Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Folklife Stories From St. Tammany

Janice Dee Gilbert wrote an interesting account of "Folk Life in the Northshore - St. Tammany Parish" which has been published on the "Folk Life in Louisiana: Louisiana's Living Traditions" website. 

The lengthy article offers a variety of information about early St. Tammany colonizers, as well as impact of late 20th Century influx from New Orleans. She tells how the newcomers mixed with the area natives, especially in the area of historical preservation. 

"An encouraging and somewhat ironic feature of the cultural change in the parish is that the very newcomers who have changed the parish are also the most active in trying to save the old folkways," she says at one point. Details are also given on different cultures living on the Northshore and their effects on the area's development.

HERE IS A LINK to the complete essay, which was originally published in 1988 by the Louisiana Folklife Program in the Louisiana DIvision of the Arts as well as the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies at Southeastern Louisiana University. It has a few pictures attached to it, also.