creole.nsula.eduCreole Heritage Center - Northwestern State University

Creole Heritage Center Web Services at Northwestern State 2024-04-30T14:40:16-06:00 Home Upcoming EventsSupport the CHC 25th Anniversary Elemental Threads Strategic Plan Genealogy Resource Library Creole-Related Scholarships Past Events Home WELCOME TO THE CREOLE HERITAGE CENTER AT NSU! The Creole Heritage Center opened its doors as a part of NSU in the fall of 1998 and became a respected and trusted leader of the Creole Renaissance” – the movement to preserve and advocate for Louisiana Creoles and their heritage. We encourage you to explore our website and resources to learn more about Creoles and how the Center is building upon the successes of its first twenty-five years to continue empowering Creoles and meet its current mission of preserving, educating, and advocating the value and significance of the vibrant Louisiana Creole people and their culture. Click here for our April 2024 update of activities at the CHC! Click here for our January 2024 update of activities at the CHC! Click here for our December 2023 update of activities at the CHC! Click here for our August 2023 update of activities at the CHC! Click here for our April 2023 update of activities at the CHC! Current Staff: Dr. Kent W. Peacock, Director Dr. Pete Gregory, Academic Advisor Markita Hamilton-Small, CHC Clerk Judy M. Rachal, CHC Clerk Community Sponsors NSU Partners Upcoming Events Upcoming Events Join the Creole Heritage Center at these upcoming events by the CHC or our friends! Nov 10-12: Louisiana Creole Research Association’s 19th Annual Conference (in New Orleans and Virtual); The Center will present at Sunday’s Creole Chats” session; Visit https://www.lacreole.org/ for information and to register. Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram and join our mailing list so you don’t miss any announcements! Facebook Instagram Mailing ListOur Vision To revitalize, mobilize, and empower, for global recognition, Creole people and their contributions. Our Mission To preserve, educate, and advocate the value and significance of the vibrant Louisiana Creole people and their culture. Our Core Values We proudly position ourselves as a leader and foremost authority on ALL things Creole. We pledge to connect and collaborate with our partners to promote and empower expertise and dignity in ALL Creole people. We work hard to ensure our preservation and education efforts are based on accuracy and community accountability. We promise to provide quick and friendly service to ALL people. We recognize and acknowledge ALL who wish to learn about Creole people, their history, and their culture. Our Background In 1979, residents of the Isle Brevelle community of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana established the St. Augustine Historical Society (SAHS) . This volunteer, non-profit organization sought to preserve, interpret, and uphold the cultural heritage of the people of Isle Brevelle, commonly referred to as the Cane River Creoles. By the 1990s, residents from Isle Brevelle, as well as other Creoles around the state of Louisiana and the nation, had begun to reconnect and proudly self-identify as Creole. Terrel Delphin, Jr. became a respected leader in this movement, while also serving as President of the SAHS. He was one of many who envisioned how this growing movement needed an entity that represented and empowered all Louisiana Creole communities and diaspora, could serve as a trusted source of information about Louisiana Creoles and their culture, and had a permanent home and staff. The result was the Louisiana Creole Heritage Center at Northwestern State University (as it was originally titled). After the organization and meeting in May 1997 of an Advisory Council that represented Louisiana Creoles from throughout Louisiana and respected academics, the Louisiana Board of Regents and the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors approved the Center as an official research center at NSU. The Center officially opened its doors on the campus of NSU in the fall of 1998. Throughout our history, the Center has worked alongside NSU’s other cultural heritage entities the Cammie G. Henry Research Center, the Louisiana Folklike Center, the Williamson Museum, and the now defunct Louisiana Regional Folklife Program; as well as been an active component of the Cane River National Heritage Area. The Center continues to receive salary and infrastructure funding from NSU’s School of Social Sciences and Applied Programs and Division of Academic Affairs, while our programming and publications rely heavily on funding from grants, business & organization sponsorships, and individuals. Our Staff Dr. Kent W. Peacock, Director Dr. Pete Gregory, Academic Advisor Shirley Dunn-Chevalier, Genealogy Coordinator Markita Hamilton-Small, CHC Clerk Our Advisory Council The Creole Heritage Center is guided by an Advisory Council of up to fifteen voting members appointed by the President of Northwestern State University. Members serve up to two consecutive three-year terms and may continue to serve until a successor is appointed. Chairperson: James Billeaudeau (Lafayette, LA) Vice-Chairperson: Louis Metoyer (Sun City, CA) Secretary: Marcus Jones (The Woodlands, TX) Treasurer: Michael Fontenot (Lake Charles, LA) NSU ex-officio member: Dr. Greg Handel (Natchitoches, LA) Carla Roque Allen, Pharm.D. (Maumelle, AR) Sandra Billeaudeau (Lafayette, LA) Blaise LaCour (Natchitoches, LA) Dr. Christophe Landry (Salt Lake City, UT) Ashley Porche-Tassin (Baton Rouge, LA) David Sigur (Alexandria, VA) Our Advisory Council Emeritus Members Emeritus Membership on the Center’s Advisory Council is a way to honor previous and still living voting members and maintain institutional and historical knowledge. Emeritus Members serve at their leisure until they request removal or are no longer living. Thus, the following list may not represent the full list of past Advisory Council members. Kathleen Balthazar Heitzmann (Climax, NY) Curtis Bordenave, Jr. (Bridge City, LA) Gwendolyn Bordenave (New Orleans, LA) Pam Breaux (Washington, DC) Dr. Kathleen Byrd (Natchitoches, LA) Patricia A. Cravins (Arnaudville, LA) Winston DeCuir, Sr. (Baton Rouge, LA) Daphne Delphin (Natchitoches, LA) Lillie Delphin (Natchitoches, LA) Theresa Delphin Morgan (Natchitoches, LA) Ann Marie Domino (Baton Rouge, LA) Donald Gallion (Natchez, LA) Linda LeCompte (Lafayette, LA) Carolyn LaCour-Llorens (Houston, TX) Father James Moran (Rock Hill, SC) Paul Donald Nelson (Lake Charles, LA) Mary Metoyer Pinkie Rodriguez (Chicago, IL) Gregory Osborn (New Orleans, LA) Father Chad Partain (Alexandria, LA) Vera Severin (Natchez, LA) Support the CHC Support the CHC Your support – financial and otherwise – is essential for the Creole Heritage Center to continue its work towards its mission of preserving, educating, and advocating the value and significance of the vibrant Louisiana Creole people and their culture. The Center does receive financial support for salaries and infrastructure through Northwestern State University, but we rely on the financial support of others to: Accomplish our Education, Event & Experiences, Exhibit, and Resource Services Initiatives identified in our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan Increase accessibility to our resources & programs via Communication & Technology improvements Improving collaboration across Creole communities & organizations to empower all Louisiana Creoles All donations will be processed through the NSU Foundation & Alumni Association for the sole use of the Creole Heritage Center. Gifts made to the NSU Foundation are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. The NSU Foundation is exempt from tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Its Federal Identification Number is 72-6021495. Become a Member! To become a member/donate online: Visit https://northwesternstatealumni.com/creole To become a member/donate through the mail: Print and fill out our 2024 Membership and Donation Form Mail the form and your payment to:...