Before gumbo, Zydeco and the multicultural influences that shaped today’s modern South Louisiana culture, the people of the United Houma Nation inhabited this land and nearby regions. One of the many native peoples, their rich culture influenced many aspects of the bayou region today.

Originally from Mississippi, the tribe were mound builders that go back thousands of years. Over time, war, colonization and prejudice pushed the tribe into Louisiana and eventually to the Louisiana coast.

The six parishes where most of the 19,000-member tribe now lives line the Gulf of Mexico and, with that, are threatened by hurricanes, rising sea levels, coastal erosion and other environmental risks created by companies like oil and gas. Their land is disappearing.