Research informs preservation of Native American sacred mound site, supports tribe’s effort to become federally recognized

Relevance:

The Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT) is seeking to become a federally recognized tribe. There are several steps required to obtain this status, and tribe members recognized that Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) mapping could support their application for federal recognition.

Response:

The tribe gave oral history information and maps to a Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported research team. The research team also collected all known maps, photographs and other documents of the area dating as far back as the mid-1500s. Based on these resources and additional information from the tribe, the team created a single map showing where people used to live. The research team also gave the maps and data to the PACIT.

Results:

The research team translated and digitized old maps to show the movement of tribes over time and clarify some confusion that the federal recognition application review board had expressed. The team made more than 100 maps, a dedicated website and an online story-map (complete with a library of historical maps and local projections of sea-level rise and land loss) available to the tribe. Since the Sea Grant project concluded, the maps have been used in the designation process to preserve a Native American sacred mound. Researchers also received additional funding to address priorities identified during the Sea Grant-funded project.

Recap:

At the request of the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (PACIT), a Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant-supported research team mapped historical tribal lands, which is aiding its application for federal recognition. The tribe also has used the maps in the process to preserve a Native American sacred mound. (2017)