Premieres Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 10 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!
The Pointe-Au-Chien Indian Tribe has been fighting to hold on to its identity and culture after centuries of discrimination and systemic racism. Located on one of the five-fingered bayous in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana (the fastest eroding basin in the U.S.), Pointe-Au-Chien is a small fishing community with one of the most unique histories and cultures in the state.
The tribe of nearly 800 (current population) has lived on this bayou for centuries and, to this day, speak in an "Indian-French" dialect unique to this area.
This small French-speaking tribe continues to comprise a distinct community despite colonization, land loss, lack of status as a federally recognized tribe, exploitation of the land and people, and denial of educational opportunities.
Today, their fight for equality continues with the Terrebonne Parish School Board deciding in April 2021 to shut down their only elementary school as a cost-saving measure, forcing approximately 100 students to transfer to a school in another community.
"The Precipice" traces the town's recovery and follows the tribe's federal recognition process as they plan to file their final petition in 2024.
Through all this, the tribe remains hopeful. "The Precipice" explores the challenges the community is facing and reveals the battles they are beginning to win.
“The land is tied to their identity, and that part of their identity is literally washing away,” says LPB Senior Producer and filmmaker Ben Johnson. “Climate change is here and the towns and cities it will come for will only grow larger. This film hopefully makes clear that what happens to Pointe-aux-Chenes, happens to us. And it’s in our best interest to make sure they succeed.”
Credits: Presented by Louisiana Public Broadcasting. American Public Television. Director: Ben Johnson. Producer: Linda Midgett. Tribal Attorney: Patty Ferguson-Bohnee. Tribal Historian: Laura D. Kelley.
