Louisiana is shrinking. Some tribes are fighting to protect what’s left of their communities

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Louisiana’s Pointe-au-Chien Tribe combats rapid coastal erosion with reef-building and stronger housing.

Recycled oyster shell reefs have cut land loss by 50% in protected areas.

Homes are rebuilt to withstand hurricanes after severe damage from Ida.

Tribes face funding challenges and lack federal recognition while fighting to preserve culture and land.

Cherie Matherne looked out into Bayou Pointe au Chien, wide enough for several boats to pass through. In the distance, a stand of dead trees marked where saltwater comes and goes during storm-driven flooding.

It wasn’t always this way. The bayou was once shallower and just wide enough for a small boat to pass. Land that cattle once roamed is submerged now, and elders tell stories of tree canopies once so lush they