Natchito Ches News

Volume 1, Issue 8 May 2011 Manager’s Corner By: Karen Kilpatrick If April showers tions peoples, the Na- Her love for her peo- bring May flowers, tive Americans were, ple was extraordinary what do May flowers and are, great conser- and was evidenced by bring? The age old vationists. It is with the passion she ex- rhyme brings up vi- great sorrow that I hibited during the sions of brave men share that one of the eight years we and women coming great First Nations worked together to over to establish the pillars passed away repatriate four partial freedoms we enjoy on Friday, May 20, sets of remains re- today. But before the 2011. Her name is moved from hatchery European settlers ar- LaRue Parker. grounds in the early rived there were LaRue was a remark- 1930‟s. The remains many Native Ameri- able woman who were taken by arche- cans who stewarded served the Caddo ologists during the this great land of people her entire life. hatchery‟s construc- ours. Also often re- She was a past Caddo tion days and ferred to as First Na- Nation Chairperson. “stored” at the Smith- .S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE Caddo Nation Chairperson LaRue Parker signing the Memorandum of Agree- ment between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Caddo Indian National establishing a Keep Safe Cemetery on hatchery grounds. Credit: Gary Hardison Natchitoches News sonian for over 75 years before being returned to the Caddo people and reburied here at the hatchery in the grounds from which they were so long removed. My journey with LaRue began when she came to the hatchery to begin a reconciliation process between the U.S. Government and the Caddo Indian Nation. A prayer team came in from Baton Rouge, we walked the land and prayed over it, I repented on behalf of the U.S. Govern- ment and she repented on behalf of the Caddo Indian Na- tion. I presented her with a Chief‟s blanket, chosen for us by an apostolic Native Ameri- The Caddo Memorial Plaza is located on the south side of the hatchery’s can leader in Oklahoma. aquarium Those reconciliatory begin- nings led to a great friendship and a governmental partnership that brought healing to all. It also resulted in a formal agreement between the two gov- ernments and a commitment by this hatchery to continually honor the presence of the Caddo people. Exhibits were placed in our aquarium and a Memorial Plaza was constructed adjacent to our aquarium. All efforts are reminders of the fact that the very land we use today to stew- ard this nation‟s great resources was also stewarded long ago by an advanced culture that still thrives today. I will never be the same due to my interactions with Chairwoman Parker. My heart will miss her forever. The plaque that honors the hatchery grounds as land sacred to the Caddo Indian Nation Page 2 NATCHITOCHES NEWS River Monsters Arrive at Natchtioches National Fish Hatchery By: Jan Dean and Tony Brady Tupelo, Mississippi is known as in April using gill nets at St. stall fish culture building for a the birth place of Elvis Presley, Catherine Creek National Wild- total of 3200 fry. As the fish in the King of Rock and Roll, and life Refuge just off the Missis- the tanks have grown, which is also the birth place of conser- sippi River south of Natchez, they do very quickly, the com- vation for the King of Large River Systems, the Alligator gar. MS. The adults were taken to mercial food fed to them is in- Private John Allen National Fish PJANFH where they were in- creased in size. In addition to Hatchery (PJANFH) is the cen- jected with hormones and the fish being reared in the four- ter for restoration of this top spawned on 27 April, and the fry stall building, 1536 fry were river predator. Alligator gar hatched on 2 May. Natchitoches stocked into two fish rearing have been featured on Animal National Fish Hatchery (NNFH) ponds containing forage fish for Planet‟s River Monsters with received Alligator gar fry from the Alligator gar to eat. This Jeremy Wade. You can check out what they had to say about PJANFH on 6 May that were will help to determine if pond them at placed in tanks set up in our culture is a viable option for pro- http://animal.discovery.com/fish/ holding house and offered a diet ducing stockable fish. The Alli- river-monsters/alligator-gar/. of brine shrimp, aka Artemia. At gator gar will stay at NNFH until You may be asking if these fish about a week old, we began add- they reach a size of about 8 are monsters then why are we ing a commercial starter feed inches, then they will be trans- raising them? The Alligator gar really isn‟t a monster to people, with the brine shrimp for the Al- ferred to PJANFH where they but they do have a monster sized ligator gar fry eat. At two weeks will be tagged and released into appetite for fish. Seeing that the of age, the fish were weaned off the wilds of Tennessee. Alligator gar can grow up to 10 of brine shrimp and fed only the feet in length and weigh close to commer- 300 lbs, restoring this gar to his- cial fish toric population levels may help food. combat the explosion of Asian carp that are taking over the We then Mississippi River and its tribu- moved taries. Because of their potential the fry size there is a renewed interest from the among anglers who want to holding catch a trophy river monster house Recreational fishing for Alligator gar was very popular in the tanks to 1950‟s. Arkansas was national stock known for its recreational fishing eight of trophy Alligator gar, until the tanks at populations were overharvested. density The staff from PJANFH and of 400 staff from the Baton Rouge Fish fish per Alligator gar fingerling being reared at Natchitoches National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Of- tank in Hatchery fice collected adult Alligator gar our four- Page 3 NEWSLETTER TITLE The Public Wants to Know about Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery By: Tony Brady You have heard the brain teaser, “If a the second type that says, “I have lived questions meaning that the presentation tree falls in the woods and no one is here my whole live and have always were well received and sparked interest around to hear it does it make a wondered what ya‟ll did at the hatch- in the hatchery. This interest thus helps sound?” Well, the same can be asked, if ery, but I have never been there to us gain support for our programs in the a hatchery raises 1 million fish for re- visit”. By reaching out to the local community. lease and no one knows about it, did business men and women in our com- the hatchery make a difference? While munity we are able to expose these this may not be worded the best, the adults to the workings of the hatchery point is how can we expect public sup- and how the programs have changed port for our programs, if the public since they were kids or to enlighten doesn‟t even know what we are doing? them about the hatchery that they grew In order to spread the word about the up driving past, but for whatever rea- different hatchery programs at the Nat- son never stopped to learn about. chitoches National Fish Hatchery From these two outreach opportuni- (NNFH), the hatchery staff had the ties, over 50 people were exposed to opportunity in May to speak to the lo- the current operations that are ongoing cal Rotary Club in Natchitoches, LA as at NNFH. After giving a presentation well as to the Piney Woods Chapter of the boss always asks, “How did it go the Society of American Foresters. In today?” We have learned that a good Natchitoches, there are two types of presentation isn‟t followed by a round From left to right, Frank Kinberger, Tony people, one type that remembers com- of applause, but by a lot of thoughtful Brady and Lewis McBryde ing to the hatchery as a kid and are now questions. The two presentations were bringing their kids and grandkids, or indeed followed by lots of thoughtful Government Efficiency? We‟re Trying! By: Karen Kilpatrick Two exciting construction projects are The second project is replacement of dow contracts should be awarded on the horizon at the hatchery. Like the most of the hatchery windows and re- sometime in June. new pole shed, for which a contract has modeling of the hatchery crew room. already been awarded, these two pro- The majority of the hatchery buildings jects are also long overdue and needed. were built in the late „50‟s/early 60‟s They will help greatly with energy effi- and the windows are single pane with ciency. The first project replaces all aluminum or metal frames. The new the lighting on the hatchery with en- windows will bump the efficiency up ergy efficient lighting. The lighting greatly and should reduce electricity project will correct some safety issues costs tremendously. Additionally, the and hopefully help save electricity. crew room will get new flooring, ceil- ing, and doors…all designed to in- crease energy efficiency. In 2010 the hatchery also implemented the use of Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) on the hatchery‟s pumps. This too was done to help drop electrical costs.

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