Church World Service and Hoosier Church Join Native Americans in Hurricane Recovery Effort
Media Contacts: Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676 lcrosson@churchworldservice .org
Jan Dragin, 24/7 (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.n et
Editors: Photos to accompany story can be downloaded at http://www.churchw orldservice.org/media/
NEW YORK, June 15 --A $100,000 gift to Church World Service from an Indiana church will lay the foundation for hurricane recovery among the United Houma Nation in the Louisiana bayous.
The grant will be utilized to purchase building materials to repair or rebuild houses destroyed or severely damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The tribe estimates that rehabilitation costs alone could total nearly $2 million. Rebuilding more hurricane-resistant structures to replace 250 homes will require another $7.5 million.
The Reverend James Miller, senior pastor of Sunnyside Presbyterian Church in South Bend, Indiana, said that the gift is the "first commitment in what members of this congregation hope will be a significant and long-term friendship."
That friendship will include helping hands, as well as financial and material assistance. The church intends to send work teams periodically to assist in needed rebuilding projects. Team efforts are being coordinate d by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which has constructed a "Presbyteria n Village" to house and field volunteer work teams in the Houma area.
Church World Service provided emergency supplies immediately following the hurricanes and continues to supply project and seed grants, and counseling and relocation assistance for hurricane survivors.
When Hurricane Katrina swept ashore on the Louisiana coast last August 29, among the communities devastated by her impact were the small Houma Indian settlements in lower Plaquemines, lower St. Bernard, and lower Jefferson parishes. The population of these Indian settlements--some 3,500 tribal citizens--was hit hard by the storm.
"The wicked sisters"
As the tribe struggled to bring aid to its citizens and channel its few resources to their benefit another tragedy loomed on the horizon. Hurricane Rita entered the Gulf of Mexico and tracked westward towards Louisiana.
"First, Katrina came through and blew off the roofs," one Houma fisherman says. "Then Rita came through and dumped water over everything just to finish it off. We call them the two wicked sisters."
At risk was the core of the Houma Indian population--which resides in the lower bayou region of Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.
"While we avoided the direct impact that devastated our eastern communities by Katrina, the "near miss" by Rita pushed a massive storm surge into the bayous and our more populous settlements in lower Terrebonne went underwater.
"The Houma communities of Dulac, Grand Caillou, Montegut, Pointe-aux-Chene, and Isle de Jean Charles were inundated with seven-eight feet of water. The tribe now had an additional 4,000 of its people with devastated homes," said Brenda Dardar-Robichaux, principal chief of the United Houma Nation.
Chief Brenda welcomed the first team of Indiana neighbors the second week in May. Five men spent five days repairing roofs, replacing siding, stabilizing a porch, and constructing a shed to protect utility services.
Despite lack of funding, tribe members persist
This is the largest contribution the tribe has received since the disaster. Yet, the United Houma communities are justifiably proud of the recovery work already achieved, without significant financial support. A relief center was cobbled together in a primitive historic storefront in Raceland, LA that had been empty and unused for more than 50 years.
This makeshift services post, staffed by volunteers, continues to dispense donated food, appliances, bedding, clothing, and household goods to struggling families. More than 4,100 individuals and 1,250 families have already been served in the nine months since the disaster.
In addition, the tribe has mobilized volunteer teams to provide flu and tetanus shots, first aid, and general medical care, supervised by Dr. Mike Robichaux, Brenda's husband, who is a former Louisiana State Senator.
Financial assistance to Indian families in the bayous has been slow to materialize, exacerbated by the reluctance of the U.S. government to assign "nation" status to the tribe. The United Houma Nation has state recognition in Louisiana, but must achieve federal recognition in order to receive federal assistance.
Catch-to-catch
Houma households derive their livelihood almost exclusively by fishing and netting shrimp. Widespread loss of and damage to boats and nets has been potentially more devastating than loss of shelter.
"Sometimes people talk about living paycheck-to-paycheck," Chief Brenda states. "Our families live catch-to-catch."
There are two "seasons" a year for harvesting the fruit of the sea. The new season began the first week in May, with the traditional blessing of the boats by the local priests.
At refueling stations along the docks, Houma boat owners are aghast at rising oil prices and the impact on their chances for earning a living.
"It's cheaper to go out and buy shrimp than catch them," Com Gregoire told the Sunnyside work team, as they helped him replace water damaged and moldy siding on his elevated bayou house. This irony is not lost on him.
"They're getting about $1.50 a pound for the large shrimp, 10-15 to the pound now. Smaller shrimp are only bringing 60 cents a pound," he says.
His wife Linda says that their daughter Consuela had been saving up shrimp in a freezer for the reception planned for after she and her husband renewed their wedding vows. The freezer and all the shrimp were washed away down the bayou by Hurricane Rita.
It's an event the Gregoire family has moved up by several years in their plans, because Com has "stage-4" lung cancer. Still, last week, he insisted on helping the guys from Indiana nail up the new lath.
"Can't stand by and let people do this for me," he said. "Just can't; that's not who I am."
About Church World Service
Church World Service is a relief, development and refugee-assistance agency supported by 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations in the United States.
In addition to Louisiana, CWS continues to support long-term recovery efforts in Mississippi, Texas and Alabama.
A key feature of the agency's disaster response is its focus on helping to establish local independent, nonprofit organizations dedicated solely to filling the unmet disaster-related, long-term recovery needs of vulnerable populations in their communities. These organizations also coordinate volunteer work teams and advocate for public policies related to disaster needs of the most vulnerable. ##