People of the Coastal Wetlands Resilient communities living, working and surviving together January 2014 Number 48 WaterMarks is published two WaterMarks times a year by the Louisiana Louisiana Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration News Coastal Wetlands Conservation January 2014 Number 48 and Restoration Task Force to communicate news and issues of interest related to the Coastal CONTENTS Wetlands Planning, Protection and Traditions of Stewardship and Community Restoration Act of 1990. 3 Inspire Hope for Coastal Louisiana This legislation funds wetlands restoration and enhancement Wetlands’ Abundance Supports Vietnamese 8 projects nationwide, designating Seeking New Homes and Livelihoods nearly $80 million annually for Coastal Louisiana’s Croatian Community work in Louisiana. The state 11 contributes 15 percent of total WaterMarks Interview with Don Davis project costs. 14 WaterMarks Editor Holly L. Martien he editor of WaterMarks wishes to express 3737 Government Street Alexandria, LA 71302 Tappreciation to the many people who generously (318) 473-7762 contributed their time and expertise to this issue, especially the first people of Louisiana – the American ABOUT THIS ISSUE’S COVER . Indians; and Dr. Don Davis, Thu Bui, and Dr. Rex Caffey, Map of CWPPRA projects in coastal Louisiana, members of the Louisiana Sea Grant team, for their U.S. Geological Survey, National Wetlands Research Center untiring effort to provide accurate information. CWPPRA agencies work with Kimberly Walden, Cultural Director and Historic Preservation Officer of the Sovereign Nation of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, For more information about Louisiana’s coastal wetlands and the to protect sites of religious and cultural efforts planned and under way to ensure their survival, check out significance. Photo: Holly L. Martien, USDA these sites on the World Wide Web: Natural Resources Conservation Service www.lacoast.gov www.btnep.org Jure Slavic and Nikola Vekic staff the Croatian American Society’s oyster booth at the www.coastal.la.gov www.crcl.org Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival. Like CWPPRA on Facebook at facebook.com/CWPPRA Photo: Anita Cognevich, Croatian American Society Subscribe A fisherman of Vietnamese descent continues the immigrant tradition of To receive WaterMarks, e-mail [email protected] shrimping. Photo: LSU Sea Grant College Moving? The post office will not forwardWaterMarks . To continue Program delivery, send your change of address to [email protected] Page 2 photo: Holly L. Martien, USDA Natural For current meetings, events, and other news Resources Conservation Service concerning Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, subscribe to the CWPPRA Newsflash, our e-mail newsletter, at 2 January 2014 Number 48 www.lacoast.gov/newsletter.htm The Chitimacha of Louisiana: “We have always been here.” Traditions of Stewardship and Community Inspire Hope for Coastal Louisiana or centuries, the groves on high ridges and in the “new world” Native presence of indige- found ready food in marshes Americans were decimated Fnous peoples in the teeming with fish and game. by war, disease and exile. marshes bordering the Gulf While able to adapt and Sanctioned thefts – taxation, of Mexico ebbed and flowed thrive in this ever-chang- forced sales, swindles and in response to the dynam- ing natural environment, squatters – robbed them of ics of the Mississippi River. within a span of decades ancestral lands. Today, the They took shelter in oak following Europeans’ arrival thief of coastal land is sub- sidence, unchallenged since the marsh-nurturing Missis- sippi River was imprisoned behind levees and dams. Cultural resources disappear as land vanishes Leading the fight against this modern-day land theft is the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration This map, published in 1820, shows regions of Louisiana and Missis- sippi that were home to Native American tribes: the Choctaw and Chickasaw countries (gray section in the northeast); the regions of the Natchitoches (western green area), the Opelousas (yellow in southwest), and the Attakapas (green and yellow in the south-southwest). In the mid-1800s the Chitimacha sued the United States for title to tribal lands, and a government decree designat- ed 1,062 acres in St. Mary’s Parish (yellow section in south-southwest) as belonging to the Chitimacha. In ensuing years the tribe’s holdings were reduced to 260 acres, but modern-day tribal leaders have pushed to reacquire the original land and add contiguous acreage to the reservation, increasing its size by more than 1,000 acres. WaterMarks 3 Used by permission of Louisiana State Museum, http://www.crt.state.la.us/museum/ WaterMarks 3 Act (CWPPRA), and standing cane and continuing our bas- ouisiana has the highest beside CWPPRA to repre- ket-making tradition, and Lpopulation of American sent her tribe in this fight is protecting culturally import- Indian tribes and organi- Kimberly Walden, Cultural ant sites,” said Walden. “To Director and Historic Pres- have a voice in the conserva- zations in the Southeast. ervation Officer of the Sover- tion planning process, Loui- Of the four federally rec- eign Nation of the Chitima- siana’s four federally recog- ognized tribes in the state, cha Tribe of Louisiana. nized tribes – the Chitima- only the Chitimacha has cha, Jena Band of Choctaw, lived continuously in the Thousands of years ago, the Coushatta and Tunica-Biloxi Chitimacha ruled the coast- – formed a council at the coastal region. Four coastal al region. Archaeological invitation of the United tribes are among the 10 evidence indicates that the States Department of Agri- state-recognized tribes: the tribe has continuously occu- culture Natural Resources Point-au-Chien Indian Tribe, pied the Bayou Teche area Conservation Service. The United Houma Nation, Isle since at least 800 B.C. “Our Tribal Conservation Adviso- ancestral lands encompass ry Council helps to identify de Jean Charles Band and all of coastal Louisiana,” significant cultural resourc- Grand Caillou/Dulac Band. says Walden. “At one time we es, educate landowners on Additionally, at least eight were the most powerful tribe the importance of those tribal community-based on the northern Gulf Coast; resources and protect areas as many as 20,000 people that are of historic, religious, organizations represent fished, farmed, and raised and cultural significance to residents who trace their families in villages through- these tribes.” ancestry back to indigenous out the region’s rich and people. fertile marshes.” Land theft by man and na- ture has reduced the geo- graphic footprint of today’s Chitimacha Tribe, but gen- erations of Chitimacha have left a cultural legacy across the entire Louisiana coast. Walden and others like her are vigilant in their efforts to protect this legacy. “We are preserving our heritage by teaching our children the language of our ancestors, sharing stories of our elders, cultivating river An American Indian woman living in Louisiana’s wetlands circa 1907. Photo provided by Dr. Don Davis of LA Sea Grant. Original from the Smithsonian In- stitution, Dr. John R Swanton Collection 4 January 2014 Number 48 In her capacity as Tribal among Louisiana’s Native says Verdin. “Saltwater Historic Preservation Officer, Americans; deterioration intrusion has crippled Walden advises federal agen- of protective wetlands and our way of life. There’s no cies and parishes of sites the disappearance of bar- place to raise cattle or farm and artifacts potentially at rier islands increase the outside the levees. Marshes risk in CWPPRA restoration vulnerability of those who where we used to hunt project areas. “We might have lived near the Gulf for and trap animals are open make recommendations to centuries. “Used to be, when water now. As people grow avoid impacting a village a hurricane blew through, up, there’s no place to build site or disturbing burial it might cause some dam- homes. People move away. In grounds,” says Walden. “On age, flood our homes,” says time, we will cease to exist occasion we suggest alter- Chuckie Verdin, chairman of as a community.” nate restoration techniques the Pointe-au-Chien Indian to prevent damaging histor- Tribe. “We’d just clean up Verdin supports rebuilding ic or sacred sites, or share and rebuild. But with land barrier islands, undertaken information such as the loss, there’s nothing to come by such CWPPRA projects location of shell middens back to. The land’s just going as East Timbalier Island that might make a certain away.” Restoration (TE-25, TE-30 restoration method prefera- and TE-40) and West Belle ble to others. Our work with Once self-sufficient, Pass Barrier Headland CWPPRA agencies gives us communities of Native Restoration (TE-52), that an opportunity to protect the American ancestry are replenish sandy beaches land that is sacred to our struggling to maintain their and restore back marshes. people.” cultural identity as they lose Strengthening this first line traditional foods, medicines of defense against the ero- Culture and identity and sources of livelihoods sive powers of storm surge linked to the land along with their homes and wave action is an im- Awareness of coastal ero- and land. “Living along portant tool in protecting the sion’s threat is widespread the waterways, we always lands of Louisiana’s native made our living by fishing, people. oystering and crabbing; by farming and raising cattle,” Verdin also supports plans for diversions, such as CWPPRA projects West Bay he Historic Preservation