Louisiana state coastal tribes hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina

Posted: September 09, 2005
by: Brenda Norrell / Indian Country Today

HOUMA, La. - Hurricane Katrina destroyed the homes of Louisiana-state recognized American Indian tribes on the Gulf Coast, and some have lost everything to hurricane damage and flooding.

Tribal members say Hurricane Katrina did not discern whether tribal members were from federally-recognized tribes, but those lacking federal recognition have been largely ignored by federal agencies and the media.

At least eight families of the state-recognized Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, located in Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, lost everything or received major damage.

Patty Ferguson, member of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe and the tribe's attorney, said three families from the tribe - one in New Orleans, one in St. Bernard and one in Mississippi - lost everything.

At least five other tribal families living in Jefferson Parish have been displaced. As of Sept. 8, it was unclear whether their homes were spared in the storm.

"The tribe also does not know the extent of the damage of three families living in St. Charles Parish and one in Kiln, Miss., where the eye of the storm passed through," Ferguson told Indian Country Today.

Ferguson said there was other damage. "The Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe estimates that that at least 21 families have some roof/house damage."

In southern Louisiana, five state-recognized Indian tribes felt the effects of Katrina, including the United Houma Nation which spreads across various settlements in that part of the state.

The other tribes hit were the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe; the Isle de Jean Charles Indian Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, located in Terrebonne Parish; the Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, located in Lafourche Parish; and the Muskogees, located in Terrebonne Parish.

The United Houma Nation has about 4,250 members living in the region affected by Katrina, including St. Bernard, Orleans, Jefferson, and Plaquemines parishes. The entire parish of St. Bernard was flooded and those Houma Indians living there are now displaced. Some are in shelters, some in hotels, and others scattered throughout the state with relatives.

A preliminary report from Pat Arnould, director of the Louisiana Governor's Office of Indian Affairs, on Sept. 6 showed that 70 Chitimacha families were affected in Orleans, St. Bernard, Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes.

With reports still coming in, preliminary accounts show the numbers of United Houma Nation tribal members affected: 200 people in Orleans, 650 in St. Bernard, 400 in Plaquemines and 3,000 in Jefferson Parish.

Arnould told Indian Country Today, "Please advise any tribal citizen affected in these areas to contact their tribal government with information on their whereabouts. At this time many will not know of the damage suffered, but we are very concerned with those who have evacuated."

Members of affected tribes living in other states should also contact their tribal government.

"I am getting many calls wanting to offer assistance but have no way of knowing the locations of our population," Arnould said.

Arnould can currently be contacted at the State Office of Emergency Preparedness: (800) 256-7036. Her desk number is (225) 925-7445. Other numbers include (225) 219-7556 or, for Louisiana residents, (800) 863-0098.

Elsewhere, Ferguson said members of the Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees also have roof damage and are in need of assistance in making repairs. The main concern for this area is access to food and supplies. Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi Chitimachas Chief Randy Verdun arranged a food delivery to his community members through the assistance of churches in the Baton Rouge area.

"Many of these bayou tribes are fishing communities," Ferguson said of the five state-recognized tribes in southern Louisiana. "It is unclear how Hurricane Katrina will impact the fishing industry. The catches have been minimal the last few nights, and the market for crabs has been reduced.

"There is a fear that the crab, oyster and shrimp seasons may be finished for the year. The alligator season has been postponed due to mortality of alligators caused by the storm. Fishermen may be eligible for emergency unemployment because of the debris and pollution in the waters as a result of Katrina," she said.

Debris and trash in the waters need to be removed to enable a productive fishing season. Most Indians in the area freeze enough seafood for the winter.

"Tribal leaders are concerned about those families who do not have generators because their winter supply of seafood and other food products spoiled during the power outages. Families in affected parishes are also eligible for emergency food cards through the end of the week to assist in replacing spoiled food as a result of the power outage," she said.

Electricity and phone service was restored to the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, located to the southwest of New Orleans. Tribal members living in the community are grateful it was spared from the hurricane surge and are focusing on outreach to those members and individuals who have been hit the hardest by Katrina.
Chairman Charles Verdin of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe is concerned about roofs torn apart and the further damage that can be caused to homes if those are not repaired.

Emary Billiot, former tribal council member and an elder, will be surveying the damage in the community to see if any of the tribal members living in Pointe-au-Chien need help to make repairs.

Verdun said scores of homes would need repair from the strong winds of Hurricane Katrina. He said the three state-recognized Biloxi-Chitimacha Indian communities are along the Gulf Coast in Lafourche and Terrebonne.

"All were hard-hit," Verdun told Indian Country Today.

"Additionally, we have tribal members that reside in other parishes that were hard-hit as well. Some losing everything, many are still without power and need food and water.

"The economic impact will last for years, especially for those that rely on the gulf and inland lakes to earn their living in the seafood industry."

Due to hurricane damage to telephone lines, Indian Country Today was unable to reach the Houma Nation, Chief Albert Naquin of the Isle de Jean Charles Band of the Biloxi-Chitimacha or Chairman Marlene Foret of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha.