Bayou Bienvenue and the Maroons: A Historic and Cultural Approach to Ecological Preservation

Diane Jones Allen (University of Texas, Arlington)

On August 29, 2005 a storm came up the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet (MRGO) through the Central Wetlands, pushing through the ghosted cypress forest in the Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle, curving down toward the Industrial Canal, breaching the levee wall and creating a chasm that would flood the Lower Ninth Ward. Historically cypress in the 480 acre Bayou Bienvenue Wetland Triangle were large, living, transpiring trees, providing an ecosystem that protected, enriched and sustained the adjacent community. The wetlands of this area were also home to Maroons, escaped slaves, whose lives in the swamps was extremely different from life for those both slave and free outside of these enclaves. The Capital Enslavement Means of Production (Sawyers 2014) employed by Plantation owners consisted of filling, clearing and cultivating land. The Maroons lived in a communal and restorative manor, protecting the wetlands and the ecosystem therein, for keeping it intact provided cover and sustenance. The approach of this research is to describe the history and culture, in particular Maroon culture, and ecology of the Bayou Bienvenue wetlands, to present the argument that this particular landscape, the Maroon landscape, and aspects of this way of life has been and can be an effective tool for ecological protection and climate adaptation for coastal communities in general. The story of the Bayou Maroons was intentionally suppressed because it evidenced that not all Blacks would tolerate enslavement, represented an alternative way of being, and demonstrated that understanding the physical landscape, and the ecosystem of the wetlands could mean freedom.

Among the specific questions this research will address are:

• How did Maroon culture preserve the wetlands up to the time of their evacuation and migration from their colonies?
• What is the ecological composition of the wetlands and how has it been
depleted and damaged overtime?
• What methods can be taken from the Maroon way of life to providesolutions for present day ecological preservation challenges?

Lay people and scientists believe that had the cypress trees in Bayou Bienvenue existed the storm surge would have been slowed enough to lower the water by 2 feet, and would have prevented the levee walls from breaching. Prior to Hurricane Katrina there had been warnings that MRGO proposed a threat if there was an extreme climate incident. The incident occurred, and in 2009 MRGO was closed. A report by the Core of Engineers outlines ways to mitigate many historical impacts of MRGO; increase protection from hurricane winds, waves, or storm surge; improve fish and wildlife habitat; increase the resiliency of coastal wetlands to erosion, subsidence, and sea level rise; and create jobs for engineers, construction crews, and others. What is left out of this list, but critical to the resiliency of Bayou Bienvenue, the Lower Ninth Ward, New Orleans and coastal communities across the county, is placed based knowledge like that of the forbearers, the Maroons. Those who are citizen scientists, whose knowledge is gained by communing in this essential environment and understanding every cell, must also be acknowledged.