ELTON, La. (KPLC) – The Coushatta Tribe held an art market Friday to give tribe members an opportunity to showcase their many talents.
The Koasati Market has been held four times this year.
“In our way as Koasati people and as an indigenous group, we find that the things that we create, the things that we make, we put part of ourselves in our items,” said Coushatta Tribe Archivist Raynella Fontenot. “So depending on if it’s a pot of gumbo, bead work or a ribbon skirt that is made part of us is imbued into that item because we are giving it life.”
All of the items at the market were handmade by members of the tribe.
“So we have a range of items from crochet, to bead work, to ribbon skirts, to quilts,” said Fontenot. “We actually have bakers come to sell their items but this way we feel that we are supporting our community members. We are supporting their art. We want them to flourish and encourage them as they go along in their journey of their entrepreneurship.”
Tribal members came from across the state, as well as from Texas to sell items that have meaning to the tribe.
Fontenot says Coushatta will host more of these types of events next year. She invites the community to come out and learn more about the tribe.
“I get to go to every single event and basically serve and help in any way that I can and just offer help and give out knowledge if I can,” said 2024-2025 Coushatta Princess Aerwyn Fontenot.
To learn more about the Coushatta Tribe click here.
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