ayése' ninak alúta' nánannúa' : full moon news

Dãtce' Uktcãkeh green corn / Ani' berry

Full Moon Summer Greetings from the

Okla Hina Ikhish Holo

People of the Sacred Medicine Trail

Ida Aronson (United Houma Nation), Angela Comeaux (Mvskoke / Cherokee / Chahta), Dr. Tammy Greer (United Houma Nation), Sasha Irby (Osage / Lakota / Mvskoke), Jenna Mae (Eastern Siouan / Mvskoke / Cherokee), Kellyn LaCour-Conant (Clifton Choctaw/Cane River Creole), Virginia Dove Richard (MOWA Band of Choctaw), Anne White Hat (Sicangu Lakota Oyate), Scierra LaGarde (Bayou Lacombe Choctaw), Monique Verdin (United Houma Nation) and others are collaborating with inter-tribal indigenous folks and allies of the southeast to reactivate old trade routes, exchanging medicine, food, skills and support to restore and maintain biodiversity and sovereignty.

Bayou LaCombe Medicine Wheel Garden

The Okla Hina Ikhish Holo, Bvlbancha Collective and members of the Bayou LaCombe Choctaw community were able to support Sierra LaGarde in collaboration with the St. Tammany Recreation District #4 to build a new medicine garden in May of 2021. We are looking forward to watching it grow! Find the garden at 61100 n. 12th Street, Lacombe Louisiana 70445.

Gravity Fed Rain Barrel Drip Irrigation

This year at Land Back Gardens, we built a rain harvesting and irrigation system for our Three Sisters beds. We installed a gutter and spout on one side of the house in order to channel rain water into our rain barrel, which sits atop a platform made of scrap wood. We drilled holes in the rain barrel, and installed bulk heads, connectors, and a spigot, which attaches to our drip line system, as well as our back flow system. The back flow valve is attached to a hose that leads to the baby bald cypress tree we planted in the back yard, which will (over time) address flooding and water pooling in this low area of the yard. We laid down our drip hose amidst the corn rows, and can turn it on and off from the spigot to water our crops. Drip lines are a more precise method of watering that provides a slow, targeted irrigation-- reducing water waste and fungal diseases to leaves, because the water is going directly to the roots of plants. Because the barrel is atop a platform, gravity creates the pressure necessary for the rain water to flow. We learned this method of irrigation from Dr. Yemane Ghebreiyessus, of Southern University's Agricultural Research and Extension Center, in their Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certification Program in Fall, 2020. Drip line hose, connectors, and spigot cost around $200, and we have attached screenshots of these items currently available on Ebay. This is an affordable and sustainable harvest and irrigation option that can be adapted to many different gardening set-ups. Please keep in touch, and let us know if you try this system, and how it works for you! - Jenna Mae, 2021, Bvlbancha

Summer Health and Wellness Social

Okla Hina Ikhish Holo will be joining the United Houma Nation tribal citizens, families and friends on July 10, 2021 for a Summer Health and Wellness Social, from noon - 4 pm at the UHN's new tribal center, 400 Monarch Drive, Houma, LA 70364.

Come early for the July Council Meeting 10-12pm.

Wellness social will being immediately following council meeting.

Tour the UHN's new tribal center, learn about the Yakani Ekelanna Garden and about our other tribal properties. Pick up some seedlings for your yards and gardens! Taste Native plant teas, Pick-up Stickball, Tribal Artists and Native Crafts for kids, Wellness check-ups and sooooo much more!