ST. LANDRY PARISH (ARNAUDVILLE) — A new bamboo tipi unveiled off Cortibleau Highway in Arnaudville is bringing Indigenous history and culture to life, offering visitors a place for meditation, storytelling, music and reflection.

Clovis “Joe” Billiot, an elder of the Bulloxy– Chitimacha Tribe who grew up in Golden Meadow, spoke at the event about the importance of remembering the past and preserving Indigenous identity.

“I explain about what we went through, what happened to us — what our people pushed back and were pushed into the swamp,” Billiot said. “They tried to get rid of us, but we survived.”

Billiot said Arnaudville was once an Atakapa-Ishak village, and he hopes the new structure will help younger generations better understand the area’s Indigenous roots.

“We was put down an

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