Author: Alex J.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana has announced the appointment of Michael A. Hamilton as general manager of the Paragon Casino Resort. Hamilton will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the facility.

Hamilton brings Paragon over 20 years of experience in the gaming and hospitality industry with his most recent role as vice president of resort operations at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, one of the most profitable gaming and entertainment destinations in the United States owned and operated under Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority (MTGA) management.

At Mohegan Sun, he was directly responsible for retail development through tenant acquisition and construction development including Mohegan Sun’s current $130-million, 400-room Earth Tower hotel project slated to open this fall and the $13.8-million renovation to Sky Tower, Mohegan Sun’s existing 1,200-room hotel currently underway. His duties included operation of the transportation, engineering and security departments. Hamilton served his local community as an active member on education boards and chambers of commerce, as well as the American Heart Association and the United Way.

“We are proud to have Mr. Hamilton join and lead the team at Paragon Casino Resort,” said Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Chairman Joey P. Barbry. “Michael’s experience working in all facets of gaming and resort operations at one of the world’s most thriving entertainment destinations, as well as his top-to-bottom knowledge and understanding of the business, will benefit Paragon customers and employees.”

Chairman Barbry said Chris J. Barbry Sr., formerly acting general manager, has been named vice president of facilities of Paragon Casino Resort. “We appreciate the hard work Chris has done over the years. His experience is valuable, and we look forward to seeing what he will do as vice president of facilities.”

About the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe

The Tunica-Biloxi people first appeared in the Mississippi Valley. In the late 1700s, they settled near Marksville where they were skilled traders and entrepreneurs. Today, the Tribe has more than 1,200 members throughout the United States, primarily in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe received federal recognition in 1981 for its reservation within the boundaries of Louisiana. The tribe owns and operates the Paragon Casino Resort, the largest employer in central Louisiana. Through its compact, negotiated by the late Tribal Chairman Earl J. Barbry Sr. and the State of Louisiana, the Tribe has assisted local governments in the area with its quarterly distribution of funds, totaling more than $40 million over two decades. For more information about the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, visit www.tunica.org and follow us on Facebook.

About Paragon Casino Resort

Since opening its doors in 1994, Paragon has strived to provide the most entertaining gaming destination in the south. Over the past 20 years, Paragon’s amenities and services have been expanded to create the ultimate gaming experience. The best is yet to come.

Paragon features an impressive lineup of luxury amenities and attractions, including a 531-room hotel; full-service spa and salon; 18-hole golf course with a fully stocked pro-shop and grillroom; indoor tropical pool with a swim-up bar; a soaring retail atrium with “living” bayou and live alligators; three-screen cinema; Atrium Bar with an ice bar; seven restaurants; daiquiri bar; full-service RV resort with 205 slips and 30 cabins; Kids Quest child care activity center; Cyber Quest arcade; over 75,000 square feet of meeting space; and three retail shops.

With more than 1,600 Las Vegas-style slot machines and over 64,000 square feet of gaming action, Paragon also features over 44 table games, including Craps, Blackjack, Roulette and an eight-table poker room. Paragon also has a free player’s club membership program.

Paragon Casino Resort is owned and operated by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. For more information, please visit www.paragoncasinoresort.com and follow Paragon Casino Resort on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.

About Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority

Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority is an instrumentality of the Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut and operates two of the most successful gaming and entertainment destinations in the United States, Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and Mohegan Sun Pocono in Pennsylvania. Additionally, MTGA was recently awarded a license from the Korean Government to develop and build a first-of-its-kind integrated resort at Incheon International Airport in South Korea.

MTGA is credited with advancing the once struggling Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, into record profitability over the four years that is has served under its management and investment contract. MTGA’s venture with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe of Washington State will introduce the $500-million-dollar casino project that will be the West Coast’s premier gaming, dining, entertainment and meeting destination slated to open in 2017. MTGA announced a partnership with the Tunica-Biloxi Gaming Authority, the owner and operator of the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, Louisiana for a consulting agreement which started in the spring of 2016. More information about MTGA and its properties can be obtained by visiting www.mohegansun.com, www.mohegansunpocono.com, www.resortsac.com, www.ilaniresort.com or www.mtga.com.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana’s Language and Culture Revitalization Program (LCRP) announced “Tunica-Biloxi Family Day,” Tunica language classes and a “Story Time” event will be held this fall.  LCRP programs are intended to enrich the Tunica culture by educating its youth and providing opportunities for the Tunica-Biloxi community to come together. The LCRP fall programs and events will be free of charge and available to all Tunica-Biloxi family members.

Tunica-Biloxi Family Day will be held on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016, from 10 a.m. – noon in the Cultural and Educational Resource Center (CERC) located on the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana reservation (150 Melacon Road, Marksville, Louisiana 71351). The event will include brief lessons on the Tunica language and an exclusive preview of Tunica-Biloxi workshops and craft classes. The event will also provide Tunica-Biloxi community members the opportunity to present ideas for future activities and events to the Tunica-Biloxi LCRP for consideration. Refreshments and lunch will be served; space is limited. To RSVP for “Tunica-Biloxi Family Day,” contact Ryan Lopez of the Tunica-Biloxi LCRP at (318) 240-6433 or rlopez@tunica.org.

The Tunica-Biloxi LCRP will host its fall series of Tunica language classesbeginning Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016, for tribal children ages five – 10 years old and Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016, for ages 11 – 16 years old. The eight-week session takes place from 4 – 5 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday through Sept. 28, 2016 at the CERC building. During language classes, participants will learn the basics of the Tunica language, including conversational phrases and common vocabulary to more advanced syntax in cultural contexts.

The LCRP will conclude its fall programming with “Story Time” Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, from 11 a.m. – noon in the CERC Library. “Story Time” is open to the public for children ages seven and under; children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. “Story Time” offers engaging activities highlighting the Tunica-Biloxi culture, including bilingual songs, popular children’s books, finger-play and free-play with puppets and props, rhymes, dances, games, crafts and more. “Story Time” is hosted by Donna Pierite and Elisabeth Mora, language and cultural lifeways instructors for the LCRP.

 For more information about the Tunica-Biloxi’s Language & Culture Revitalization Program or how to participate in events and programs, contact Director of Development & Programming John Barbry at (318) 240-6412 or email jdbarbry@tunica.org.

Dear Tunica-Biloxi Families:

Registration is now open for the Tunica-Biloxi Language & Culture Camp to be held June 13 -17, 2016, at the CERC Building. The camp is free for all children, ages 5 – 17, from Tunica-Biloxi family households. Camp is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. The LCRP will coordinate drop-off and pick-up times with parents if necessary.

Please complete the Camp Registration Form for each of your children and return it by scanned document to Ryan Lopez at rlopez@tunica.org or fax to (318) 253-7711. Registration forms must be received by Friday, May 27, so we can make appropriate preparations. We look forward to seeing you this summer.

Print Camp Registration Form

New Public Pow Wow Education Program Teaches Art, Storytelling, Music and Dance

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana will host its 21st annual Pow Wow Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place in the Earl J. Barbry, Sr. Convention Center at Paragon Casino Resort (711 Paragon Place, Marksville, La. 71351). Hosted each year in Marksville, Louisiana, the Tunica-Biloxi

Pow Wow serves as a social gathering for Tunica-Biloxi tribal members and non-members to experience the history and traditions of the tribe. The Tunica-Biloxi Pow Wow affirms the endurance of indigenous culture through vibrant craft displays, music performances, dance presentations and cultural exhibits.

The 2016 Pow Wow will include a featured performance by Tunica-Biloxi Singers & Legend Keepers and Native American dance and drum competitions which include cash prizes. The dance competition will feature 13 categories, including the Chicken Dance and Northern and Southern categories in men and women’s Golden Age. The drum competition will be split into Northern and Southern categories. Registration for the dance and drum competition will be Saturday, May 21, from 8 a.m. to noon in the Mari Showroom lobby. Pow Wow attendees will also be able to enjoy art, food and crafts from more than 35 vendors during the two-day event.

The Pow Wow’s 2016 head staff includes, Crystal Williams (Elton, La.) as Head Lady Dancer, Gabe Bullock (Livingston, Texas) as Head Man Dancer, Randy Frazier (Oklahoma City, Okla.) as Head Dance Judge, Bert Polchies (Waite, Maine.) as Head Drum Judge, Tony Conrad (Zachary, La.) as Head Gourd Dancer, Southern Red Singers (Santo Domingo Pueblo, N.M.) as Southern Host Drum, White Bull Singers (Wind River

Reservation, Wyo.) as Northern Host Drum, Leland Thompson (Elton, La.) as Arena Director, and Tim Tall Chief (Jones, Okla.) and Alexander Santos (Apache, Okla.) as Co-Emcees.

Tickets for the Pow Wow will be available for purchase on-site and include $5 for general admission and $3 for children 5 years old and under. Pow Wow registered drum singers and dancers in regalia with numbered credentials will receive free admission. The event will include a $5 entry fee for dance competition participants. Parking will be available at the Paragon Casino Resort; rates for RV camping and lodging will be provided upon request.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe’s Pow Wow Committee is pleased to offer a new Pow Wow education program in advance of the event Friday, May 20, at 10 a.m. in the Mari Showroom at Paragon Casino Resort. The free event will provide the public with an opportunity to learn firsthand about Indian cultures from native people. Participants will be able to partake in Pow

Wow dance demonstrations, hear tribal folklore, language and songs from the Tunica-Biloxi Singers & Legend Keepers, and learn about traditional basketry and clothing from various regional tribes. The Pow Wow Committee encourages parents to bring their children to this special program. Groups are welcome. To attend the Pow Wow education program, contact Elisabeth Mora at (318) 240-6432 or emora@tunica.org.

For lodging or general information about the Tunica-Biloxi Pow Wow, call (800) 946-1946 or visit www.tunicapowwow.org. Vendors interested in participating at the event must apply in advance by contacting (318) 253-1923 or avosar@paragoncasinoresort.com.

TIME & DATE: 

• Saturday, April 2, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
• Saturday, April 16, from 2 – 5 p.m.

PLACE: CERC Building, Marksville, LA

The Language & Culture Revitalization Program (LCRP) is hosting a Traditional Dress Making Workshop for mothers and daughters of Tunica-Biloxi families on Saturday, April 2, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. and Saturday, April 16, from 2 – 5 p.m. If necessary, the LCRP will schedule a follow-up meeting on Saturday, April 23 to help finish up the dresses. This free workshop is an opportunity for tribal women and girls to

learn the basic design elements of hand-made traditional Tunica-Biloxi style dresses. The LCRP staff and volunteer tailors will be on hand to assist attendees in constructing dresses. The LCRP will provide fabric, thread, rickrack, bias tape, pins, buttons, and patterns for participants. Sewing machines will also be available. We encourage tribal women to make a traditional dress to wear at the upcoming Tunica-Biloxi Pow Wow in May and for other tribal functions.

Tunica-Biloxi traditional women’s dresses were adapted from a 19th century designs consisting of a bodice with a fitted waist and a long, full skirt trimmed with ruffles and embellished with rickrack or bias tape. A white apron, trimmed in the color of the dress, completes the traditional outfit. The dress style is common among many tribes in the southeastern region of the country. Each tribe adopted their own style accents to make the design their own.

Over the years, Tunica-Biloxi families have made or purchased traditional dresses for their daughters who participated in pageants, Pow Wows and other tribal activities. We invite families to share these treasures with our tribal community. The LCRP invites families to bring their Tunica-Biloxi dresses to the workshop to provide examples of this tradition for our participants. If you cannot attend the workshop, send a picture of your dress to the LCRP. All Tunica-Biloxi seamstresses, tailors and sewing hobbyists are welcome!

To prepare for the workshop, the LCRP requests that mothers provide dress sizes by March 15th. Contact Elisabeth Mora at (800) 272-9767, ext. 6432; emora@tunica.orgor Brenda Lintinger at (866) 553-7716; lintingerbw@aol.com to provide size information and confirm your attendance.

Marksville, La. – (Feb. 2, 2016) – The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana’s Language and Culture Revitalization Program (LCRP) will continue its “Story Time” series, featuring a new book each month through June 2016. The free and open-to-the-public events are offered each month for children 7 years old and under from 11 a.m. – noon in the Cultural and Educational Resource Center (CERC) Library located on the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana reservation (150 Melacon Road, Marksville, Louisiana 71351). Children must be accompanied by a parent and guardian to attend the public event.

The Tunica Biloxi LCRP’s “Story Time” program provides engaging activities that highlight the Tunica-Biloxi culture. Program activities include bilingual songs, popular children’s books, finger-play and free-play with puppets and props, rhymes, dances, games, crafts and more. The monthly “Story Time” events are hosted by Donna Pierite and Elisabeth Mora, Language & Cultural Lifeways instructors for the LCRP.

Designed by the LCRP as an early literacy pilot project, “Story Time” activities are based on standards from Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR), a curriculum adopted by the American Library Association to support parents and caregivers with early literacy development of children. The monthly programs aim to introduce practices for building early literacy skills that are essential for children entering school.

“We are proud to offer this educational initiative to the Avoyelles Parish community where children and families can grow and learn together in an interactive environment,” said Donna Pierite. “We can attest to the significant growth that our children experience by learning valuable literacy and social skills while expanding their minds and imaginations at the same time. Seeing the children’s excitement and enthusiasm to return for ‘Story Time’ each month is truly the greatest reward.”

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana LCRP’s “Story Time” schedule is as follows:

Saturday, February 13 – Love!

The Kissing Hand, Audrey Penn

Saturday, March 12 – Springtime is Near

An Extraordinary Egg, Leo Lionni

Saturday, April 9 – April Showers Bring May Flowers

Underground, Denise Fleming and Float, Daniel Miyares

Saturday, May 14 – Powwow’s Coming!

Powwow’s Coming, Linda Boyden

Saturday, June 4 – Summertime Fun

The Otter Who Loved to Hold Hands, Heidi and Daniel Howarth

For more information about “Story Time” or the Tunica-Biloxi’s Language & Culture Revitalization Program, contact Director of Development & Programming John Barbry at (318) 240.6412 or email jdbarbry@tunica.org.

The CERC Library is located in the Tunica-Biloxi Cultural and Educational Resources Center on the reservation near Marksville, Louisiana. The library is non-circulating requiring patrons to view collections in the library only. The Language and Culture Revitalization Program (LCRP) coordinates library staffing and facilitates programming. For more information about the CERC Library, visit www.tunicabiloxi.org/cerc-library.html.

Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana Revives Native American Sporting Tradition with Southeast Stickball Clinic & Exhibition Feb. 6

Marksville, La. – (Jan. 20, 2016) The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana’s Language and Culture Revitalization Program (LCRP) will host a free Stickball Clinic &

Exhibition on Saturday, Feb. 6 for boys and girls ages 10 – 16. Funded in part by the National Parks Service Lower Mississippi Delta Region Initiative, the workshop is open to members of regional tribal communities in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.

The clinic and exhibition will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Chief Joseph A. Pierite Pow Wow Grounds on the Tunica-Biloxi Reservation, near Marksville, Louisiana.

The one-day workshop will include a free clinic led by skillful players from the Alabama-Coushatta (AC) stickball team of Livingston, Texas – Troy and Krista Langley. The players will teach participants basic skills, rules and the safety of the game. The AC team will play an exhibition game and then support workshop participants in scrimmage games. The LCRP will host a cookout for all participants following the stickball clinic and exhibition games.

One of the oldest team sports in North America, Native American stickball or “punatarahpani” (in the Tunica language) was especially popular among Southeastern Indian tribes, including the Tunica-Biloxi. Stickball was played by tribal members regularly throughout the mid-20th century and gradually disappeared. Nonetheless, Choctaw communities in Mississippi, Coushatta in Louisiana, and the Alabama-Coushatta of Texas still have active stickball programs.

At its peak, stickball was played by all age groups – children, youth and adults. Additionally, it served as more than means of entertainment, it built body and spirit through exercise. Many games have roots in ancestral tests of strength and sport that reinforced group cooperation and sharpened survival skills in often hostile environments. For warriors, the games helped maintain their readiness and combat skills between times of war. The gradual shift to a more sedentary lifestyle has highlighted the need to reawaken interest in physical activity, especially among Native youth.

As the Tunica-Biloxi strives to preserve and revitalize traditional ways of life, it is necessary to provide community educational forums that will perpetuate knowledge and usage of these cultural elements. The Stickball Clinic & Exhibition provides an opportunity to explore unique traditions to be shared by neighboring indigenous communities. Through the clinic and exhibition, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and its Language and Culture Revitalization Program hopes stickball can become an important part of improving the health and well-being of the Tunica-Biloxi people once again.

Participants must pre-register for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana’s Stickball Clinic and Exhibition by contacting Ryan Lopez at rlopez@tunica.org or (800) 272-9767, ext. 6433; space is limited. Parent(s) must accompany children participating in the workshop.

About the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe

The Tunica-Biloxi people first appeared in the Mississippi Valley. In the late 1700s, they settled near Marksville, where they were skilled traders and entrepreneurs. Today, the Tribe has more than 1,200 members throughout the United States, primarily in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe received federal recognition in 1981 for its reservation within the boundaries of Louisiana. The tribe owns and operates the Paragon Casino Resort, the largest employer in Central Louisiana. Through its compact, negotiated by the late Tribal Chairman Earl J. Barbry, Sr. and the State of Louisiana, the Tribe has been able to assist local governments in the area with its quarterly distribution of funds, totaling more than $40 million over two decades. For more information about the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, visit www.tunica.org.