Registered fishermen still waiting by the phone for BP
June 22, 2010
Helen LeBoeuf
June 24, 2010
Standing Bear is now the principal chief of the United Houma Nation.
But as Thomas Dardar Jr. took the oath of office Saturday, he did so under a dark cloud in the wake of the BP oil spill and a six-month deepwater drilling moratorium threatening the life of his United Houma Nation (UHN) Indians.
The tribe is also in the midst of another fight – a plight of 20 years – to gain recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, an agency of the U.S. Department of the interior.
The UHN is, however, a state-recognized tribe of approximately 17,000 tribal citizens residing within a six-parish area: Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, St. Mary, St. Bernard and Plaquemines.
“Tonight, I stand before you with many emotions, fighting for our communities, being your voice in these troubled times,” Dardar said. “Many people outside the community say, ‘Just move!’ I tell them, that isn’t going to happen. Then they say, ‘Give up!’ I also tell them that isn’t going to happen. They do not know our determination.”
“Today, we face a disaster that touches each and every one of us, from the western most end of St. Mary Parish, to the bayous along Terrebonne, Lafourche and Jefferson, to the farthest tip of Plaquemines Parish. Oil is threatening our very way of life, our livelihood and the heart of our very culture, our connection with the water and the land,” the newly elected chief told onlookers.
Dardar spoke in front of a crowd of several hundred who gathered Saturday to watch their first new chief in 13 years take the helm. He takes over for Brenda Dardar-Robichaux, whose accomplishments include scoring a permit from the Federal Communications Commission to launch the tribe’s own FM 100-watt radio station, KUHN.
Dardar-Robichaux also made note of the oil spill in her final remarks.
“Leaders are recognized by action, not by title,” she said. “This oil spill presents us with one of our greatest challenges. During this time, we all need to be leaders and work together. It will take more than one person to get us through our current challenges.”
In taking over the UHN, Thomas Dardar said obtaining the tribe’s federal recognition is on the top of his priority list because it will offer help to the members’ health and welfare, especially in the face of disaster.
“And so tonight, we must all pledge our allegiance to one another. We carry each other when we are called to do so, because we are a strong people. We are resilient and we are independent until the end,” he said.
Dardar, 54, is a Houma resident who works in the oilfield industry for Marlin Services. He took his oath of office at the Grand Caillou Auditorium. Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet and parish councilmen Clayton Voisin and Alvin Tillman were among those in attendance.
Voisin, who represents Grand Caillou and Dulac, presented Dardar with a resolution of commendation from the parish council.
“Mr. Dardar takes over right now at some of the most difficult times that we, as a community, and you, as a tribe, have ever faced since you’ve been here on this earth,” Voisin said.
“First, you have probably the worst hurricane season predicted this year, and on top of that, we’ve been fighting oil spills for the last two months,” he said. “Right now, your lifestyle and my lifestyle are being threatened. Please stay strong and behind him at all times.”
Claudet presented Dardar with keys to Houma and Terrebonne Parish.
Dardar joined the tribal council in 1997. He also serves as a board member of the Teche Action Clinic, which has a location in Dulac that serves the United Houma Nation.
He is married to Noreen Ledet Dardar. The couple has three children, Thomas Dardar III, 32; Missy Dardar Williams, 31; and Jarrod Dardar, 23.
Thomas Dardar Jr., (seated second from left) joins members of the United Houma Nation Indians in a closing song and prayer at Saturday’s swearing-in ceremony. * Photo by HOWARD J. CASTAY JR.
