Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe
| Named after | Pointe-aux-Chênes ("Oak Point"), a community in Terrebonne Parrish |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1993[1] |
| Type | state-recognized tribe, 501(c)(3) organization[2] |
| EIN 72-1460716[2] | |
| Legal status | active |
| Purpose | A23: Cultural, Ethnic Awareness[2][3] |
| Headquarters | Montegut, Louisiana[2] |
| Location |
|
| Membership | about 800[4] (2022) |
Official language | English |
| Leader | Melissa Verdin[2] |
| Revenue | $247,037[3] (2024) |
| Website | pactribe |
Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization in Louisiana. It is headquartered in Montegut, Louisiana.[2] It is active in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes.
Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT) identify as descendants of the Acolapissa, Atakapa, Biloxi, Chitimacha,[4] and Choctaw peoples.[5] The organization formerly identified as descending from the Houma people[6] since at least 1907 to 1993.[1]
The group has approximately 800 members.[4]
History
The Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe and the Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees broke away from the United Houma Nation in the 1990s.[6] All three are state-recognized tribes today in Louisiana.[6]
Nonprofit organization
The Pointe Au Chien Indian Tribe organized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Montegut, Louisiana. Its tax-exempt status was temporarily revoked in 2023 but has been restored by 2024.[3]
Its principal officer is Melissa Verdin.[2] Its total assets were $517,288 in 2024.[3]
Petition for federal recognition
In 1996, the group petitioned to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for federal recognition after breaking away from the United Houma Nation, whose petition had been denied.[7] In 2008, the proposed amending finding stated that the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe "is not an Indian tribe within the meaning of the Federal law," since their ancestors did not constitute a community or hold political influence over the group before 1830.[1] The preliminary finding states, "The evidence in the record has not demonstrated that the PACIT petitioner's members descend from a historical Indian tribe..."[1] Their petition is still being processed under the revised 2015 criteria for recognition.[7]
Hurricane Ida
Although the Pointe Au Chien Indian Tribe has survived hurricanes for hundreds of years, Hurricane Ida devastated the Pointe-au-Chien community on August 29, 2021, leaving unprecedented damage with about 150 tribal families in need of assistance for temporary housing and rebuilding. Because of not being a federally recognized tribe, important disaster proclamations and rescue funds were not forthcoming from U.S. government relief agencies.[8]
Education
The tribe established a French immersion charter school, École Pointe-au-Chien, in Pointe-aux-Chenes,[4] after the Terrebonne Parish School District closed that community's public school in 2021.[9] The school district sold the former Pointe-aux-Chênes school building to the tribe, for one dollar, so the French immersion school could be housed there.[10]
In the summers, they host Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe Culture Camp.[4]
References
- ^ a b c d Artman, Carl J. (30 May 2008). "Amended Proposed Finding Against Acknowledgment of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT) of Louisiana" (PDF). Federal Register. 73 (105): 31142–43. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Pointe Au Chien Indian Tribe". GuideStar. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Pointe au Chien Indian Tribe". 501C3 Lookup. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Setyawan, Kezia (18 July 2022). "During summer camp, a conversation with Pointe-au-Chien children about land loss and culture". WWNO. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ "Pointe-aux-Chenes Tribe community gains modern pump station". The Lafourche Gazette. 3 February 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Solet, Kimberly (12 March 2005). "Local Indian tribes continue quest for recognition". Houma Today. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Petition #056B: Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, LA". Indian Affairs. U.S. Department of the Interior, Indian Affairs. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ Delta Dispatches, Restore the Mississippi River Delta
- ^ Setyawan, Kezia (2022-04-08). "Pointe-aux-Chenes French immersion school proposal passes through state House legislature". WWNO. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ Olivier, Jonathan (30 May 2023). "In August, École Pointe-au-Chien to Open Kindergarten, First Grade". KRVS. Télé-Louisiane. Retrieved 2024-02-15.