Flag Raising Ceremony to Honor Elders, Citizens and Leaders of Tunica-Biloxi Tribe
Marskville, LA – (September 28, 2017) – Leaders and citizens of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana gathered to hold a flag raising ceremony for the commemoration of the tribe’s 36th anniversary of Federal Acknowledgment, which occurred on September 25, 1981. The observance was led by Tunica-Biloxi Gaming Commissioner Chairman Rudolph Wambsgans and included presentations of prayer and song from other leaders in the tribe. The Tunica Biloxi Police Department was honored with the duty of raising the Tunica flag during the ceremony.
“On this day, we recognize the importance of our tribe’s federally acknowledged status and how vital it is to our community,” said Tunica-Biloxi Tribal Vice Chairman Marshall Ray Sampson, Sr. “Not only is today a day for recognition, but we must also reflect on the struggles and successes our tribe has endured and achieved over the years.”
The Federal Acknowledgment Process was created in 1978 and is managed by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. Currently, the United States government acknowledges over 560 tribes, including the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. Federal acknowledgment allows tribes to assert and protect their identities, as well as file claims for past and current acts of injustice by the government and other entities.
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 “like” us on Facebook.