Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana Celebrates Earth Day with Tree Planting Ceremony

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe and Proctor & Gamble Company present the Earth Day Celebration and Tree Planting Ceremony

Marksville, LAThe Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana’s Education Department and Proctor and Gamble sponsored a kite flying activity for Tribal youth and a tree planting ceremony today, April 17, in honor of Earth Day.

The trees were planted by Tunica-Biloxi Youth representatives, Tribal Council members and representatives from Proctor and Gamble. The ceremony included remarks by the Director of the Tunica-Biloxi Education Department, John Barbry, regarding the Tribe’s commitment to honoring Mother Earth and their commitment to bettering the community, in partnership with Proctor and Gamble.

“Because of the commitments from the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana and Proctor and Gamble, our neighborhood is a little greener today,” said John Barbry. “The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is committed to honoring our past and preserving our future. We must take care of the area that has provided for our ancestors for generations and protect it for our future leaders and citizens.”

Ceremony attendees also heard the poem “Remembrance” from Leslie Carmouche, Tunica-Biloxi Education Department Academic Counselor, and remarks from Proctor and Gamble representatives. The newly planted trees will stand as the Tribe’s promise to preserve and protect their ancestral homelands in Marksville, LA while promoting a shared goal of improving green spaces around their Reservation with the help and support of community partnerships.

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About the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana:
The Tunica-Biloxi people first appeared in the Mississippi Valley. In the late 1700s, they settled near Marksville, where they were skilled traders and entrepreneurs. Today, the Tribe has more than 1,500 members throughout the United States, primarily in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe received federal recognition in 1981 for its reservation within the boundaries of Louisiana. The tribe owns and operates the Paragon Casino Resort, the largest employer in Central Louisiana. Through its compact, negotiated by the late Tribal Chairman Earl J. Barbry Sr. and the State of Louisiana, the Tribe has assisted local governments in the area with its quarterly distribution of funds, totaling more than $40 million over two decades. For more information about the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, visit www.tunica.org and “like” us on Facebook