WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017 | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Paragon Casino Resort, Chiqui Ballroom | 711 Paragon Place, Marksville, Louisiana 71351
WHAT: The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana’s Language and Culture Revitalization Program (LCRP) will hold its 2nd Annual Intertribal Basketry Summit.
Each year, the LCRP invites master weavers throughout regional Native American communities to its Intertribal Basketry Summit. The summit serves as an informal forum for participants to share elements of their culture and demonstrate southeast basketry techniques using pine needle, river cane and palmetto. Master weavers from Native American communities in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Oklahoma will be on hand to demonstrate and discuss their unique styles. Some weavers will have their basket creations available for sale at the event.
In addition to weavers from the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, participants hail from the following tribes:
- Coushatta of Kinder, LA
- Alabama-Coushatta of Livingston, TX
- Chitimacha Tribe of Charenton, LA
- Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
- Clifton Choctaw of Louisiana
- United Houma Nation of Louisiana
Additionally, two non-tribal weavers will participate who learned the art from Choctaw elders in Louisiana and Mississippi.
“We are excited to kick-off the second year of this event and allow Native Americans to share their ancestors’ basketry styles in a communal and engaging way,” said Marshall Ray Sampson, Vice Chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. “We hope that by encouraging our people to continue learning the art of basketry, the tradition will live on for generations to come.”
The Intertribal Basketry Summit is free and open to the public. Participants at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels are encouraged to attend and learn. The beginner group seeking instruction is limited to 12 participants and the overall summit is limited to 45 participants. Registration for weavers is $20 and includes lunch and a full cultural experience. Participants must register in advance by contacting LCRP program assistant Megan Anderson at manderson@tunica.org or (318) 240-6468.
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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.