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.)

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.