The land of the native tribes of Louisiana is a source of physical, spiritual, and political autonomy. As this series has emphasized, while all of coastal Louisiana is threatened by rising sea levels and subsidence, native tribes are at the forefront of these risks.

Green plants, fresh food, clean water: all a source of survival and spirituality in the native tribes of Louisiana. Natural resources to many are very distant; we buy our food from grocery stores, our water is fresh with fluoride the second we want it, our sidewalks are plush with oak and palm trees. We don’t think about the physical and cultural meaning natural resources hold. This significance is understood best by the indigenous people of Louisiana.

As corporations grow their profits and exploit the environment, indigenous communities are the first to feel the effects. Eventually, industrial pollution will be a problem for all of us, so we can work to stop it now.

Water continues to rise in southeast Louisiana as hopes sink. Those most at risk: the native tribes that have inhabited the land for hundreds of years.

Hurricane Ida stripped the native tribes of Louisiana of any luck left protecting them. Since the hurricane ravaged New Orleans in August, the coastal tribes of Louisiana have been slowly trying to rebuild with very little help.

On March 31st, LifeCity will host the Love Your City Awards Gala. The gala will support 111 organizations that have joined the Love Your City platform to share and commit to sustainability in New Orleans. These businesses have committed to uplifting their city, employees, and values. The gala will not only honor these businesses, but will pay it forward to the New Orleans East community, by preventing 8,000 square feet of flooding on a farm that will then produce food for the surrounding community.