[StBernard] Palmetto village construction

[Westley Annis]

PRESS RELEASE

 

ST. BERNARD PARISH DESCENDANTS OF HOUMA NATIVE AMERICAN NATION IMPROVE
PALMETTO VILLAGE IN LOS ISLENOS MUSEUM COMPLEX

Contact Person:    Linda Francois Moran

                                  (504) 669 - 9673

                                  lynmoran120652 at yahoo.com   

 

April 29th, 2014

 

 

The Houma Nation of Native Americans partnered with St. Bernard Parish
Government in 1998 under the terms of a cooperative agreement to assist in
the development of Los Islenos Museum Complex.  Since that date, the Houmas
have worked successfully with Parish Government and Los Islenos Heritage and
Cultural Society to interpret the diverse history of St. Bernard Parish.
The Houma Nation organized annual Pow-Wows at the museum complex in 2002,
2003 and 2004.  The Houmas actively support the Isleno Society in its annual
Los Islenos Fiesta and Museum Days, an interpretive program geared to
elementary school students which depicts the cultural and historical
diversity of St. Bernard through sight, sound and touch.

 

The earliest European French colonists who settled in Louisiana during the
late 17th and early 18th centuries encountered Houma Native Americans.
Houmas lived above and below what would become the City of New Orleans along
the Mississippi River in the 18th century.  They taught European colonists
to adapt to the lush semi-tropical environment which defines in large
measure the culture of the region.  The Houmas were among the Native
Americans who taught the Europeans to build pirogues and survive in this
climate, with its unfamiliar animal life and plant materials which were
totally foreign to settlers from Quebec, Acadie and France.  File, sassafras
root, sweet potatoes, corn and other food was introduced to the colonists'
diet by the Native Americans.  Thus, the representation of the Houma Native
American presence is essential to an accurate, more fully developed
presentation of the Isleno heritage and St. Bernard history.

 

Houma descendants Lawrence "Pete" Billiot and Bryant Billiot began
construction of a Houma Native American palmetto village on the grounds of
Los Islenos Museum Complex in 2011 in a grand effort to establish a
permanent, physical interpretive feature on the museum complex grounds
dedicated to the Native Americal historical presence in this community.
"Pete" Billiot represents St. Bernard Parish on the Houma Nation Tribal
Council.  Annually, the Houmas work to repair, enhance and expand the
palmetto village.

 

"Pete" and Bryant Billiot invited Boy Scout Troop No. 84 from Chalmette to
assist in repairing, refurbishing existing palmetto huts and structures in
addition to constructing a new hut April 25 - 26, 2014.  Scout Master of
Troop 84 Dan Weaver organized a group consisting of six adults and five boys
scouts.  The Houma delegation consisted of Bryant Billiot, "Pete" Billiot,
Melanie Billiot, Rodney Assevedo, Lois Trahan, Linda Francois Moran, Brian
Francois, Aviendha Di Maggio, Sybastienne Moran, and Blaize Hingle.  The
scouts camped Friday night on the museum complex grounds.  The boy scouts
were Damion Rice, Damien Nehlig, Jr., Joseph Gagliano, Jr., Samuel Albers
and Michael Morrisey (?).  Scout parent leaders were Dan Weaver, Casey Rice,
Eugene Nehlig, Damien Nehlig, Sr., Joseph Gagliano, Sr. and Kristine
Fontana.

 

Houma Council Member "Pete" Billiot commented "the youth of St. Bernard will
be intellectually enriched through exposure to the Houma cultural presence."
The Joseph and Arlene Meraux Charitable Foundation granted permission for
the local Houmas to cut small willow trees from foundation property to frame
the huts.  The Nehlig family allowed the boy scouts to cut palmetto leaves
from their family property for use in the huts.  This endeavor is a
permanent project of the Houma Nation in conjunction with St. Bernard Parish
Government, the owner of Los Islenos Museum Complex and Los Islenos Society.