
Event Professional Artist Series (Isle de Jean Charles)
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Description
Isle de Jean Charles and the Jean Charles Choctaw Nation
In the bayous of Louisiana lies the small tribal community of the Jean Charles Choctaw Nation, whose ancestral home on Isle de Jean Charles is vanishing. Once 22,000 acres, the Island is now only 320 acres and, in some places, just a quarter-mile wide. Dr. Heather Stone has worked with the Tribe since 2015, collecting oral histories and archival documents to help tell their stories. Until 1953, the Island could only be reached by pirogue or
boat, and its inhabitants were so self-sufficient they were largely unaffected by the Great Depression. Now, connected by a winding two-mile road, residents must adapt to the environmental changes that have altered the island over the past 75 years. About the Presenter: Dr. Heather Stone is an Associate Professor and holds the Nalley E.P./LEQSF Endowed Professorship in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. With over 15 years of experience in education, she develops curricula for K-12, college, and community projects. She leads
oral history projects and collaborates with communities experiencing environmental disruption to document their resilience. Dr. Stone holds degrees in journalism, education, and curriculum and instruction from UNC Chapel Hill and LSU.