"The grant will enable the partnership between the Pointe au Chien Indian Tribe, the Grand Caillou/Dulac Tribe, the Grand Bayou Atakapa-Ishak/Chawasha Tribe and the Lowlander Center to mitigate erosion from canals and identify which ones threaten to erode burial sites and other areas that are sacred to the state’s indigenous coastal tribes. The project will also allow the Lowlander Center to begin working to fill or plug unused canals, which are causing significant land erosion, damaging crops, and making it harder for tribes with centuries-old connections to the land to safely remain in their homes and support themselves and their families."
“This will ultimately save tribal communities along the coast,” said Shirell Parfait-Dardar, Chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Indians. “Sacred sites have been lost to coastal erosion in Louisiana, and many families have been forced to relocate from sacred lands due to the effects of land loss. The implementation of this project will help restore much of what’s been lost throughout the years.”