HDV film Interview with Rev. Roch Naquin part two

Filmed at his home on Isle de Jean Charles

Island Road flooding story to go celebrate Mass- wind and waves
Population dropped- 80 families at one time- each hurricanes made a few relocate- 25 or so homes now
Road in disrepair causes problems- two cars meeting- school buses don't run to Island anymore, meet at boat launch instead,
people miss work and school, need to plan with tides, disrupts business at marina
Houses need to be at a certain height to get electricity- won't power trailers on ground
Cemetery at cross - last burial circa 1949- plaque near cross states around 50 buried there
Trying to get bridge built- waiting on ok from kids- pays children of land owner to keep grass cut
BP- wanted to do ground searching radar, but kids stopped
Island owned by families- Narcisse Naquin had big tract of land above cemetery towards Point aux Chene- created out of it
Island is home- disaster is everywhere- no one safe- hurricanes give warning and chance to escape if road is maintained
People scatter for storms- flooding is bad- if you stay, you're stuck. Gustav damaged house- $45,000 of repairs.
Discussion of levees built in "V" shape at Point aux Chene and Morganza to Gulf- they hold water and break
Water Control Structure- Ducks Unlimited and Wildlife- levee pushes water across road and Island
You could walk to Montegut from Isle de Jean Charles- eight miles- later they could pirogue, walk and ride on sugar cane trucks
Road rebuilt and raised several times- raised almost four feet once- lack of protection from waves aids erosion
First oil rig- dug canal from Terrebonne- produced for years. Others not so good- little money to close by property owners.
Main line to Coteau
Most Island residents worked tug boats and fished, now oil related industries, shipyards
Worked 1954 oil rig in Lake Barre
Oil moratorium in Louisiana- President Obama insensitive to concerns
Two local council members voted against Island Road improvements- FEMA money- Parish roadway, parish responsibility
Encouraged to talk to Wencelas Billiot- Tug boat captain, great memory, GED after many years away, wife Denecia Billiot
Respect for environment and home - parts of Island trashed
Future concerns for livelihoods, homes, short term work for BP- new cars
Plants as medicine, few trips to doctor, Tulane sent students to research native medicine, talked to Mother (Adorena Naquin)- she didn't speak English, they didn't speak French- she took them all over the Island and woods showing them plants- they wrote the French names phonetically - possible use of research
Childhood games- make rings under trees
Audio of looking through pictures