BP’s deepsea well is capped. Now, the Houma are left to face their greatest challenge
GULF COAST, La. – The oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico from BP’s Maconda oil well the nearly last three months finally stopped July 15 as BP placed a carefully fitted cap atop the well, a move to try and seal the well permanently.
The Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded April 20 killing 11 workers is the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
The wellhead, some 5,000 feet below the surface has released as much as 184 million of gallons of oil, smothering fragile marsh and wetlands, devastated area wildlife and fish populations, and turned the lives of the tribal peoples who call this coastline home upside down.
Louisiana recognized the United Houma Nation , Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, Isle de Jean Charles Indian Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, and the Atakapa-Ishak Tribe as cohesive tribal entities but the federal government does now, despite their long historical connection and reliance on land and sea. And without that the tribes are not eligible for federal assistance.
The fishing industry that tribal peoples rely on for income and food, and which also supports businesses like netmakers, suppliers, and restaurants, is crippled. “Every day presents a new challenge,” said Houma Nation former principal chief Brenda Dardar Robichaux.
Fishing boat owners who know one of BP’s decision makers might find employment cleaning up the oil. “Those fishermen can choose to work for BP and risk their personal safety and health, or they can stay away from the oil and toxic dispersants and keep their health,” Robichaux said. “But then they have no way to provide for their families.”
Clean up workers, who get four hours training instead of the standard 40 hours are not given respirators to protect themselves while out working, she said. Their fishermen have reported respiratory problems, nose bleeds, and headaches.
While most of the out of work fishermen received a second payment from BP, they’d much prefer to be working “instead of sitting at home worrying if BP is going to continue having them working.”
Robichaux said they’re seeing a lot of discrepancies in the claims process.
“I heard today that 90,000 people have received emergency assistance, where they pay you so much for your losses, but that they’re going to be cutting that by 40,000 because of incomplete applications. So our new concern is when is that going to happen? We don’t know what standards, what guidelines they are they using.”
Robichaux testified before the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife in Washington, DC June 10, and said she is pleased with the results of the hearing and the federal response. “There’s a genuine concern for our communities, concerns that we’re not a federally recognized tribe. They assured us that they will work with us and they have lived up to that commitment.”
The tribe is kept abreast of what federal agencies are doing to meet the needs of the community by way of weekly conference calls with the White House and the agency department heads. “We were never given that opportunity under the (Bush) administration.”
Locally, they’ve asked BP representatives to set up a mobile claim center in addition to the one claim center in each parish. “It’s quite a hardship for some tribal citizens, especially those in isolated communities to have to leave and get to the claim center each week. It was part of our conversation, and it looks like it’s going to materialize.”
They are also working to identify their many burial sites and Indian mounds in order to protect them. Louisiana’s state archeological society has offered their assistance.
In late June high tides produced by tropical storm Alex caused their streets to flood, and left water in yards “that actually looked like a lake” for several days. They worried the flood waters would bring the oil in the marshes into the community, and it raised fears about the mass destruction a hurricane would do. “We’ve just seen what a tropical disturbance can do on top of this oil, and so our concern is the mass destruction a hurricane can do.”
Because the tribe has structures in place to identify their tribal citizens and their needs in the event of a hurricane, “This is different, but the process we established is serving us here.”
The entire situation, Robichaux said, “is our greatest challenge.”
Next: The Atakapa-Ishak Tribe.
