November 5, 2021
New Orleans, La. – Today the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the National Park Service, and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve released a new episode in an ongoing collaborative documentary series featuring Louisiana lifeways. This series of short documentary films follows Cajun musicians and cultural advocates Joel Savoy and Jo Vidrine as they journey through the region’s cherished traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation.
The third episode, “Abundance,” premiered today with a special screening at Nick’s on 2nd in Eunice, La., as well as on the NCTA’s YouTube channel and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve’s Facebook page. The film explores the trapping, hunting, and fishing history of coastal Louisiana. Dubbed the “Sportsman’s Paradise,” the region is known for its abundance of diverse wildlife—compelling early settlers, and long serving as a cornerstone of the region’s economy. With personal anecdotes from fellow Creole and Cajun musicians Cedric Watson and Doug Kershaw, “Abundance” offers a window into the cultural lifeways of South Louisiana, past and present. The first two episodes in the series, “Crawfish Country” and “Big Boudin,” premiered last November and are still available on the NCTA’s YouTube channel. In addition to these social media platforms, the films are available for viewing at visitors centers throughout Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.
The NCTA and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve first worked together in 1980, when the NCTA began supporting cultural and interpretive programs at the park. The six sites of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve represent a treasure trove of south Louisiana’s historical and cultural riches. People from nearly every country, ethnic group, language, and religion have come to the lower Mississippi River delta and left traces of their passing. A leading non-profit in the field, the NCTA is dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk and traditional arts in the U.S. Stressing excellence and authenticity, the NCTA presents the nation’s finest traditional artists in major festivals, tours, concerts, workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, media productions, school programs, cross-cultural exchanges and other activities. Since 1970, the NCTA has had a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service to help plan new parks, conduct ethnographic studies, organize crafts and museum exhibits, develop traditional music presentations, train park personnel in cultural presentation techniques, and assist local non-profit groups with organizing cultural events in national parks.
For more information about NCTA visit ncta-usa.org. For more information about Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve visit https://www.nps.gov/jela/index.htm. To learn about the filmmakers, visit http://www.joelsavoy.com/ and https://www.freelancecajun.com/.