Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): This community about 700 indians sits along about a mile of narrow bayou near Chauvin Louisiana in the southcentral Delta. The oil spill stopped their fishing and shrimping, and is just the latest of problems, the greatest of which is rapid loss of tribal land to subsidence and erosion tied to recent hurricanes and oil and gas production. 


Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): This tightly knit community comprises most of the 700-member Pointe Au Chien tribe, which they say is descended from Biloxi, Chitimacha, Choctaw, Acolapissa and Atakapa Indian groups. The tribe began seeking Federal recognition separate from the Houma tribes in the Delta in the 1990s.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): The community is perched on the narrow banks of the bayou and over recent years flooding and subsidence have claimed most of the land on which they used to plant gardens. The town had many oak and cypress trees, used in building and boat construction (and dugouts) but due to rising waters and salt intrusion only a few large oaks remain.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Fishing, crabbing and shrimping -- using small boats and large trawlers -- is the main work of Pointe Au Chien as well as their main very healthy food source. "Here we eat seafood every day," said Teresa Dardar. But "I haven't eaten any fish since the oil" was seen in a nearby bay in May. "I have a freezer full of shrimp," from before the spill, she said.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): The community uses the original name: Point of the Dogs, referring to wild dogs which were in the area when Indians first settled there. The name was changed for the surrounding area, which is now known as Pointe Aux Chenes or Point of the Oaks.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Earline Verdin, with her husband Wallace -- parents of tribe chairman Charles Verdin and Christine Verdin (also in photos here) -- speaks of tribe and family history in her home. On the table is model of a pirogue boat and photos of Wallace's 65 and 93 foot shrimp boats.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Earline Verdin, with her husband Wallace, says her dad made dugouts and pirouges out of cypress. Modern shrimping was very good for Wallace and others when prices were as much as $10/pound in the 1970s to 80s. Now the prices have fallen drastically, they said.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Earline Verdin, with her husband Wallace, says her dad made dugouts and pirouges out of cypress. Modern shrimping was very good for Wallace and others when prices were as much as $10/pound in the 1970s to 80s. Now the prices have fallen drastically, they said.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Earline Verdin, with her husband Wallace, says her dad made dugouts and pirouges out of cypress. Modern shrimping was very good for Wallace and others when prices were as much as $10/pound in the 1970s to 80s. Now the prices have fallen drastically, they said.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Map drawn by Christine Verdin of the Delta bayous and communities of the Pointe Au Chien (at top) and Montagut. The modern history is complex and research is part of the tribes' efforts to be Federally recognized. Indians have been in the area for many hundreds of years, based on ceremonial mounds found in the area.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): After we asked about the tribal population on the bayou, Christine Verdin (r) makes a list of the Indian families from memory. She got help from her aunt Shirley Verdin (c) and neighbor Teresa Dardar. Shirley said "I feel safe here. I would never move somewhere else. this place is made of all family." Teresa said, "We care about our community. After hurricanes it floods, but we come back."

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Christine Verdin in Pointe Aux Chenes school garden with principal Sandra Sevin. Earlene Verdin says local schools were segregated for a long time. She and Wallace went to Indian school, but their children were in integrated schools.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Christine Verdin, sister of the tribe chairman and teacher at the "Pointe Aux Chenes" school, which uses the geographical area name, which was changed from the original Pointe Au Chien -- "Point of the Dogs" -- to "Point of Oaks" in the 1970s.

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Kids file onto the bus on the first day of school in the village (same day as shrimping was opened in the area). Earline Verdin said, "We could not go to school with white people, but now who is teaching their kids? The Indian people!" "I've got three daughters teaching their kids."

Pointe Au Chien, Louisiana (Aug 15-16, 2010): Elected Chairman of the Pointe Au Chien indian tribal community is Charles "Chucky Verdin. The 52 year old is leading the effort to get Federal recognition for the tribe.