Generational Perspectives

By Dylan Mcelroy, video editor The United Houma Nation is a tribe of Native Americans from South Louisiana fighting for their culture. Fighting to stay above water both metaphorically and physically. But why is their culture vanishing? Below are members of the community from different ages and areas. Listen to their stories of their everyday […]

A Religious Spirit

By hannah orgeron, staff writer While the United Houma Nation’s traditional religious practices have mostly been lost over time due to the integration of Catholicism and Protestantism, religion is still an integral part of their lives today. Micheal Dardar, UHN historian, says the Catholic and Methodist religious practices were brought to the people by religious […]

RJ Molinere

Grand Bois, Louisiana United Houma Nation RJ, along with his son Jay Paul, is featured in the History Channel’s Swamp People, a reality series about alligator hunting. About Swamp People “I have a son that’s been with me fishing alligators since he’s three years old. Because his mama came to this school here, this college […]

Environmental Threats

“Our people are having to leave because of land loss. A lot of them are not doing better for it.” – Thomas Dardar

Lucas Gilbert

Cut Off, Louisiana United Houma Nation Favorite Tradition “My favorite tradition would have to be beading, in which my mother, she is a very good beader in which she taught me how to bead. And so she passed down her knowledge to me. In which I have actually, in some part, have taught others to […]

Modern Migration

Many Houma families migrated to northern parishes such as Orleans and Jefferson Parishes in the 1940s-1960s for new educational and job opportunities. As the oil industry became a more valuable career option for them, many of these families migrated back to southern Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes in cities like Isle de Jean Charles and Dulac. […]

Luke Jansen

Cut Off, Louisiana United Houma Nation Favorite Tradition “You’re either trawling, working with family, having fun or you’re somewhere working. It’s just an experience you gotta try it and see what you like. I like the dancing. That’s one thing I like to do. I like the fact that you are able to jump around […]

Evelyn Marie Matherne Jarrell

Golden Meadow, Louisiana United Houma Nation Favorite Tradition “I like to get together at the Indian powwows and we do all kinds of stuff and it’s nice.” Being UHN “Nice… we used to have a lot of fun and do a lot of things.” Growing Up in South Louisiana “My grandma always protected me from […]

Tyler Duplantis

Dularge, Louisianacurrently in Thibodaux, Louisiana United Houma Nation Favorite Tradition “Making Gourds. I like them because you are able to tell a story and its expression that you can express through creation. “I’m also fascinated with drumming. It tells a story that isn’t by word of mouth but rather by sound.” Being UHN “It makes […]