You are hereState of The Nation

State of The Nation

By Webmaster - Posted on 23 August 2008

Hurricane Gustav Photo's

Hurricane Ike Photo's

How Safe, How Soon?

Coastal Louisiana - A Way Forward Video

State of the Nation

Messages from the Principal Chief
Brenda Dardar Robichaux

11/20/08

Follow this link to read a story by Dennis Woltering - WWL-TV on Houma Today: Big Oil hurt coast, so why doesn’t it pay for repairs?

Week of 9/29 - 10/2/08

Each week of our recovery period brings new problems and new challenges. One month after hurricanes Gustav and Ike has had an impact on our communities, our current dilemma is to find adequate housing for our people. Although FEMA has offered vouchers for temporary emergency housing, this does little good. With no available rentals and hotel rooms taken up by representatives of the oil and gas industry, people have no where to turn. Our families cannot leave the area because of their jobs and because of their children’s need to return to school. Thus, we have tribal citizens living in storage containers, tents, homes with a considerable amount of wind damage and most frequently in small homes with multiple families. FEMA needs to do more!

Many families along the bayou communities earn their living in the traditional lifestyle of fisherman. Where most people live check to check, fishermen live catch to catch. With the high cost of fuel, ice and supplies, along with the extremely low price they are being paid for their catch and the influx of imported seafood, it is very difficult for our fisherman families to earn a living. It will be quite sometime before they will be able to recover from the damaging effects of hurricane Gustav and Ike.

My father called me to share something that was quite interesting. One of his fisherman friends called him to say that he had seen two alligators swimming in the Gulf of Mexico next to where he was trawling. Louisiana alligators are a fresh water species and are rarely seen outside of freshwater bayous and swamps. It its unlikely that these creatures will survive in this environment. They have become another casualty of these storms. It is distressful to travel down the bayous and see the huge mounds of family belongings piled along the highway. I know how hard they have worked to furnish their homes only to have all of their personal belongings lying in piles of flood soaked rubble on roadside. In some cases, the flooding and wind damage was worse that it was from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; for others this year's storms have made their ongoing struggle to recover since 2005 even more brutal.

Before Gustav, some people were still living in FEMA trailers. Others, over the past three years, had waded through state and federal bureaucracy to try to apply for funding to rebuild or elevate their homes, only to be turned away and left to confront the wrath of another storm. The story I shared a couple of weeks ago about an elderly couple that was denied Road Home assistance after being assured that they would receive it illustrates this perfectly. They are just one example of many who have faced similar injustice from Road Home. Had these families been granted the assistance they were truly qualified to receive, they would not be facing the crisis they are now in.

On a recent trip to Isle de Jean Charles, I noticed a large number of vehicles parked at a home. As I approached the home, I heard church hymns being sung by the approximate 20 family and friends who had gathered. A tribal elder, 87 years old, had evacuated to Baton Rouge from the Island for hurricanes Gustav and Ike. He later returned to a relative’s home in a neighboring town. The gentlemen has life threatening health problems and although his home had been largely destroyed by the storms, he expressed to his family that he wanted to spend his last days in his home on the Island. His grandson worked frantically to remove flooded furnishings from his home and clean it as best he could in order for his grandfather to return. When we arrived, the family was singing his favorite church hymns to comfort him in his last moments. My heart broke as I saw this frail tribal elder laying on a cot surrounded by loved ones. Although there was still marsh grass on the porch and mold on the walls, his final wish had come true. He was home.

Week of 9/21 - 28/08

More Information

Week of 9/21 - 28/08 With a trailer in tow, we picked up a generous donation of refrigerated foods items on Sunday. Because of a lack of large refrigerated storage space, these items were processed and distributed throughout tribal communities late into the night and at the Old Store Relief Center. We were awakened very early Monday morning as we were summoned to the hospital for the birth of my godchild’s first child. This joyous occasion was short lived as my daughter and I left the hospital to attend the funeral of the 16 year old tribal citizen who drowned in Hurricane Ike’s floodwaters. To my knowledge, this was the first hurricane related death of a tribal citizen in recent years. The church service was held at the funeral home as the church was closed because of health concerns due to excessive mold. This large, beautiful family paid tribute to Dion by wearing T-shirts with his picture and a prayer on it. The priest managed to find words of comfort for the family’s loss of such a young child. We continue with our outreach efforts traveling to various bayou communities on a daily basis. The home of the tribal council representative from Bayou Dularge is inhabitable due to flooding and mold. Although she is in the process of gutting her home, she still makes time to assist with outreach efforts. The tribe’s bus, loaded with supplies, distributed goods to this community on Monday afternoon with more outreach efforts planned for this area. Wednesday evening I attended a welcoming dinner in New Orleans honoring Mr. Xavier Darcos, the French Minister of Education and Mr. Pierre Vimon, Ambassador of France to the United States. Mr. Xavier Darcos came to Louisiana to sign the France-Louisiana Accords which have been an important link between France and Louisiana in the linguistic and educational realms for 30 years. This was my first outing from our community since Hurricanes Gustav and Ike as I felt it was important to continue the relationship with the French Government that began over 300 years ago. The first step toward Ms. Marie Dean returning to her home came at the end of the week with the assistance of citizens from the Coushatta Tribe. The family shared with me their excitement of the wonderful work being done on tante Marie’s home. I continue to hear stories of people living in conditions that are unimaginable from tents to storage trailers. They are doing so out of necessity and are making the most of a very difficult situation. Conditions along the bayou communities have taken their toll on our People’s spirit. The massive damages left by hurricanes Ike and Gustav have been overwhelming. It is emotionally stressful when you cannot provide basic necessities for your family and loved ones. It is customary for family members who did not receive damage or flooding to help other family members with their clean up effort. The damages are so wide spread that almost everyone from the community has been affected, therefore unable to offer assistance to others. Oh how things began to change on Friday! The United Houma Nation is a part of the Fifty Communities Network, a coalition of community organizers, organizations, and local leadership with whom Martin Luther King, III has visited, toured, and engaged since the inception of the Realizing the Dream initiative. I communicated with them that the communities Martin had visited several years ago as part of this campaign were virtually destroyed by hurricanes Ike and Gustav. Martin arrived on Friday to offer assistance. He witnessed first hand the impacts the hurricanes had on the bayou communities of Terrebonne parish as we brought him throughout the area. He also attended a meeting of the tribal government and parish president about concerns tribal council representatives had for their districts and the UHN. Our earlier conversations had set in motion the organization of over 1400 volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and members of the AFL-CIO, to assist with the recovery efforts. With chain saws, shovels, back hoes, tarps for roofing and other equipment, they swept through the bayous of Terrebonne Parish. Their brightly colored yellow shirts brought rays of sunshine to the bayous that were beginning to be very dark with despair. Tears of desperation turned to tears of joy as citizens of the bayou communities no longer felt forgotten but blessed that someone would give their time to help them through this difficult period. We were informed that efforts similar to this will continue for the next several weekends. Their presence not only assisted our recovery, but most importantly, they lifted the spirit of our people as well. What a blessing! On behalf of a grateful United Houma Nation, I would like to extend our thanks to Martin King, his associate Johnny Mack, and to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for their magnificent action in our time of need. Click this link to view the pictures: Realizing the Dream on the Bayou

Week of 9/14 - 20/08

More Information

Week of 9/14 - 20/08

Outreach efforts are continuing throughout tribal communities, although some communities are still under a look and leave order. Last Sunday was spent assessing flood damage with a group of us traveling by boat down Shrimper’s Row in the Dulac community. We drove until the water was too high to go any further and then launched the boat from the side of the highway. Shrimpers Row, a roadway along which most of our Tribal Citizens live, was covered with water. Although there was enough water on the road to run the motor, most of the time one of our group pulled the boat through the sometime waist deep muck which covered much of the area. It was heartbreaking to see caskets that had floated from a local cemetery. A group of caring citizens towed the caskets back to the flooded highway and tied them to a tree to prevent them from floating away again. We met a family of three paddling down the bayou. They mentioned that they had spent the storm in their home until the water had gotten too high and then had to evacuate to their grandmother’s home which was elevated. They also mentioned that there were 4 other children at her home, all under the age of eight. At this point it became apparent that many of the people in the area were in dire need of supplies. We were able to reach the tribal vice-chair who was on his way to work. He turned around and brought us a van loaded with foods that we had packed for delivery earlier to this community but were unable to do so because the roads were flooded. We met him in our boat on the side of the highway and loaded the boat along with another boat which we found overturned in the water. After bailing out the second boat, we towed it behind us and used it in our food delivery. The family we had met paddling down the roadway, like many others who had not evacuated for Hurricane Ike, had remained behind because they did not have the resources to go elsewhere. We made several trips down the bayou delivering supplies to all that we had found in need and left a boatload of supplies with this family, as the father was eager to deliver all that he could to his neighbors who we may have missed. I am happy to say that we were able to give temporary employment to this young man, and he has been a wonderful asset to our recovery efforts. However, the lives of our people are complicated. With his home unlivable, he is in need of a stable environment where his children can return to school. He spent 6 hours yesterday at a FEMA office and still does not know where he and his family will live in the immediate future. Unfortunately, he is but one tribal member out of thousands who find themselves in similar situations. However, our people are resilient and somehow have managed to survive these crises in the past. I mentioned in a recent blog that there was a man who had been rescued along with his 92 year old mother during the storm. He accompanied us on the trip and showed us the home they had evacuated. Another person on the trip declined to go into his flooded home, as it was too emotional for him to handle at the time. Monday’s outreach efforts took us to the Grand Bois community. Grand Bois is a small town that had not flooded before but did so with Hurricane Ike. Cars and lawn mowers were parked along the highway to prevent them from flooding. Community members received supplies from the tribal bus and then took them to their home by pirogue. We have great concerns for the citizens of Grand Bois, as there is a controversial oil field waste facility next to the town. We worry that some of this waste may have been released into the area where our people live. Tuesday marked the opening of the Old Store Relief Center. As with hurricanes Katrina and Rita, an extensive data base of services is being kept. Food, water, baby items and cleaning supplies are some of the items provided. The staff is assisting tribal citizens with their FEMA applications and free hair cuts are being offered by a staff member who is a beautician. The Old Store Relief Center has provided assistance to approximately 80-90 families a day. A meeting was held on Wednesday with Red Cross and FEMA in which they vowed to work collaboratively with the UHN. What a difference 3 years makes! Our previous experiences with these agencies had not been so productive. Tribal council representatives also met with state officials on Thursday and expressed their frustration with the lack of adequate flood protection for our tribal communities. The local school district has a large increase in the number of students who have qualified for the homeless program since the two hurricanes. They have reached out to us for assistance. A meeting of school supervisors and staff, parish government officials and community organizations was held on Friday to address these needs. The end of the week brought us to Dulac with a group of students who assisted in removing flooded items and several inches of sludge (wet mud) out of the Dulac Community Center. Some tribal citizens are beginning to return home. Although there is no longer water in the homes, many yards remain flooded making the “gutting” process difficult. It’s heartbreaking to travel down the bayou and see all of a family’s possessions on the side of the road awaiting pickup by local parish equipment. Tribal citizens have shared their stories of evacuating and returning to their flooded homes with us at the Old Store Relief Center and during our outreach efforts. For the first time, I am beginning to see some of our People weary. After three long years, some of their lives were just beginning to feel normal again while others were still struggling to recover from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I would like to share with you a story of a wonderful family I had known for years but became close to following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They are an elderly couple who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and who live along Shrimpers Row. They had their home flooded by Hurricane Rita and now again by Hurricane Ike. I had visited with them recently when I brought a reporter from Time Magazine to interview them for a story on the Louisiana wetlands. During his interview they described their love for the land and the attachments they felt for their home and their culture. When asked about seeking Road Home funds to elevate their home, they mentioned that they felt sorry for the people in New Orleans who had lost everything and did not want to take any money that might be used to assist these families. When they were later persuaded that they needed to file for these funds they did so and were scheduled to have their home elevated prior to the storm. However, the Road Home evaluation team found they had a faulty faucet attachment in their bathroom and denied them their funds until the problem was corrected. The elderly husband was unable to perform this task himself and the elevation of the home was cancelled. Prior to Hurricane Gustave, they had placed all of their treasured possessions in their automobile and had evacuated the community. When they returned, they replaced everything in their home, only to be caught unprepared for the quick rising waters which occurred with Hurricane Ike. All of their precious possessions were devastated by the floodwaters which covered their home. The amazing part of this story is the same thing we heard with flooding in New Orleans, St. Bernard Parish, Plaquemines Parish, and elsewhere. When the floodwaters begin to rise, they sometimes come up so quickly that escaping them is impossible. Friday night, a dinner was held for Ms Marie Dean’s 92nd Birthday. A big event was planned at a KC home but was rescheduled to a restaurant because the KC home flooded. A group of dedicated volunteers had rebuilt Taunte Marie’s home after hurricane Rita and now 3 years later hurricane Ike has left her home with 5 feet of floodwaters. At 92, she enjoys being in her own home. As I sat next to this beautiful elder her smile did not reflect the sadness I saw in her eyes. Due to the flood waters still in her yard, she has not had an opportunity to return home. I promised her that as soon as she did, we would be there to help her rebuild her home once again. The United Houma Nation is blessed to have a dedicated tribal council and staff. Almost all of them have had damages to their homes and yet they are finding the time to assist with community outreach and to identify the needs of the people who live in their respective districts. Days are long and it is difficult to remember what day it is or what has happened from one day to the next. The days seem to blur into one another. It is difficult enough to meet the needs of our Tribal citizens and even more difficult to write about these experiences. Although it is difficult to write this daily blog, I will continue to do so as I realize how important it is to share our stories with you. When I first began writing about our plight, it was healing as it helped me to organize my thoughts and plan my future activities. At this point it has become more difficult as the stories that need to be told are painful to describe and difficult to express with a degree of accuracy to equal their emotional significance. I receive a large amount of calls and e-mails each day and feel obligated to return each of them, as the next one may be the call that provides needed assistance to our people or who describes someone in desperate need. We were fortunate enough to have anticipated losing our e-mail connections and obtained a wireless attachment for our computer that has enabled us to send and receive e-mail messages. We have also had to rely on different phone connections, as two of the three services available locally have been out of order at one time or another. I am extremely grateful to have a loyal and understanding family and friends who have stood with me throughout this ordeal and who realize that this is just the beginning of a lengthy and trying experience for us all. Click this link to view the pictures: Hurricane Ike

9/13/08

More Information

9/13/08

Hurricane Ike made other plans for us overnight. I received a call before dawn from the representative who stated she would be unable to join me. She evacuated from her home in Pointe aux Chene to stay with her father in Houma. Her father has lived in his home for 50 years and has not experienced flooding in his neighborhood. They were awaken at 5:00 AM by a knock on the door warning them of the flood waters approaching his home. Although his home does not appear as though it will flood, the rising waters have made the streets to his home impassible. My husband, a friend and I continued with our quest to visit the evacuation shelter. We discovered several families from the Dulac community together at the shelter with most having arrived on Thursday. We sat and visited, listening to their concerns about what is happening to their home and community. We discussed how they had not yet unpacked their belongings from their evacuation of Hurricane Gustav before Hurricane Ike had them fleeing again.

We sat with a young couple and their beautiful 1 year old twins. Car seats and a portable crib were the only belongings they were able to fit in their vehicle for the twins upon their evacuation. A talented 11 year old young lady occupied her time drawing while at the shelter and proudly showed us her beautiful artwork. A tribal elder shared with us a beautiful quilt with beadwork that she had just completed a couple of weeks ago. We brought some of the children home with us to spend time away from the shelter. Listening to their touching conversations on the way home, they expressed concern for the items they cherish most but did not take and the realization that it will be lost in the flood waters. They assisted us stocking the Old Store Relief Center with supplies donated from Wal-mart and spent the afternoon at a children’s play world. A friend who traveled by boat to Dulac shared pictures of Hurricane Ike’s wrath on the community. The entire community looked like a lake with approximately 8 feet of flood water. These pictures hauntingly resemble the ones taken after Hurricane Rita.

In the early evening, we returned the children to the shelter to join their family for the night. As we shared the pictures of Ike’s wrath on the Dulac community, a crowed gathered with everyone looking for landmarks of their neighborhood or home. It was very difficult to hear the sighs of disbelief and grief as someone would recognize a picture of their flooded home. They were very appreciative of the opportunity to view the photos as they felt it helped to prepare them for their return home. Late evening, I received a call from a Tribal Council Representative informing me of a 16 year old tribal citizen drowning in Hurricane Ike’s floodwaters. The accident happened at his home. I am emotionally drained and look to the Creator for strength and guidance to get through these difficult times.

Click this link to view the pictures: Hurricane Ike

9/12/08

More Information

9/12/08

We are still very limited in the amount of news coverage that we can receive since Hurricane Gustav. As I sit on the front porch and the winds are coming from the East, I don’t need news reports to tell me what is happening to our tribal communities. Hurricane Ike’s less intense winds have caused the type of flooding we expected from Hurricane Gustav and we find ourselves with many of our communities being totally covered with flood waters. News reports and calls from tribal citizens who remained in their homes inform us that the flooding is even worse than that experienced with Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. The Tribal Council Representative from Golden Meadow shared with me that the wind direction and strength are such that there are waves or what we call white caps in the normally calm waters in Bayou Lafourche. Because of the well designed and constructed levee system, the citizens of my childhood community below Golden Meadow have thus far been spared the tragedies being experienced in the communities of Terrebonne parish.

Homes and businesses just below the levee system have been totally covered in flood waters and the degree of damage will not be known until the flood waters recede. Earlier today, we received word that a 92 year old tribal elder and her son were unable to evacuate before the rapidly rising flood waters made it impossible for them to leave. Her home is not a raised home so she managed to make it to a neighbor’s home which is elevated. Attempts were made to rescue her but the small boats and strong winds proved too much for her to escape the rising waters. When we received word of her dilemma, we were able to contact one of the relief agencies who sent a rescue vehicle and she was moved safely to high grounds. After a couple of hours of worry, we received a phone call from a very grateful son thanking us for our part in their rescue. Friday evening, arrangements were made with a Tribal Council Representative from Terrebonne Parish to join me in the morning to visit evacuation shelters to locate tribal citizens, identify their needs and offer assistance.

Click this link to view the pictures: Hurricane Ike

9/11/08

More Information

9/11/08

My mission for Wednesday was to have the bayou communities impacted by Hurricane Gustav served with outreach to begin meeting their needs. With a donation from Red Cross, we are finally able to begin delivering supplies. Supply trucks were unloaded, items sorted and loaded into vehicles with the assistance of hardworking friends and volunteers. These groups then headed to the hardest hit tribal communities. Volunteers conducting outreach were amazed that tribal citizens only took what they needed and would not accept anything more. They marveled at their strong sense of spirit even in these challenging times. This effort continued late into the night. I felt a sense of accomplishment that the outreach effort was going so well.

Thursday morning the tribal bus headed to Dulac to continue with our outreach efforts. A phone call brought the news that had been my worst fears. Because of the approach of Hurricane Ike, there is a mandatory evacuation for Lower Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes. The waters are rising rapidly and people are scrambling to bring their vehicles to higher ground. One highway is being blocked by a fallen power line. I am informed that some highways were already covered with water, even though Ike is miles away. My heart sinks. I called the bus driver and instructed him to turn around as Hurricane Ike is making his presence known. Some of the tribal citizens from these communities cannot afford to evacuate outside the parish again because all their resources were used to evacuate for Hurricane Gustav. They had not yet recovered from these unexpected expenses. The anxiety begins again.

As the winds blow, we know the waters are rising. We worry about the impact Hurricane Ike will have on our tribal community. I cannot believe this is happening again. Hurricane Gustav gave us wind damage. The path of Hurriane Ike has the potential to cause severe flooding. In doing an assessment of all the bayous, it has become apparent that the settlements with the greatest number of Indian People are the communities that are least well protected and have suffered the most from hurricane damages both from this storm and from storms in the past. Bayou Grand Caillou with the greatest density of Indian People in the state and bayou Pointe aux Chene, another largely Indian settlement, lack flood protection which is afforded to other communities. There are flood gates or barges that protect Bayou Terrebonne, Bayou Little Caillou and Bayou DuLarge from tidal surges. Why aren’t our Indian communities protected like these others?

Click this link to view the pictures: Gustav Damage

9/9/08

More Information

9/9/08

With so much to be done, there does not seem to be enough hours in a day. We have held numerous meetings strategizing the short and long term needs of our tribal communities, worked with other organizations to address our immediate needs and continue to conduct needs assessments throughout the affected communities. Tribal citizens are reaching out to us for assistance with food and cleaning supplies. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to be able to fulfill all of their needs at this time.

On Saturday, we accepted the first grant award from the Gulf Coast Emergency Response Fund. The funds will address immediate needs of tribal elders. Although the LA summer heat is very uncomfortable for us, our concern is the effect it is having on tribal elders. Using the Untied Houma Nation tribal rolls, elders were identified and are being contacted. An assessment is being made of their immediate needs such as fuel for generators, medicine, food and shelter. Most of Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes are still without electricity and much of Terrebonne Parish is still without water. The projected date for the return of electrical services is October 1. The reality for most of our tribal citizens is that the cost of running a generator for this projected amount of time is well beyond their means.

One of the unfortunate consequences of the hurricane has been the loss of the contents of our freezers which are stocked with seafood such as shrimp, crabmeat and fish which are caught by tribal fisherman. These items help to keep a family’s food cost down. Some families have cooked the contents of their freezers and have shared the meals throughout the community. My daughter Felicite’s principal stopped at the Old Store Relief center to inform us of the damage to the school. Like other schools in the parishes, it too has wind damage and the cafeteria has lost all of its refrigeration items with the power outage. Children of Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes will not be back in school for at least another week, possibly longer, depending on when electrical power is restored.

Click this link to view the pictures: Gustav Damage

9/6/08

More Information

9/6/08

Friday morning was the first day that I was allowed access to Isle de Jean Charles. A first responder brought me pictures the night before, but I had not yet seen the Island personally. So my husband Mike, my 11 year old daughter Felicite and I, wearing our rubber boots, headed to Isle de Jean Charles, one of the hardest hit communities. Island Road, the highway that leads to the settlement, lay covered with dead trout, drum and red fish. We parked our truck at the beginning of the Island and walked several miles to the end. The pictures did not prepare me for what I was about to see.

We witnessed homes off their foundations that had floated on levees and piles of rubble that were once homes. After years of coastal erosion and without a good protection levee this community was very fragile. Hurricane Gustav showed no mercy. I became very angry that something had not been done sooner to protect the barrier islands that would have given my community a fighting chance. I remember stories told to me of how there were acres of land on which children played baseball, and pastures where horses roamed. To see the state of the Island now was overwhelming. Of the 100 or so people who live on the Island we met with approximately 4 families. The rest had not yet returned to see the fate of their homes.

We stopped at what was left of every home, walking through a foot of swamp mud and leaving contact information so that we could try to offer assistance. As we approached the end of the Island, we saw a stark contrast as camps owned by non residents were often left totally intact, without any visual signs of damage. We met one of the camp owners who exclaimed that although the hurricane was bad he thought it was going to be a lot worse. He must have repeated those thoughts a half dozen times. I could not believe what he was telling me. NOT THAT BAD…COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE…FOR WHOM? Surely not the residents of the Island! As we continued to walk the next camp owners spoke from the balcony of his perfectly intact camp and expressed with pride how his camp has withstood the last three hurricanes without any damage because it is built with 32,000 wood screws. Our people can’t afford HOMES built with 32,000 wood screws. So we are left with homes totally destroyed and may have to consider relocating, leaving the land we love while non residents with resources can build CAMPS that will sustain hurricane force winds and coastal erosion. Why hasn’t something been done sooner to protect our community? Is it because the Island is a poor Indian community so it doesn’t matter what happens to us? After we finished our assessment, we returned to Raceland to join tribal citizens, family and employees as they prepared the Old Store Relief Center. An afternoon rain shower proved too much for the hurricane damaged roof. The infamous Hurricane Katrina “blue tarp” will be put on the roof until it can be repaired.

Click this link to view the pictures: Gustav Damage

9/5/08

More Information

9/5/08

It is now four days since the storm. Still no electricity and some areas are without water. We have been doing an in-depth review of the status of our bayou communities. We are heartbroken to discover that our communities of Isle de Jean Charles and Pointe au Chene have been virtually destroyed by this storm. The attached pictures will illustrate this point much better than any words can describe. For every picture of a home destroyed, a family has been displaced and its members left to contemplate their futures. In a conversation I had with someone from a national organization today, the haunting words were said “It looks like you dodged a bullet!” I tried to refrain from over reacting to the comment as it was obvious that the local and national media do not consider us worth covering. Once again the United Houma Nation and its tribal citizens have been ignored and our People have been left to fend for themselves in the face of this overwhelming catastrophe. We offer thanks to the creator for all who have reached out to help us in our greatest time of need.

Click this link to view the pictures: Gustav Damage

9/4/08

More Information

9/4/08

Wednesday, we traveled to St. Bernard Parish to assess Hurricane Gustav’s impact on this community. St. Bernard is still struggling to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. Once again we witnessed downed power lines and trees with varying degrees of wind damage to homes and businesses. I become quite frustrated with my cell phone because I cannot receive or make calls. Everything is going to voice mail and I am unable to retrieve the messages. I am able to determine that many of the incoming calls are from tribal citizens and family who have evacuated. But I am unable to communicate with them. We hear news that Terrebonne Parish residents will be able to return home on Friday. I dread the moment when they will return to the community and realize the damaging effects Gustav has had on their homes and lives.

Click this link to view the pictures: Gustav Damage

9/2/08

More Information

9/2/08

Hurricane Gustav has come and gone but his impact remains...to what extent is still uncertain. Our home has a minimal amount of damages with lots of downed trees. The Old Store which served as the center of our relief services in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita also suffered wind damage. My concern is to be able to repair the damages as soon as possible so that we may begin to provide relief services in the building. We are without electricity and have very limited cell phone services but do have internet and e-mail. There is a TV being run by a generator with rabbit ears wrapped in foil but can only catch one channel.

Although Hurricane Gustav made landfall in Terrebonne Parish, most coverage is about New Orleans again. We are very limited in the amount of accurate information on the damages to our tribal communities which is quite frustrating. We made an attempt to gain access to our communities to assess the damages but were turned away by road blocks. Power lines are still down making the highways impassable. We receive calls from tribal citizens who evacuated the area seeking information on when they can return and the extent of the damages. We have nothing to share at this time. The unknown is agonizing.

Click this link to view the pictures: Gustav Damage

9/1/08

More Information

9/1/08

About 20 of my family and friends have chosen to ride out Hurricane Gustav with us at our home in Raceland. Our home is on a high ridge right across from Bayou Lafourche. Last night was a relatively calm night with little wind and rain. But that soon changed. We lost electricity at 6:05 AM and are using batteries and a generator to stay in touch with what is happening throughout our communities. The wind has picked up considerably here to about 85 MPH. Some of us are sitting on the back porch watching in amazement how huge oak trees can bend and not break while magnolia tree branches fall. Others are glued to the TV listening intently for word of where Gustav is headed and the impact he is having. The latest update is my worst fear for the Houma People as it is learned that he is approaching the bayous in Terrebonne and Lafourche parish.

I feel we have done our best to make sure everyone has evacuated safely. The rest is out of our hands. Hurricane Katrina and Rita left Plaquemine and St. Bernard Parishes with barely a home left standing or livable. It has been a challenge to assist our People in these communities when there is nothing left to start with. Some are still living in FEMA trailers, with family and friends and a few are finally returning to a home. Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes have been on the road to recovery for the past 3 years with lives just getting back to normal. My fear for the past three years has been “What if Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes suffered total devastation as Plaquemine and St. Bernard Parishes? These are the communities with the highest concentration of Houma People.

How would we recover knowing the challenges we still face in Plaquemine and St. Bernard?" I am paralyzed in fear that this is what is happening. The great people of the Houma Nation that I am so honored to represent, who have faced many challenges over the years are about to face one of our greatest challenges. As I sit and write the winds are blowing and Gustav is approaching. I pray for protection, strength and courage to face what lies ahead.

Click this link to view the pictures: Gustav Damage

8/29/08

More Information

8/29/08

It's difficult to imagine that on the third anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we are threatened with the possibility of being in the same position that we were three years ago. But please be assured we have learned many lessons, and we are better prepared than we were then. We are all keeping a watchful eye on Gustav and are aware of the impact he could have on our communities. We would urge each and everyone of you in the threat zone to evacuate if you are able to on your own or contact your local officials immediately if you need assistance.

We have reached out and are coordinating with the local offices of emergency preparedness in all of our communities to ensure that they are aware of your needs. We are four days from expected landfall and realize that Hurricane Gustav's track can change many times. Please continue to check the web site. We will do our best to keep you updated and provide you with information as things progress. I pray the Creator blesses us with strength and courage during these difficult times.

Click this link to view the pictures: Gustav Damage

State of The Nation

Hot Topics

Talking Bayou - Newsletter Signup

Previous issues

Events

Upcoming events

Navigation

Palmetto Hut Store

Forms

GoDaddy Webmail

« December 2009 »
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

State of The Nation

Hot Topics

Talking Bayou - Newsletter Signup

Previous issues

Events

Upcoming events

Navigation

Palmetto Hut Store

Forms

User login

GoDaddy Webmail