Oral Histories

Natural, man-made and economic factors are taking their toll on Louisiana’s coastal communities and the traditional industries that have supported those hamlets. Whether caused by subsidence; hurricanes; or inexpensive, imported seafood, the culture and landscape of the coastal zone is changing, and in some cases, disappearing. It is imperative that traditional knowledge in these towns and villages be captured so that the memories of their custodians can be preserved for current and future generations. Louisiana Sea Grant is doing just that through this oral history project. Visitors to this website will find unedited oral history audio recordings, as well as interview transcripts.

The following PDF is a collection of transcript excerpts from Louisiana Sea Grant’s oral history collection organized topically. For example: “Negative Perceptions about the Value of Coastal Wetlands”, “Crawfishing”, and “Boat Building.” The file is 127 pages, and 573KB.

Download: Sea-Grant-Interviews-Major-Themes.pdf

Special thanks for Don Davis and Carl Brasseaux