article on first nation groups in south Louisiana
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Shannon Dosemagen
Nov 26, 2015, 9:38:09 AM11/26/15
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Several people asked about the groups that are in the area where the Barnraising was held (Cocodrie/Dulac/Houma/Chauvin). Here's an AP article about the problems (and potential recent changes that will make it "easier") with becoming federally recognized that groups in the area have experienced: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/native-americans-louisiana-swamps-seek-tribal-recognition-35419545
Shannon
Scott Eustis
Nov 27, 2015, 11:21:08 PM11/27/15
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This struggle isn't just for native people--native people are leaders in environmental movement across the state, and to support the struggle for recognition is to support clean up. The lands in question have been sacrificed for the oil and gas industry, and so federal recognition for people of the land would bring more standing and possibility for land and water that has been severely contaminated to be brought into clean up. Oil and Gas impacts to native peoples is also a Global trend, so this story is not unique to Louisiana, in many ways.
Here's an environmental history from T Mayheart Dardar, who served on the Houma council, and is of Golden Meadow (just north of LUMCON cocodrie) written much more critically than this email:
People talk a lot about converting coastal louisiana into parkland, given all the issues, but federal recognition would probably go a long way toward achieving similar land protections in a more just manner. If Litigation can produce long buried environmental compliance documentation, or testimony from environmental compliance workers still living, the companies generally lose in court (see "secret oil memos" below), and costs that have been external can be somewhat internalized.
Government in Louisiana has been in collusion or, at best, too anemic to bring these kind of suits, and spend the time and resources to produce these documents. So the suits generally come from private land holders, even other oil companies. New Orleans flood authority brought one, and there was political retaliation. The liabilities run into the tens of Billions, and so there is great hesitation, politically.
So supporting the United Houma Nation and other native peoples is supporting standing in court to force companies into clean up.
I spoke with some folks about BTEX sensing in Grand Bois for the pits that still are allowed to exist, during the air testing session. here are some milestones from that decades old struggle. side note, I believe Ms Clarice Friloux is among the (unofficial) Louisiana Indigenous delegation to Paris.
US Liquids / etc got
only $83k fine for 30 years of air violations from their massive pits.
2013
2011
2010
2005
2003 EJ analysis of oil production impacts on Native Lands, across the earth
"Dirty South"
Why is the industry scared of legacy lawsuits? because they documented their own wrongdoing.
thus said API on the economic benefits of political action:
"Unfortunately, the EPA was considering new regulations on oil-waste disposal that the American Petroleum Institute had estimated would cost industry $34.7 billion nationally. “Negatively speaking, the future use of pits in Coastal Division looks economically undesirable when assessing proposed regulations. . . . Positively speaking, these regulations could be mitigated through congressional action to reduce their economic impact.”
On the prospects for Houma and others in the coastal zone, in terms of flooding, climate and for relocation:
On Thu, Nov 26, 2015 at 8:38 AM, Shannon Dosemagen <shannon....@gmail.com> wrote:
Several people asked about the groups that are in the area where the Barnraising was held (Cocodrie/Dulac/Houma/Chauvin). Here's an AP article about the problems (and potential recent changes that will make it "easier") with becoming federally recognized that groups in the area have experienced: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/native-americans-louisiana-swamps-seek-tribal-recognition-35419545Shannon
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Scott Eustis
504 484 9599
Public Lab mailing lists are great for discussions, but to get attribution, open source your work, and make it easy for others to find and cite your contributions, register for the website, and describe your work in a research note.
504 484 9599
Public Lab mailing lists are great for discussions, but to get attribution, open source your work, and make it easy for others to find and cite your contributions, register for the website, and describe your work in a research note.
mari lmb
Nov 27, 2015, 11:22:50 PM11/27/15
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You so right
Liz Barry
Nov 28, 2015, 9:00:58 AM11/28/15
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Thank you for educating us on this. I read the first article Shannon sent, and this seemed to be the main point that has changed in the bureaucracy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs:
>>> "The biggest difference is that a tribe now will have to prove its existence and cohesion starting only in 1900. Until now, tribes had to prove they'd been intact tribes — with unique identities, cultures and governance — dating to historical times."
Is this correct?
M Kenosian
Dec 3, 2015, 7:24:31 PM12/3/15
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hi-
I can't tell you whether that is a change.
According to the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker group:
(Article attached)
The Friends Committee document attached lists 7 criteria that have to be met in order to be considered a tribe by the Federal government.
The BIA website seemed designed to lead a search away from these criteria. It was exasperating.
Interestingly, states can recognize a tribe even if the federal government doesn't. The state of Louisiana does recognize the Houma as a tribe.
There are some ugly arguments about who is a tribal member.
The Saginaw Chippewa, for example, want to remove 230 people from their tribe, including some dead people.
Depressing research.
Mary K
PermacultureNOLA
Dec 4, 2015, 1:19:22 AM12/4/15
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Hey friends. Its storytime. That guy in the article lives near Lumcon. I recently met him when I went to see the folk art exhibit, Kenny Hill sculpture garden, right by Lumcon. We just stopped by his place at the end of a road and chilled and drank beer. My friend was just curious about the disappearance of the Houma tribe, as we all are concerned. He is very open to chatting and a cool guy. He loves to show off pictures and proud of his family. His daughter was working at a nearby festival selling some native Houma wares so we took off to find her at the festival. We unfortunately took a wrong turn, but, ended up finding a great Mexican restaurant and "the largest knife shop in the world."
Oh, I recommend the Kenny Hill Sculpture garden. You will be moved.
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