicly and nothing comes of it other than a couple of likes and comments.
A few have tried to challenge Two Clouds' mother online, debating and accusing because they want her to stop "making the tribe look bad". She counters that if anything about "the tribe" appears to look bad it is of their own doing in that their actions (or non-actions) are true. The only ones who can change that reality are them. Umu Muriyd has never slandered anyone, and she is careful about not saying or showing anyone's name- even the murderer S1. The only people who may recognize who S1, S2, and S3 are would be other Ramapough and allies, and they are all loyal to protecting the three; justice for Two Clouds is not of much importance. The past fifteen months have proven the trio are safe.
There are many stories... Are any of them true?
22) To add further insult to injury, Ramapough make up more and more lies and rumors about Two Clouds. Not only do they refuse to help get justice for him, some of them seem intent on tarnishing his character. What is frustrating is that no one ever brings truth, and no one ever asks the liars and gossipers to show proof. Also, no one ever thinks to ask, "If you are so certain that he was drunk or either had a heart attack and fell out the boat... how do you know? Were you there? Was the person who told you there? If so, why did no one help him?" or any other questions to challenge what they are saying.
Besides assertions of 'how' or 'why' it happened, people have been coming up with all sorts of stories since the very first day. Someone claimed that he came to her in dream informing that someone hit him in the head- perhaps it was the canoe oar that another rumor conjured? Another person claimed that he had been stabbed twice in his chest. Others said that he was found under the bridge, or either under the canoe. A really creative one states that a birthday cake was found in the water with him (as if he would have been taking his own birthday cake to a kid's party that his son was invited to). Then there was the one where Two Clouds was randomly calling and telling people that morning that he was going to get a bottle of liquor to drink. Again, he would not have drunk before getting his son, but also he had another appointment scheduled for after he finished seeing his son. So no, that story, too, is a lie.
It is very disheartening the depths that people will go to cover up, to save face, or just to take advantage of a situation so they can feel special, as if they are 'in the know' with the best gossip.
23) We as a society have to stop normalizing women using their children to get back at men who they cannot bend into submission! IT IS NOT OK!!! And we simply must STOP accepting as trust whatever a woman says just because she says it! Women are no different than men. Demand proof or you are complicit in injuring a child.
The lies that were told on Two Clouds and his family has caused his son to miss out on two whole years of the love and tenderness he could have and should have gotten from his father. Thank goodness Creator put it in Two Clouds to just give in to virtually whatever the mother wanted, or he and his son would not have had any time together at all. His son could have and should have received the time he deserved, but unfortunately female toxicity runs rampant. Not only does he not have his father, but he also does not have his father's family because the narcissism continues. We are still not allowed to be in his life even though we offer no danger to him whatsoever, would only serve to shower him with more love, and be his connection to his father who would want nothing more.
What young people who are inexperienced in life and parenting do not realize is that the evil they do to their children will soon face them head-on. Many parents believe they own their children. They (try to) groom them to be exactly what they need them to be. Women who do not generally respect men and fathers particularly have this problem. Children grow very quickly. At a certain point they disregard lies and search for the truth themselves. Two Clouds' children are both of his spirit. When they are old enough they will come looking, and find, the truth. There will be a reckoning. It is only a matter of time. As was Two Clouds, we will be patient and trust in Creator.
What are tribal government, members doing to find answers, help...?
24) The photos of the open land (above) shows how no one could have simply run up on Two Clouds to sneak up on him, plus he tracked animals on that land for years; no one could get to him easily. In their stories that they both changed in the same way from the same original, S1 and S3 both said the Two Clouds' car was on the land next to the water while they were with him the night before, just hours before his death. When his was found, the car was parked a distance away at the land's entrance.
If Two Clouds had been incapacitated elsewhere, transported, moved to the shoreline, and then later to where the police found him, there had to have been more than one person involved, if only for the cover up. Two Clouds was just over 190 pounds; that would have literally been dead weight, with rigor mortis (muscle stiffening) having set in. One person could not have done it alone- certainly not S1 who is not a big person.
25) We cannot stress enough the question why did the tribal chief not send any of his 'concerns' to the actual police??
Two Clouds was one of his tribal members, had served as fire keeper, water protector, spokesperson, representative, researcher, historian, tribal secretary, he got acres and acres of stolen land back for the tribe, and at the time of his death he had just returned back from trying to get protection for the tribe from who they (including the tribal chief) believe is a very dangerous man.
Yet he had all those concerns and to this day has not demanded a police investigation?? Does not mention Two Clouds' name when he does interviews? And in fact, sounds as if Two Clouds never existed??
Here is an interview the tribal chief did for The Museum of Public Relations in November 2022 (about 4 1/2 months after Two Clouds' death). Notice that he never mentions Two Clouds, even when he is asked about his own accomplishments in working for the tribe (citing events which were not actually his successes, including this one where he alleges Black people are culturally misappropriating Ramapough history @ 42:19 and 42:42 Honoring Desegregation, and One of Its Architects which is exactly what he is doing).
Some areas that struck us is where he states:
a) the Ramapough are at the end of a quiet genocide and needs a Renaissance moment @ 3:24 (Two Clouds was murdered but was also the tribe's Renaissance);
b) that Ramapough students were being encouraged to drop out of school by educational staff @ 39:22 (he has a relationship with Ramapough College yet has not used them to his tribe's benefit, which would be easy to do [Two Clouds' mother very easily got a meeting with the college's president who quickly and eagerly agreed to partner with Beyond Clouds in helping to sponsor free programs developed by Umu Muriyd for Ramapough youth specifically, yet the chiefs and members seem to be uninterested each time they have been invited to participate);
c) that they are losing their homes @ 40:47 (Two Clouds made it clear to his mother that he "cussed out" the tribal chief and tribal council because they wanted to sell some of the land, and he told them they did not have the right, it was their ancestral land and belonged to the people);
d) that his people do not advocate for each other and need to start standing up for each other @ 41:35 (since he has not stood up for nor used his title and affiliations to advocate for Two Clouds at all we find statement interesting);
e) that he would like to find suitable people to replace him, "man, woman, or child" @ 50:47 (Two Clouds was the most suitable person to replace him yet Two Clouds made it clear to his mother that the chief was very against that idea [so was Two Clouds because he had been rejecting the suggestion for years], and he had in fact been getting more and more verbally hostile towards Two Clouds because he would not follow orders and was questioning too much); and
f) perhaps the most important thing anyone can do right now is give and share kindness @ 54:33 (because he is not practicing that with Two Clouds nor his mother [in helping seek justice for the only one who-according to himself- helped him fight for his tribe and their land], but also the Ramapough people themselves feel he is anything but kind or ethical towards them as they have an open online petition demanding to have access to Ramapough business as members of its organization.
26) "Everybody and their daddy" were writing great things about Two Clouds when people began hearing of his death... except most of the people who are believed to be involved (with exception of one woman).
Although S1 and S2 were of those who did make any RIP posts even though they were always around him, including the last weekend he was alive, they did find time to make posts inviting people to sit around the spirit fire to share stories of Two Clouds (as if it was a camp fire gathering for friends). They also posted these on the day of the funeral (and still no RIP post):
This first one by S1 does not seem like an arbitrary post, with all that transpired that day and since then. At the funeral and ceremonies S1 told everyone who would listen that he was now the new war chief (which was a lie). That along with other behaviors (some mentioned above) makes extremely suspicious this post which basically says, "it's about what you do, not what you say, when you are looking to accomplish a goal".
This is second one posted by S2 is frightening, to say the least. Her causing havoc on the mountain with S1 during the ceremonies then the next day breaking into Two Clouds' car and chaining up his canoe so his family could not take it just adds to the eeriness.
Something else that really stands out is that so many were pointing the finger at WD as a high probability for murdering Two Clouds. Except S1 and S2. Two people who traveled with him just days before, specifically because Two Clouds wanted help to do something about WD having come on the mountain issuing threats and formally declaring war.
Yet neither of them mentioned WD as an option for Two Clouds death, neither of them have offered information or answers that may help get justice for their "friend". There have been nothing but lies and rumors. Interesting, to say the least.
As for others who respected Two Clouds, and were sincerely in pained disbelief, here are links to some of their eulogies:
Muriyd Abdullah Muhammad Williams Obituary (scroll towards the bottom)
The Photo
When the divers pulled our beloved from the very water that he liberated from corporate hands, protected, and spent so much time on, this is how he looked. After days of being submerged in the basin, there are far worse photos than this one. Out of love, honor, and respect we are only showing these two publicly because we have decided it is necessary. Closed relatives and friends who we consider family (and who wanted to see what became of their beloved) have and will continue to be allowed to see them privately, as we keep working on finding ways to go on without him, knowing that he met such a terrible fate.
Two Clouds' mother is showing these photos of her beautiful first born child because she believes the people need to be outraged. This is a travesty!
How long will our leaders be murdered while we stand by pretending not to see?? Putting on blinders, lying to ourselves and others that we care about Indigenous people- when our inaction speaks the truth in volumes??
Would there have been an uproar if a white neighbor had murdered Two Clouds (as the culprits surely wished would have been the consensus)??
LOOK AT HIM.
LOOK.
No eye.
No ears.
No lips.
His face was eaten by animals.
Flies rest all over his body laying eggs.
And this is nothing compared to the more than 100 other photos that his mother had to pore through.
The night of the day that we got the most horrible news imaginable, our child's murderer kept asking, "What did he look like? What did he look like?? Did they say what he looked like??"
That was odd, to say the least.
Who immediately starts asking what their supposed "brother" looks like when they find out he has been submerged in water for days?
No tears. No disbelief. No incensed questions asking what happened. NOT ONE.
Only explanations. And forcing of theories. And alibis. And talking around questions. And lies...
a) Trying to push and push the idea that Two Clouds had a heart attack and fell out the boat. He was adamant. The first night. Before anyone could have known anything. That was what happened. No room for other possibilities.
b) He initially lied about not being with Two Clouds Saturday night July 2, 2022, just hours before his death.
c) He confessed that he always had Two Clouds' location on just in case something ever happened, but that he could not find a location for four days. Yet he did not look for him nor did he call the police or anyone for help when the person he allegedly sent to the land saw the car and overturned boat but no Two Clouds... who he always tracked and popped up on uninvited any other time until then.
d) He went on and on about a pillow he claimed to have brought to Two Clouds on the land late Sunday night because he was so concerned about Two Clouds' back possibly hurting from sleeping in the car. He was always following Two Clouds around for months yet had never brought him a pillow.
Until the night he was dead.
e) He, S2, and S3 all lied.
S1 and S3 both stated separately that they were with Two Clouds Sunday night until 1:30 am on the land by the water. (We know Two Clouds was already dead by Sunday night.)
Both of them separately changed their stories to the same new story that no, it was Saturday until 1:30 am Sunday morning.
S2 stated that she was texting with Two Clouds all night Sunday until 6:30 am Monday morning. When he was already dead.
Did the trio come up with a plan then realize it would not work but did not discuss it all together?
WE MAINTAIN THAT WE BELIEVE OUR SON AND LOVED ONE WAS MURDERED BY RAMAPOUGH MEMBERS WHO HE WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH AND WHO CALLED HIM FRIEND.
WE ALSO MAINTAIN OUR BELIEF THAT OTHER MEMBERS ARE COMPLICIT IN HELPING TO COVER IT UP.
WE HOPE INFORMATION PRESENTED HERE CONVINCES MORE PEOPLE THAT
MURIYD 'TWO CLOUDS' WILLIAMS WAS WRONGED
AND DESERVES TO HAVE THE MASSES STAND AND FIGHT FOR JUSTICE FOR HIM
AS HE ALWAYS STOOD AND FOUGHT FOR OTHERS THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE.
AMIN.
AHO.
ASHE.
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