Today I filmed in the Barataria Basin with Aaron Viles from the Gulf Restoration Network and the Atakapa Ishak Indians from Grand Bayou Village.
The trip was lead by Rosina and Maurice Phillipe who are descended from a long line of Atakapas. During French colonization their Atakapa ancestors taught settlers how to survive in the coastal marshes. Through this interaction, the Atakapas learned the French language and passed it down to folks like Rosina and Maurice.
Today, the Atakapas of Grand Bayou live a very traditional way of life in raised houses only accessible by boat. They make a living fishing and trapping and for the most part sustain themselves on local resources. For all of the recent media attention they've been getting, the Phillipes were still very willing to tour us around and talk about their culture.
We took a straight shot man-made canal out to Barataria Bay where Maurice pointed out acres of his oyster grounds that were now hit by the oil. Miles and miles of the marsh grass were caked with oil. This site weighed heavy on all of us, especially Maurice.
On the way back in, we took natural bayous that bended and curved through the marsh. Maurice navigated them with ease -- the kind that one gets after a lifetime spent on the water.
When we were near the village again, Maurice pointed out the location of the Atakapa burial grounds. These sacred sites were no more than 3-4 miles from where we last spotted oil.
It was a great experience to be out with the Atakapas and I look forward to seeing their resilience in reacting to this disaster.
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