Michael Dardar, “The United Houma Nation: History and Questions for Indigenous Louisiana.” In Louisiana French, the word Lagniappe refers to a small gift that is added to an exchange as a show of appreciation. This podcast lagniappe features Michael Dardar of the United Houma Nation and is offered as a supplement to Acadiversité’s third episode of our first season, “Legacies of Settler Colonialism in Atlantic Canada and Beyond.”
The United Houma Nation forms the largest indigenous group in southern Louisiana, with more than 17,000 enrolled citizens living across several communities along the bayous below the Mississippi River. A former vice-chief of the UHN, Michael Dardar has also served as tribal historian. His research and writings, signed as “T. Mayheart Dardar” in tribute to his father, aim to clear up misunderstandings surrounding Houma identity and to advocate for Houma sovereignty. It is worth noting that the Houma account for Louisiana’s densest Francophone population, having adopted French in the eighteenth century.
On 3 November 2018, Dardar took part in a panel held during the 21st conference of the American Council for Québec Studies, in New Orleans. That roundtable focused on the Houmas’ international presence, specifically on the tribe’s relations with France. Like his writings, which include the book-length essay Istrouma: A Houma Manifesto, published in 2014 by Éditions Tintamarre, Dardar’s remarks provide helpful context for a deeper understanding of the issues he addresses in our main episode.
The documentary series Acadiversité explores the history and culture of the Acadian diaspora. Acadiversité is a production of Studio N/S, an initiative by Université Sainte-Anne’s North/South Observatory, the research lab of the Canada Research Chair in Acadian and Transnational Studies (CRÉAcT – Dr. Clint Bruce). Each yearly season is comprised of four episodes, three in French and one in English, plus bonus material.