Rising Waters

The sun seems to love the skin on Donald Dardar; his skin is warm bronze with sunspots and deep lines. His face is weathered; he has the look of a true captain. And when he’s out on his boat, his skin gleams, and his long silver hair blows in the wind behind him. The sun’s […]

Everything that came out of Cookie’s mouth was said with a smile on her face. “What if I said you can’t record me?” Clearly, Cookie had some experience with journalists coming to her house and asking about the situation on the island. While the words coming out of her mouth seemed unfriendly, the tone in […]

The natives of the Isle De Jean Charles are facing huge amounts of land loss due to sea levels rising. What used to be 20,000 acres of land on the isle has dwindled to 350 acres. The Isle used to be surrounded by bountiful marshes and vast amounts of wildlife but has been swallowed up […]

Without a doubt, the Louisiana coastline is vanishing. A variety of factors are causing it, from climate change to oil drilling. The Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribal members of Isle de Jean Charles are certainly feeling the impact as they choose between saving their culture or saving their families.

Lot prices in the lower 9th ward are low, and favorable for luxury developments and out-of-town developers are looking to take advantage of low prices. One construction company that’s building in New Orleans for the greater good is unCommon Construction, a construction company that provides paid apprentices for local high school students. “We want to […]

One turn into almost any Louisiana coastal town and you are greeted by larger-than-life homes – but not in the sense you may be thinking. These houses sit like giants in the sky on stilts. They are all typically one-story homes that get raised many feet above the ground. A usual basement turns into open […]

Nevles Brown has lived in the lower 9th ward of New Orleans almost his whole life. Now, 15 years after Hurricane Katrina, he says he didn’t expect his community to still look like this. Mr. Brown is not just talking about the debris-filled streets or the water-stained homes, but the loss of community, family and […]

While the Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians move through a contentious relocation effort as their island is slowly swallowed by water, other Louisiana tribes and an Alaskan tribe facing similar predicaments have made their plights known to the United Nations by submitting a formal complaint. On Jan. 15, The Alaskan Institute for […]

Isle de Jean Charles is a Native American tribe in southern Louisiana. Chief Albert Naquin and the tribal members have been fighting for a safe resettlement site that will avoid flooding hazards caused by climate change, oil dredging, and hurricanes.

About 15 miles east of downtown New Orleans, the nation’s second-largest urban wildlife refuge rests on an isthmus between Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne—a region constantly pummeled by storms off the Gulf of Mexico. Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge has played a major role in the protection of one of the largest metropolitan areas at […]

Usually you can catch the Kluckin Tavern at Tractor Supply in Gray La. on Saturday mornings. For all your fowl needs, Bobby Trahan and his parade of poultry are at your disposal. But we caught the trailer on the side of the road and decided stop and took a look inside.  Trahan said he and […]

The home of Johnny Tamplet isn’t an extravagant one. To get there you must pass over a hand-built bridge made out of wood with at least 3-inch gaps between the boards. In his yard, are discarded tires, and several rusty trucks and cars- some are even flipped over due to past hurricanes. The grass and […]

Eastern Terrebonne Parish is disappearing, but the entirety of Terrebonne Parish besides Isle de Jean Charles is protected by the Morganza to the Gulf levee system. The land areas south of the Morganza levee system act as a buffer zone for floodwater pushed inland from the Gulf. Across the Louisiana coastline, Director of the Terrebonne […]

The Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans was one of the hardest hit areas from Hurricane Katrina. Now, 15 years after the storm, rebuilding is still taking place. A group of journalists interview people to see how much help they received (or didn’t).

Indigenous to the Isle  Outside of a stilted house at the tip of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands, an artistically renovated toilet displayed a sign that read, “climate change is not worth _.” The exhibit belongs to Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribal member Chris Brunet, whose family has been living on the Isle de Jean Charles for at least seven generations. “The big […]

Every year millions of Americans take part in Mardi Gras or the carnival season. The carnival season last for around three weeks, and consist of live music, bands, food, festivities, and an abundance of culture. Most tourist celebrate the carnival season on Bourbon street, while other New Orleans natives celebrate throughout the entire New Orleans.  […]

Isle de Jean Charles is grasping onto Louisiana as it rapidly slips into the Gulf, just as its residents are grasping onto what’s left of their culture. The Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe calls the island home. A mere strip of road connects them to the mainland. Rita Falgout lived there her whole life until the water started […]

Jimmie Harris, a firefighter of the New Orleans Fire Department Station 39 in the lower 9th ward, never anticipated the devastation that was brought upon the lower 9th ward. Harris is one of the few firefighters who are stationed at the New Orleans Fire Department Station 39. Harris traveled all over the world as a U.S. Army […]

FEMA’s National Flood insurance Program has been used by many American families for years. Its purpose is to serve protection for areas at risk for flooding, whether that be private homes and businesses, or public structures. The insurance program is structured in a way that is said to reduce socio-economic impacts of disasters such as […]

The picture of southern hospitality, 65-year-old Roger Molaison stood outside his childhood home in Houma, Louisiana and assured people with a warm smile that they had, in fact, found the garage sale. He invited them into the house with a firm handshake and a friendly pat on the back where his 70-year-old brother, Richard Molaison, […]

Coastal erosion and rising waters challenge Louisiana every year. With flooding getting worse and land sinking into the sea, residents have had to adapt and fight through various means. But coastal problems don’t just affect humans – they put many Louisiana native animals in danger as well. Louisiana is home to over 400 bird species, […]

The freshwater ecosystems that live beneath the Intercostal waterway of Louisiana and its surrounding areas are losing their native biodiversity, and quickly. A new dictator has taken over, and it’s name is Water Hyacinth. Although beautiful, it’s looks are deceiving. The plant’s thick green matt that floats on top of calm water is one of […]

Most of the members of the Isle De Jean Charles are of the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe. There are no songs, no outfits, and there has been no Powwow since 2004. The tribe didn’t have any typical traditions to begin with, but still celebrated its heritage nonetheless. Instead, the tribe has more life and community-centered traditions, like […]

Mercedes Gibson Mercedes Gibson, 80, could barely be heard over the men shouting at the slot machines in the corner of her bar and restaurant, Mercedes’ Place, in the Lower Ninth Ward, a neighborhood in New Orleans. Two other men sat at the bar watching USC take on UCLA in college basketball. Her wrinkled hands […]

Just off Main Street in Houma, Louisiana sits a small restaurant bordered up to the Terrebonne Bayou. There’re approximately 18 seats to dine at in the opened-space dining area. Homemade crunchy, sugar-like toffee sits for sale at the register along with freshly made shrimp dip. Seafood is the name of the game at Bayou Cane […]

From June 1 to Nov. 30, it’s hurricane season for the U.S. Atlantic Coast. But this year, coastal communities are facing a double threat to their health and safety during the COVID-19 outbreak. If a Katrina-sized (or larger) hurricane were to strike anywhere from New Orleans to New York during the pandemic, communities along the […]

When 54-year-old Chris Brunet noticed a group of young adults with notepads and cameras standing outside his stilt house, he excitedly rolled his wheelchair onto the powered lift to greet them with a big smile and a firm handshake. Brunet, a proud member of Isle de Jean Charles’ band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians, has grown used to the sight of inquisitive journalists. Some of these journalists called the people of his tribe America’s first […]

The south is known for its charming hospitality, diverse music roots, spice filled dishes, and strong ties to its heritage. The flexible history within the U.S. depends on the storyteller experience and lineage. The history we know has been whitewashed – altered and condensed based on the current narrative the legislation wants to share by […]