In Louisiana, Native Americans struggle to recover from Ida

By REBECCA SANTANA
Associated Press

ALONG BAYOU POINTE-AU-CHIEN, La. (AP) — As another hurricane season gets started, many Native American residents in southeast Louisiana are still struggling to recover from last year’s Hurricane Ida. Native Americans have lived in the bayous of southeast Louisiana for hundreds of years and have strong connections to the land and waterways. But coastal erosion has eaten away at their land and made them more vulnerable to storms. Tribal official Cherie Matherne of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe lost her home to Ida as did most of her neighbors and fellow tribal members. She says it will take years before people can get back to their lives.