A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Louisiana Sea Grant and Point-au-Chien Indian Tribe pilot project will enhance cultural and community resilience in a region where land is swiftly being submerged by water.
The Building Relationships and Communal Resilience with the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe in Southeast Louisiana program aims to aid the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT), which is severely affected by storms and continuously threatened by climate-related risks such as coastal erosion, subsidence, rising water levels and saltwater intrusion in their towns, according to a Nov. 21 NOAA news release.
“The experiences and perspectives of Tribal partners must be central to how we build Climate-Ready and resilient communities,” Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves said, according to the release. “Aligning NOAA’s climate data and services with the needs of the PACIT can help enhance climate resilience in Louisiana and beyond.”
All the effects have an impact on the Tribe’s capacity to live their traditional lives of farming, fishing and hunting, the release reported. The effects also threaten culturally sensitive places and have an impact on where people live. Louisiana Sea Grant will manage a $70,000 NOAA investment in the pilot project for the fiscal year 2022.
The tribe has been adapting to a changing environment for decades and has seen those changes intensify over the past few decades, PACIT Second Chairman Donald Dardar said, according to the release.
“This project is important to support our adaptation and resilience efforts as we work to maintain our cultural heritage and way of life for future generations,” Dardar said in the release. “We welcome the opportunity to be part of discussions that value our traditional knowledge and will be used to create specific resources tailored to our Tribal community.”
