Art by Tina Orlandini for AgitArte @agitarte_cultural_works
Louisiana Solidarity
In Louisiana, Hurricane Ida made landfall west of New Orleans 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina. While much of the meager media attention related to Ida focused on New Orleans – which lost power and still is without some basic services, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods – the brunt of the damage occurred in the smaller, so-called “river parishes.” These communities are home to many of Louisiana’s Indigenous peoples, as well as the descendants of freed and enslaved Black peoples. In our artwork and sharing of mutual aid efforts, AgitArte intentionally centered mutual aid and solidarity organizing supporting these Indigenous, Black, and working-class communities that live “down the bayou” from New Orleans.
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En Luisiana, el huracán Ida tocó tierra al oeste de Nueva Orleans 16 años después del huracán Katrina. Gran parte de la escasa atención de los medios relacionada con Ida se centró en Nueva Orleans, que se quedó sin energía eléctrica y aún no cuenta con algunos servicios básicos, particularmente en los vecindarios de bajo ingreso, la mayor parte del daño ocurrió en las llamadas “municipios fluviales” más pequeñas. Estas comunidades albergan a muchos de los pueblos indígenas de Luisiana, así como a los descendientes de pueblos negros liberados y esclavizados. En nuestro trabajo artístico y en el intercambio de esfuerzos de apoyo mutuo, AgitArte se centró intencionalmente en la organización de esfuerzos de apoyo mutuo en solidaridad con estas comunidades indígenas, negras y de clase trabajadora que viven “en el pantano” de Nueva Orleans.
HURRICANE IDA MUTUAL AID EFFORTS IN LOUISIANA
Mutual Aid Louisiana Fund – State-wide mutual aid fund that is collecting and redistributing funds quickly to individuals and families with immediate needs.
Venmo: @MutualAidLouisiana | Cash App: $MutualAidLA
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El Pueblo NOLA – Direct support to Cristiane Rosales Fajardo, a community organizer who is currently housing and providing for 25 residents in her home.
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Another Gulf Is Possible – a women-of-color led, grassroots collaborative of ten members from Brownsville, Texas to Pensacola, Florida.
secure.actblue.com/donate/anothergulfispossible
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Gulf Coast Center for Law & Policy – Donations to GCCLP’s disaster relief fund go directly to frontline communities in the Gulf South impacted by climate disasters.
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NOLA Black Youth Fund – redistributes resources to New Orleans Black Youth, ages 14 to 25.
CashApp: $nolablackyouthfund1
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Trans Queer Youth NOLA – gathering funds to redistribute to Trans and Queer youth in New Orleans.
Venmo: @transqueeryouthnola
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House of Tulip – Trans/GNC community leaders securing housing and community space for the TGNC community of New Orleans. Currently distributing rapid response grants to Trans and Gender Non-Conforming folks.
houseoftulip.org/make-a-donation
Venmo: @HouseOfTulip
CashApp: $HouseOfTulip
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LA Coastal Tribes Coalition: A coalition of tribes native to the lands ravaged by Hurricane Ida, in what is now called Terrebonne and LaFourche Parishes. Tribes include The Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, Isle de Jean Charles Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Tribe, the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw, and the Bayou Lafourche Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw.
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Atakapa Ishak Tribe – a Southwest Louisiana/Southeast Texas tribe who lived in the Gulf of Mexico’s northwestern crescent. In Louisiana, the Atakapa Ishak tribe is located in what is now called Lake Charles, Louisiana.
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United Houma Nation – a tribe of 17,000 members in the Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, St. Mary, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes located along the southeastern coast of Louisiana which is rapidly experiencing land loss due to climate change.
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Forever Calcalsieu: formed after Hurricane Laura, they provide cash support, as well as emotional support and rebuilding in and around Lake Charles forevercalcasieu.com/donate.php
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Down the Bayou: immediate cash assistance mutual aid in South Lafourche, LA.
CashApp: $dtbmutualaidfund
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St. Rose Hurricane Relief Fund – funds for individuals and families in the river parishes, which include St. Charles parish, St. John Parish, Terrebone, Lafourche, Jefferson, St. James Parish and more.
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Free.alas: raising money for undocumented youth who can’t access FEMA funds
secure.actblue.com/donate/freealas
OTHER GROUPS DOING YEAR-ROUND MUTUAL AID WORK IN LOUISIANA
New Orleans Community Fridges – a mutual aid effort that provides a network to empower our neighbors in supporting each other through the offering of free food in Community Fridges. Venmo: @NO-CF
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Bvlbancha Collective – an indigenous mutual aid collective working in and for Bvulbancha (Chahta word meaning “place of many tongues” and the indigenous name for the land now called New Orleans.)
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Women with a Vision – Black femme-led organization doing grassroots roots organizing to improve the lives of Black women and their children, sex workers, drug users and the unhoused.
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New Orleans People’s Assembly – grassroots organization fighting for the working class in New Orleans.
peoplesassemblyneworleans.org/donate
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Southern Solidarity – small group of organizers and educators supporting the unhoused community of greater New Orleans since March 2020 in response to COVID-19.
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Imagine Water Works Mutual Aid Fund – reimagining the future through art, science, and human connection. Organizers include/programming centers Creole, Native and Black New Orleanians, Queer and Trans folx, those most impacted by climate change.
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Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw – Tribal government offering many programs and services to their tribal members in Isle de Jean Charles, a narrow island in the bayous of South Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana.
www.isledejeancharles.com/donate
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Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe – located in lower Pointe-au-Chien, a traditional village of their ancestors, the Chitimacha. The Pointe-au-Chien inhabit the southern part of Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes along Bayou Pointe-au-Chien and have sustained their community despite colonization, land loss, exploitation of the land and people, and denial of educational opportunities.
www.paypal.com/paypalme/pactribe
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Grand Carilou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw – these tribal peoples have been living in their ancestral traditional village of Grand Caillou/Dulac along the Louisiana Gulf Coast for centuries.
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Union Migrante
Providing financial support to migrant families impacted by Ida who are excluded from FEMA support.
