Author: Katie Bourque

Originally Published on Tribal Business News

The Tunica Biloxi Indian Tribe will restore and rehabilitate an old manufacturing building by way of a $1.6 million Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant. It’s the most recent thread in a larger plan to build economic sovereignty for the Louisiana tribe, according to its chairman. 

The Louisiana tribe purchased the Marksville, La.-based property, known as the Garan Building, more than two years ago, but this new infusion of funding should help kickstart new operations in the facility, according to Tunica-Biloxi Chairman Marshall Pierite. 

The EDA grant will be matched with $250,000 from local funding and is expected to generate $1.4 million in private investment once it’s up and running, according to the grant announcement. The tribe plans to run half the building as a manufacturing operation and the other half as a cut-and-sew cloth goods business, Pierite told Tribal Business News. 

The enterprise will open under the guidance of Tunica-Biloxi Industries, Pierite said. The facility, once operational, should bring up to 110 jobs to the area while creating a new revenue stream for the tribe.

“We had dreams of revitalizing it through refurbishing, restoring, and we were thinking about manufacturing opportunities,” Pierite said. “We think this is the best way to honor those opportunities.” 

The cut-and-sew operation will begin producing tribally branded sheets, towels, and pillowcases for sale to the general public. Eventually, it hopes to leverage the operation to make products for a larger customer:  the federal government.

 Tunica-Biloxi Industries recently received an 8(a) certification under the Small Business Administration and plans to use the new textile business to bid on federal contracts for US military uniforms and American flags, Pierite said. 

That falls in line with a surge in tribal enterprises pushing toward federal contracting, which has become a major revenue driver for tribes in the wake of economic diversification efforts prompted by COVID-19, per prior Tribal Business News reporting.

For Pierite, the Garan Building also represents an opportunity to “take back” a small portion of an industry that has largely been outsourced to other countries, he said.

“We realized around five to six years ago that a lot of these cut-and-sew opportunities, a lot of these manufacturing opportunities have migrated away from the United States,” Pierite said. “We can bring some of those opportunities back to rural America, and we see this as a way to kickstart that across Louisiana.”

Pierite said the Garan Building’s new businesses will allow the tribe to offer pay and benefits packages that would set the pace for the job market in the region, as well. He pointed to a $15 starting wage, as well as financial literacy, credit restoration, and mental health programs. 

Pierite called it a “holistic approach” to workforce development that could positively impact the whole surrounding community. From there, he said, the Tunica-Biloxi could take their employment model and share it with other small tribes for similar results elsewhere. 

“We’re a very small tribe, but with a very large vision,” Pierite said. “We think by creating this model, we can help other tribes with this same model, and overall get the stakeholders in Indian Country to become the solution to rural America’s problems —  bringing back these textile jobs, these manufacturing jobs.”

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards called the EDA investment and tribe’s involvement in the project a “critical” infusion for the surrounding region. 

“We are excited about working with the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana to ensure this investment results in jobs that will provide living wages and will help create sustainable growth for communities throughout the region,” Edwards said in a statement. “We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and the EDA for this announcement.”

Alongside the Garan Building project, Tunica-Biloxi Industries continues to broaden its revenue base with a variety of non-gaming economic development efforts, Pierite said. 

The tribal enterprise is also looking at acquisitions across the country, including a company in Washington, D.C. that could help spur the tribe’s federal contracting business, he added. He refused to name the potential target, but said it could help the tribe offer services to state governments, a strategy that would be “a little bit out of the box.”

It wouldn’t be the first time the tribe has thought outside the box recently. In the last few months, Tunica-Biloxi signed a historic partnership agreement with a local college to advance research and economic development, obtained its 8(a) certification, and cut the ribbon on a TopGolf Swing Suite at its Paragon Casino. 

“Taking control of our sovereignty, our economic prosperity and our collective future as a Tribal nation has been a long road for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and all native nations,” Pierite said. “We are centrally located in Louisiana, so we think it would be unique for us to create and become that economic hook, to supply staffing as well as these opportunities to all of Louisiana and Indian Country.”

Shows are free and open to the public, no ticket or registration is required!

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Paragon Casino Resort is bringing back its legendary Gator Feeding Shows beginning on Saturday, July 15. Hotel guests, casino visitors and the public can enjoy a free, educational and entertaining 30-minute live-feeding with the live alligators in the “Gator Bayou” located inside the hotel’s atrium. Photo opportunities with a baby alligator and a “holding” snake will take place after each show and will be free to the public.

Paragon Casino Resort General Manager, Marshall Ray Sampson Sr. is delighted about the return of the shows, “Paragon Casino Resort is Central Louisiana’s premier entertainment destination, and unique offerings such as our Gator Bayou and the Gator Feeding shows set us apart. As we continue to add new amenities and upgrades, we’re eager to be able to bring back this tradition to our guests and the community at large.”

During these shows, gator specialist Gary Saurage will share fascinating facts about Louisiana’s signature bayou dwellers and Louisiana culture. Saurage, who has been featured on more than 50 national TV shows as seen on CMT, A&E and Animal Planet, owns Gator Country Louisiana – the largest alligator park in the state – where Paragon’s Gator Bayou alligators are raised.

The 7-acre property houses over 250 alligators and is run by Saurage and his wife, Shannon, who are excited to showcase their expertise and bring live-feeding shows back to Paragon. “We are very educated about the Louisiana alligator, so this will be a great opportunity for people to learn and have fun,” says Gary, “Afterward, we will have baby alligators and snakes for the participants to hold and take photos – our favorite part!”

The shows run every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and are free and open to the public, including students, summer campers, and any organization interested in the experience. No registration is required.

Beginning on Saturday, July 29^th, the Tunica-Biloxi Singers and Legendkeepers will perform “Traditional Songs & Stories of the Tunica Biloxi Tribe” following the gator shows. The traditional songs and stories they will share tell the stories of alligators and other native flora and fauna found in south Louisiana. The alligator has a symbolic meaning for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and is woven into the Tunica creation story.

Taking control of our sovereignty, our economic prosperity and our collective future as a Tribal nation has been a long road for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and all native nations. Investments like this are the result of decades of hard work. Through the dedication and support of our stakeholders, including Congresswoman Julie Letlow, Senator Bill Cassidy and the Department of Commerce, we are now able to bring cut-and-sew, advanced manufacturing and rare earth processing opportunities to central Louisiana. As the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe strives to be a champion of economic development and prosperity in central Louisiana, we will utilize this opportunity to redefine advanced manufacturing opportunities, stoke workforce development and job training, establish living wages, and holistically bring dignity and respect back to the working households of our Tribal citizens and beyond.

– Chairman Marshall Pierite

The below article was originally published on www.eda.gov.

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced the Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $1.6 million grant to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, located in Marksville, Louisiana, for construction of a multi-enterprise manufacturing facility that will support the growth of the region’s manufacturing sector and create new jobs.

This grant will support the design and construction of the Garan Building to support business expansion in local industries including sewing fabrication and rare earth materials. This EDA investment will be matched with $250,000 in local funds and is expected to create 110 jobs and generate $1.4 million in private investment, according to grantee estimates.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda is jumpstarting manufacturing growth across the country,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This EDA investment will provide the infrastructure the Tunica and Biloxi people need to continue supporting the growth of Central Louisiana’s manufacturing sector, while creating new jobs for the local economy.”

“The Economic Development Administration is pleased to support the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe as it seeks to build a resilient and sustainable Tribal economy,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This project will create new opportunities for manufacturing and create new jobs for the tribe and its members.”

“We are grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and the EDA for this announcement,” said Governor John Bel Edwards. “This investment in Central Louisiana is critical to the area’s manufacturing sector and the state’s overall economic growth. We are excited about working with the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana to ensure this investment results in jobs that will provide living wages and will help create sustainable growth for communities throughout the region.”

“Investment in manufacturing like this commitment to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe builds a better future for Louisiana,” said U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D.

“I proudly support the EDA investment for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe that will provide much needed manufacturing support and growth for Louisianans,” said Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05). “This grant will help bolster economic growth, spur competitive wages, and foster future stability for the Tribe, Avoyelles Parish, and surrounding areas within the Fifth District.”

This project was made possible by the regional planning efforts led by the Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning and Development District (KDPDD). EDA funds KDPDD to bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development framework which strengthens the regional economy, supports private capital investment, and creates jobs.

About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA invests in communities and supports regional collaboration in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and United Way of Central Louisiana join forces to raise funds to aid those in need

Marksville, La. – (June 26, 2023) – Today, Paragon Casino Resort and the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana partnered with United Way of Central Louisiana to host the Hit for Hope Tunica-Biloxi Governors Cup Golf Tournament, which was held at the Tamahka Trails Golf Course and raised funding to support United Way of Central Louisiana Programs that benefit the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population.  

“The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe values our community above all else. We are always searching for opportunities to give back to our family and friends in need,” said Marshall Pierite, Chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. “The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, along with Paragon Casino Resort, extends our thanks to United Way of Central Louisiana and its focus on chartering a new path for those most vulnerable in Central Louisiana.”

ALICE is a driver of innovation, research, and action to improve life across the country for families who may be unable to afford the basics of childcare, housing, food and healthcare.

“The generous partner organizations across Central Louisiana helped make this philanthropic event a success,” said Michelle Purl, President and CEO of United Way of Central Louisiana. “We are grateful to surround ourselves with good-hearted people and hope to continue working alongside the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and the Paragon Casino Resort to serve those in need throughout Central Louisiana.”

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and Paragon Casino Resort have supported the mission of United Way of Central Louisiana for numerous years. The long-standing investment into surrounding areas has resulted in various strides to minimize the ALICE population’s struggle, including providing safe, affordable housing opportunities, reliable technology necessary to work and equality in access to healthcare.

The annual grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities will be used to sustain and improve the quality of life for Tribal citizens

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana was a recent recipient of a 2023 Louisiana Culture Care Fund Grant totaling $10,000 to support its continuing efforts to serve its citizens, preserve its culture, and engage with the residents of Avoyelles Parish. Funding for this 2023 Louisiana Culture Care Fund Grant has been provided by the State of Louisiana and administered by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH).

“Grants like this from the Louisiana Endowment of the Humanities add sustainability to the continuous work of our language and culture teams,” said Marshall Pierite, Chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. “As we move into the future, it is our responsibility to bring those historical and cultural parts of our past with us as we grow, flourish, and prosper into the next several decades. Funds such as these are crucial to ensuring the continued preservation of our language and the building further and further upon our legacy.”

A main beneficiary of the grant, the Tribe’s Language and Cultural Revitalization Program (LCRP) aims to prepare future generations of Tribal citizens to lead successful, fulfilling lives and to have a deep understanding of their culture. Under the guidance of John Barbry, the LCRP’s director, the LCRP has brought the Tunica language back to life through recordings, text, language classes, workshops and summer camps over the last decade. Additionally, the  Cultural & Educational Resources Center (CERC), which houses the Tunica-Biloxi Museum and the Cemonia Strother Williams Library & Research Center, will continue to provide services focusing on Native American culture and traditions.

The Tunica-Biloxi Museum is home to the “Tunica Treasure,” a vast collection of Native American European trade items and other artifacts deposited as grave goods by the Tunica from 1731 to 1764. The Tunica Treasure represents a rich cultural legacy of entrepreneurship and political influence in the eighteenth century. The museum includes a state-of-the-art conservation lab that provides preservation and restoration services specializing in material culture from the 18th century.

To learn more about the Tunica Biloxi Tribe, its language and culture offerings, the Tunica Biloxi Museum and more, visit https://www.tunicabiloxi.org.

Textbook includes Tunica history, letters, greetings and more in an effort to teach generations of tribal citizens their native language

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is pleased to announce that a Tunica Language Textbook – the first Tunica grammar book of its kind – was published this spring in advance of the annual Language and Culture Youth Camp hosted by the Tribe on June 12 through 15.

The Tunica-Biloxi Education Department, and its sub-program, the Language & Culture Revitalization Program (LCRP), are dedicated to preparing future generations of Tribal citizens to lead successful, fulfilling lives and to have a deep understanding of their culture. LCRP has brought the language back to life through recordings, text, language classes, workshops and summer camps. In recent years, the program was awarded a grant from the Administration for Native Americans, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, to expand these efforts. Due to the hard work and dedication of the Tunica-Biloxi Language and Culture Revitalization Program (LCRP) team, there are now over 50 active speakers of the Tunica language and in-house linguists who teach the language and work to expand the program. 

“With the LCRP summer Language and Culture Youth Camp approaching, the launch of the Tunica language textbook couldn’t have come at a more perfect time,” said Elisabeth Pierite Mora, LCRP Language & Cultural Lifeways Instructor. “This educational text is an extensive body of work – comprised of information from the many documents and recordings of a native speaker and former chief Sesostrie Youchigant by linguist Mary Haas – that is the first of its kind in our tribe, and it’s critical to the continuing advancement of our tribe’s revitalization efforts. I look forward to using this book as a guide to teach our tribal youth and keep the Tunica language alive for generations to come.”

In the summer of 1933, linguist Mary Haas began documenting Youchigant’s knowledge of the Tunica language for her doctoral dissertation, and the two continued to work together during the summer of 1938. This dissertation led to Haas publishing a grammar handbook, grammatical sketch, dictionary and books of text, as well as articles assessing the relationships between the Tunica language and other languages of the area. An extensive and comprehensive collection of her work is archived at the American Philosophical Society, and the audio recordings and other papers are archived at the California Language Archive.

The composition of the 2023 textbook began in 2010 and is based on Swiss ethnologist Albert Gatschet’s and American anthropologist John Swanton’s large body of unpublished work in collaboration with native speakers William Ely Johnson and Volsin Chiki – Youchigant’s uncle – archived at the National Anthropological Archives. Gatschet documented Johnson’s knowledge of Tunica, and Swanton documented Tunica between 1907 and 1910 with the assistance of Johnson and Chiki.

“The preservation and revitalization of our language have been on the forefront of our tribal leaders’ minds for generations,” said Marshall Pierite, Chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe. “In the foreword of the textbook, there’s a letter from my uncle Chief Joseph Alcide Pierite, Sr., to linguist Dr. Mary Haas requesting a copy of her Tunica Dictionary and recordings of the last known fluent speaker and former chief Sesostrie Youchigant, so that the young tribal members could learn their native language and songs. This textbook is the embodiment of Chief Joseph’s dream of revitalizing the Tunica language, and I couldn’t be prouder of all the hard work that has gone into its creation.”

Though records of the Tunica language can be traced back as early as 1886, efforts of reawakening the Tunica language began in 2010 with Kuhpani Yoyani Luhchi Yoroni (KYLY), a working group comprised of Tunica-Biloxi community members and Tulane University linguists, also known as the Tunica Language Project. One of the most remarkable components of this department is the Tribe’s LCRP which successfully revived the Tunica language from “dormant” to “awakened,” a very rare occurrence in the linguistic community.

Each chapter of the textbook is designed to make the Tunica Language accessible for beginners and provides a means for learners to quickly internalize and utilize the language in daily contexts.

The book was made possible with support from the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and CSBG sub-grant funding through the Institute for Indian Development. The books are being distributed by the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and can also be found in the gift shop at the Tunica-Biloxi Gift Shop in Marksville and online through Amazon.

Originally Featured on Louisiana Considered

Next weekend on May 20th and 21, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana will host their first Pow Wow since the COVID 19 pandemic. And tribal leadership, tribal citizens, neighboring tribes and community members are all invited to celebrate this weekend-long cultural event.

Ryan Lopez, Pow Wow committee member, tells us what it means to finally reunite in this celebration for the first time in years.

For the next few weeks, we will continue our conversations with candidates in the 2023 Louisiana governor’s race. Today we’re joined by Shawn Wilson, a democrat who served as secretary of transportation and development for Gov. John Bel Edwards. He tells us what he believes it will take for a candidate on the left to win in a red state.

But first, it’s Thursday and that means it’s time to catch up on politics with The Times Picayune / New Orleans Advocate’s editorial director and columnist Stephanie Grace. She tells us about recent failed attempts to loosen abortion restrictions in Louisiana.

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our digital editor is Katelyn Umholtz and our engineers are Garrett Pittman and Aubry Procell.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12:00 and 7:30 pm. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts.