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Koasati Voices: Honoring the Legacy of Our Ancestors🌿November 18 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍Imperial Calcasieu Museum
🎟️Free and open to the public
Koasati Voices: Honoring the Legacy of Our Ancestors explores the living tradition of Koasati basketry, an art form deeply rooted in the gifts of the land and sustained through the teachings of elders. This presentation highlights the intricate techniques, cultural knowledge, Koasati language, and intergenerational stories that reflect a legacy of creativity, resilience, and connection to the land. The program will be shared through the voice of Mr. Landon Riley Heath Daigle, a proud member of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana and the Kawaknasi Ayiksa (Bobcat Clan).
Born in 1999, Daigle is an avid collector and maker of Koasati Long Leaf Pine Needle and Rivercane baskets. His passion for basketry began in childhood and grew into a lifelong pursuit inspired by the memory of a basket made by his great-grandmother, the late Madeline Celestine. Guided by elders and traditional artisans within his community, Daigle has refined his skills over the years, mastering the wheat stitch method and incorporating traditional materials such as long leaf pine needles, raffia, and pinecone embellishments.
His artistry has been showcased at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum and featured in Louisiana Coushatta Basket Makers: Traditional Knowledge, Resourcefulness, and Artistry as a Means of Survival (LSU Press, 2021). His works have also been collected by notable figures, including Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Notah Begay III, and featured in the Homelands: Connecting to Mounds Through Native Art exhibit at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture.
As a young tribal artisan, Daigle is dedicated to continuing Koasati basketry traditions for future generations and dreams of one day opening his own museum featuring Coushatta baskets.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
204 W Sallier St, Lake Charles, LA, United States, Louisiana 70601
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.
