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

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