ABSTRACT
In the seven years since the chapter appeared in this book’s first edition, the Grand Bayou Atakapa-Ishak Tribe in Louisiana has experienced many physical changes brought by continual land loss, industrial and Western development, major storms, a tsunami-type wave, and an oil disaster. The community has also experienced a growth in participation with agencies, coastal traditional environmental knowledge (TEK) research, collaboration with other long-established and tribal communities, and the formation of organizations that bring voice and knowledge to political and legal decision making. The community and others are aware that the rapid onset of current disasters and changes in the physical surroundings means that TEK, although essential in relationship to resources, is no longer enough to navigate these changes. Creation of new knowledges and the adaptation of TEK with other coastal communities is becoming both a political and survival mechanism. The families and the individuals that give of themselves to develop knowledge and adaptation skills would much rather be with their community and families and enjoy life as they knew it before human-induced devastation occurred.
