EVANGELINE PARISH — Raynella Fontenot, a tribal archivist with the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, emphasized the enduring presence of Native Americans in the region and beyond. “Our main message, a lot of the time and not just here in our Coushatta territory but throughout Indian country is that we’re still here. There's so many places that don’t know that we exist or that even Native Americans are still thriving and carrying on their culture, their tradition, their language,” she said.
Koasati Heritage Day allows visitors to experience that message firsthand. From storytelling to traditional dances and drum performances, each part of the event highlights centuries of Coushatta culture. The celebration started as a small program called Train Your Brain to teach associates about the tribe and has grown into a full event that now draws the wider community.
“My family has been a traditional family, so our upbringing was steeped in our language which is the Koasati language, our basketry, our culture, our dances, so those are things that I as a mother as well have also pursued to keep alive in our family,” Fontenot said.
The traditions continue through her daughter, who serves as this year’s Coushatta Junior Princess. Aubrey Fontenot said her role gives her the opportunity to demonstrate the tribe’s ongoing vitality. “We show people that we’re still around and that we still continue to thrive with our culture and our language,” she said.
While this year’s celebration spans two days for the first time, it also honors the event’s origins. Hannah Boudreaux, who served as tribal princess in 2012, helped kickstart Koasati Heritage Day four years ago after recognizing growing interest in the tribe’s culture. “I love to see the looks on peoples faces when they get to see the beautiful baskets we have on display and I get to hear a lot of feedback from both our associates and guests who have come here from far and wide and they get to learn about who we are and it’s just that excitement in people's eyes as they learn,” Boudreaux said.
Visitors to the event also learn about the tribe’s clan system. Raynella Fontenot explained how traditions are passed down through maternal lines. “So all of our clans are passed down materially through our mother so as a beaver my children are beavers. So anytime I see anything beaver related I’m always happy to connect with it,” she said.
The celebration continues this Saturday, with the Coushatta Tribe welcoming the community for another Koasati Heritage Day at the Casino Resort in Kinder from 2 to 6 p.m. Koasati Heritage Day demonstrates the Coushatta Tribe’s commitment to preserving its culture, language, and traditions while sharing them with the community, offering a hands-on opportunity to see, hear, and experience living heritage.
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