Louisiana Sea Grant Coastal Change Oral Histories Project

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Louisiana's coast is washing away at an alarming rate, and as the land disappears, residents are effected economically and culturally. In 2012, Louisiana Sea Grant partnered with the Williams Center and implemented an oral history project in which high school students in South Louisiana recorded information on coastal change and explored the implications of this change on their communities. One primary goal of the project, beyond creating primary resources documenting this phenomenon, was to increase environmental literacy among students who live in communities at risk and to engage them in a stewardship project that would help them interact with community elders through the use of oral history.

Interviewees in this series discuss climate change, eroding coastlines and wetlands, sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, dredging, channelization, dwindling biodiversity, coastal restoration projects, the BP oil spill, pollution, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, and Hurricanes Andrew, Audrey, Ike, Isaac, Katrina and Rita. Many also discuss the sugarcane industry, hunting, fishing and trapping, their families and childhoods, and the culture of their local communities.
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Amelia "Amy" LeGaux oral history interview
Amelia "Amy" LeGaux oral history interview
Coast changes--Louisiana
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Coastal animals--Louisiana
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Coastal zone management--Louisiana
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Hurricane Katrina, 2005--Environmental aspects--Louisiana
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Marsh conservation--Louisiana
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Marsh ecology--Louisiana
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LeGaux discusses wetlands education and restoration, the plight of Louisiana land loss, erosion, subsidence, sea level rise, hurricanes, and levees.
Barbara Smith Baker Brown oral history interview
Barbara Smith Baker Brown oral history interview
Coast changes--Louisiana
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Country life--Louisiana
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Mayors--Louisiana--Thibodaux--Election
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Women political candidates--Louisiana--Thibodaux
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Brown recalls her childhood visiting family in Thibodaux, the changes in environment she has witnessed, and her experience being the first African American woman to run for the office of mayor in Thibodaux.
Catherine Campanella oral history interview
Catherine Campanella oral history interview
Coast changes--Louisiana
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Coastal zone management--Louisiana
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Campanella discusses the truthfulness of climate change, surviving Hurricanes George and Katrina, growing up on Lake Pontchartrain, campaigns to help restore Louisiana's coast and the benefits of discontinuing dredging.
Denis Rodrigue oral history interview
Denis Rodrigue oral history interview
Coast changes--Louisiana
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Country life--Louisiana--Lafourche Parish
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Farm life--Louisiana--Lafourche Parish
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Nuns--Louisiana
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Rodrigue describes her childhood in Chackbay; her mother, father, and all of her brothers and sisters; and when each one save the last three younger than her passed away. She goes on to describe her life as a nun in great detail and the joy she finds in teaching.
Dr. Kenneth Klaus oral history interview
Dr. Kenneth Klaus oral history interview
Coast changes--Louisiana
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Coastal animals--Louisiana
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Hurricane Andrew, 1992--Personal narratives
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Jazz--Louisiana--History and criticism
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Marsh animals--Louisiana
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Wildlife recovery--Louisiana
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Klaus discusses his life as a Louisiana resident, his deep connection to music, experience as a music professor, experience in hurricanes, racism in the South, education, and coastal erosion, climate change, and deltaic formation.
Emma Gilbert oral history interview
Emma Gilbert oral history interview
Coast changes--Louisiana
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Country life--Louisiana
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Gilbert describes life in Charenton, Louisiana, and the changes she has witnessed in her lifetime. Also mentioned is erosion, land loss, and climate change.
Kevin Savoie oral history interview
Kevin Savoie oral history interview
Coast changes--Louisiana
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Coastal animals--Louisiana
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Coastal plants--Louisiana
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Coastal zone management--Louisiana
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Fisheries--Louisiana
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Flood control--Environmental aspects--Louisiana--Cameron Parish
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Hurricane Rita, 2005--Environmental aspects--Louisiana--Cameron Parish
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Marsh animals--Louisiana
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Marsh ecology--Louisiana
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Marsh plants--Louisiana
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Saltwater encroachment--Louisiana
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Savoie discusses the controversy around the Cameron-Creole Watershed Project, the effects on Cameron Parish of Hurricane Rita, coastal erosion, Louisiana land loss, subsidence, sea level rise, saltwater intrusion, levees, and his childhood growing up in Cameron Parish.
Robert Griffin oral history interview
Robert Griffin oral history interview
African Americans--Civil rights--Louisiana--Thibodaux
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Civil rights movements--Louisiana--Thibodaux
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Griffin talks about his life growing up in Thibodaux Louisiana, and his involvement in the civil rights movement in the late 1950s-1970s.
Robert Griffin oral history interview
Robert Griffin oral history interview
African Americans--Civil rights--Louisiana--Thibodaux
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Civil rights movements--Louisiana--Thibodaux
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Griffin talks about his life growing up in Thibodaux Louisiana, and his involvement in the civil rights movement in the late 1950s-1970s.
Roger Baccigalopi oral history interview
Roger Baccigalopi oral history interview
Coast changes--Louisiana
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Hurricane Rita, 2005--Social aspects--Louisiana--Cameron Parish
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Marsh animals--Louisiana
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Marsh ecology--Louisiana
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Baccigalopi describes his life, work, and family in Cameron Parish, and how they have been, and continue to be, affected by the loss of his family home in Hurricane Rita.
Timothy James "Timmy" Vincent oral history interview
Timothy James "Timmy" Vincent oral history interview
Cajun French dialect--Louisiana
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Cajuns--Louisiana--History
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Cattle drives--Louisiana--History
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Coypu--Louisiana
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Hunting--Louisiana
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Ranching--Louisiana
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Trapping--Louisiana
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Wetland animals--Louisiana
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Wetland biodiversity--Louisiana
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Wetland plants--Louisiana
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Wetlands--Louisiana
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Vincent shares memories from his childhood in Erath, Louisiana, and discusses his lifelong interest in the outdoors. Vincent goes into some detail on his Acadian and French ancestry, the history of Acadians in south Louisiana, and Acadian farming techniques. He recalls efforts to phase out, then reinstitute the Cajun French language and describes the languages spoken in his family. Primarily, Vincent focuses on his role as manager of the Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary and the changes he's seen to the coastal wetlands of Southeast Louisiana throughout his lifetime. This includes saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion, increased channelization for commercial shipping, changes in the type and number of plant and animal species present, and impacts on the local culture, economy, and population. He touches on the seafood industry, farming, cattle and horse ranching and early cattle drives in Louisiana, hunting and trapping, the introduction of nutria, Louisiana innovations prodded by a lack of resources, the impact of hurricanes on coastal communities, and government regulations on rebuilding in flood areas.
Timothy James "Timmy" Vincent oral history interview
Timothy James "Timmy" Vincent oral history interview
Cajun French dialect--Louisiana
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Cajuns--Louisiana--History
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Cattle drives--Louisiana--History
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Coypu--Louisiana
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Hunting--Louisiana
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Ranching--Louisiana
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Trapping--Louisiana
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Wetland animals--Louisiana
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Wetland biodiversity--Louisiana
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Wetland plants--Louisiana
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Wetlands--Louisiana
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Vincent shares memories from his childhood in Erath, Louisiana, and discusses his lifelong interest in the outdoors. Vincent goes into some detail on his Acadian and French ancestry, the history of Acadians in south Louisiana, and Acadian farming techniques. He recalls efforts to phase out, then reinstitute the Cajun French language and describes the languages spoken in his family. Primarily, Vincent focuses on his role as manager of the Paul J. Rainey Wildlife Sanctuary and the changes he's seen to the coastal wetlands of Southeast Louisiana throughout his lifetime. This includes saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion, increased channelization for commercial shipping, changes in the type and number of plant and animal species present, and impacts on the local culture, economy, and population. He touches on the seafood industry, farming, cattle and horse ranching and early cattle drives in Louisiana, hunting and trapping, the introduction of nutria, Louisiana innovations prodded by a lack of resources, the impact of hurricanes on coastal communities, and government regulations on rebuilding in flood areas.
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