Beyond Katrina

Katrina, Rita and the Houma: A Nation in Recovery

Reznet, the online newspaper for Native America, has been covering  the impact of the hurricanes of 2005 on Louisiana indigenous coastal tribes via a  year long project, "Katrina, Rita and the Houma". Journalism students Mary Hudetz, a Crow reporter from the University of Montana, and Martina Rose Lee, a Navajo photojournalist from Arizona State University, collaborated  with veteran  journalists Victor Merina, a former Los Angeles Times investigative reporter, and multimedia journalist Steven A. Chin to produce the special report.  See the special report, here.

An anonymous commenter at the Reznet website posts the following:

• Bayou Landfall: The Houma Nation vs. The Hurricanes is a documentary that chronicles the struggles of The United Houma Nation after the hurricanes swept ashore on the Louisiana coast. The film has been shown internationally and won the 2006 Alan Fortunoff Humanitarian award at the Long Island International Film Festival. Please visit www.snowflakevideo.com for more information about Leslye Abbey's films.
• Bayou Landfall will be screened at the Global Green Indigenous Film Festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Friday, April 18, 2008, 10 AM at the Santa Fe Film Center at Cinema Cafe, 1616 St. Michael's Drive and again on Sunday, April 20, 2008, 4 PM at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe. For additional festival details, please visit: www.globalgreenfilmfestival.com

John Verret, Bayou du Large, LA. (c) Matthew White

Louisiana coastal photographer Matthew White was in Terrebonne Parish last fall documenting  endangered landscapes  inhabited by the Houma Indians and other native coastal tribes  with traditional guide, Captain John Verret.  To see Matthew's photographs of Terrebonne Parish go here. (click the X upper right of slides if you prefer to view captioned photos.)

River's ebb leads to spillway closure

Here's the scoop on the closing of the Bonnet Carre Spillway via The Times-Picayune...

The Sixth Annual Grand Isle Juried Exhibition/April 12 - 20, 2008

Lake Pontchartrain, 11/07 --copyright Matthew White

Matthew White was selected to show some of his photography in the 6th Annual  Grand Isle , La. Juried Exhibition.  The exhibition theme, “Water Consciousness” will spotlight works relating the natural beauty and potential loss of the island and the surrounding wetlands. The goal of the Exhibition is to raise awareness of Louisiana’s coastal erosion through an artist’s eye and to encourage the creation and preservation of images of this culture and its disappearing habitat for future generations. Works selected will be on exhibit at the Grand Isle Community Center, Hwy. 1, Grand Isle, Louisiana April 12 - 20.  A reception and awards presentation will be held on April 20 2008.

Click here to view images.

Louisiana's coastal restoration plan is approved!

Cocodrie -Terrebonne Parish, La. © Matthew White

WASHINGTON -- Louisiana's hopes for repairing and restoring its tattered coast took a major step forward Thursday as the Bush administration approved the state's plan to use $255 million in federal money for more than 100 conservation and diversion projects, including major efforts in the New Orleans area. More at the Times- Picayune, here.

BEYOND THE GRAVE

Cemetery battered by Katrina near West Pearl River remains a wreck as families struggle to return loved ones to their final rest

The Times Picayune has an article today that focuses  on a common but forgotten recovery issue. In hurricanes as severe as Katrina and Rita  burial caskets are often uprooted and scattered. It can be a financial and emotional hardship for the families of the deceased who have to then go through the process of having them re-interred.  See the article here.

Rare Pink Dolphin Seen in Louisiana Lake

Check this out. A rare pink dolphin was seen in Louisiana's Calcasieu Lake. Article and photographs here. Gallery with multiple pics here.

A Visit to Lakeview - Photos by Archivist Sonny Carter

On January 14, archivist Sonny Carter made his first trip to Lakeview in New Orleans "since before Katrina changed that world" In a photoessay documenting that visit he writes, "it has been  nearly a year and a half since the storm hit, and since the failings of the governments we had faith in became apparentThe levees we trusted our lives with had failed from bad engineering, bad planning, but, no matter the reason, Lakeview, as we knew it was over.  It was not a super storm that topped the levees. The levees simply failed. The Levee board, the Corps of; Engineers, the Sewer and Water Board that controlled the pumping stations all failed as well". To read the rest of his essay and view photographs taken during that visit go here.

Beyond Katrina Contributors in the News

American Press in Lake Charles, Louisiana ran a nice story on photographer (and Beyond Katrina featured contributor), Matthew White. See below:

Louisiana through the camera lens: New Orleans photographer documents state’s coastal beauty

Yours truly (Margaret Saizan)  was recently quoted  in Donald Lee's "Keeping It Real" column in the Baton Rouge Advocate:

Focus on Goals for New Year

Beyond Katrina was also one of ten blogs featured in  the Snap Preview Anywhere  newsletter this week and was also included  in their SPA 100 blogs list. Pretty cool considering  the company now has  over 30,000 sites subscribed to their new service.  By the way, What is Snap Preview Anywhere? Snap Preview Anywhere enables anyone visiting a site to get a glimpse of what other sites are being linked to, without having to leave the site. By rolling over any link, the user gets a visual preview of the site without having to go there, thus eliminating wasted "trips" to linked sites. Try it here at Beyond Katrina by rolling your mouse over any link!

 

Louisiana isn't simply sinking - it's sliding into the Gulf of Mexico, Scientists Say

Good ole Louisiana...land of earthquakes, hurricanes, sinking coastlines...and now avalanches! What's next ?

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - "A new report by scientists studying Louisiana's sinking coast says the land here is not just sinking, it's sliding ever so slowly into the Gulf of Mexico...Researchers have known for years that the swampy land under south Louisiana is sinking (potholed streets and wobbly porches and floors are visible evidence of that) but a lateral movement of the land into the Gulf enters largely unstudied terrain".

For a serious look at this new report, go here.

House OKs drilling in Gulf

This article at the Houston Chronicle explains the importance of the plan to expand oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico...

WASHINGTON — Heeding calls to help lower Americans' fuel and home heating bills, the House on Friday overwhelmingly approved a plan to expand oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The offshore provision is wrapped up in a broader tax and trade package, and the Senate early today appeared poised to pass it. The Republican-controlled House voted 367-45 in favor of a bill that would open 8.3 million acres of the eastern Gulf to drilling. "It's been a long journey," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, adding: "It's a good day for Texas." Continue...