The Precipice

Another uniquely Louisiana story from LPB… The Precipice focuses on a Tribal community’s struggle to preserve an eroding shoreline threatening to wash away their community and culture. A process compounded by decades of systemic injustices by the state of Louisiana and the federal government and exacerbated by Hurricane Ida’s devastation in 2021. The Pointe Au Chien Indian Tribe has been fighting to hold on to its identity and culture after centuries of discrimination and systemic racism. Located on one of the five fingered bayous in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana (the fastest eroding basin in the United States), Pointe Au Chien is a small fishing community with one of the most unique histories and cultures in the state. The Tribe of nearly 800 (current population) has lived on this bayou for centuries, and to this day speak in an “Indian French” dialect that is unique to this area. This small French speaking tribe continues to comprise a distinct community despite colonization, land loss, lack of status as a federally recognized tribe, exploitation of the land and people, and denial of educational opportunities.

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