National Geographic - USA (2020-04)

‘IT’S LIK E ALL THE TREES ARE DEAD NOW. I WANTED TO LIVE

DOWN HERE, BUT AS I GROW OLDER, I REALIZE IT’S NOT POSSIBLE.

MOTHER NATURE IS TAKING IT AT THIS POINT.

IT’S A HURT TO YOUR SOUL.

IT’S FEELING LIKE I LOST A LOVED ONE.’

VOSHON DARDAR, FISHERMAN

LEFT

Tides and storms often

flood the only road

that connects Isle de

Jean Charles to the U.S.

mainland, cutting off

the 60 or so remaining

inhabitants, most of

whom are of Native

American heritage. The

island once covered

22,000 acres. Now it’s

320. “You don’t really
     know the land around
     you is disappearing ... It
     was disappearing little
     bit by little bit, and
     now it’s gone,” says
     Albert Naquin, chief
     of the island’s band of
     the Biloxi-Chitimacha-
     Choctaw tribe.

BELOW

Eight-year-old Bayah

Bergeron picks berries

by an abandoned

house across the street

from her home. Bayah’s

family is one of many

considering leaving the

island for a fresh start

inland. But Bayah wor-

ries about her friend

Avery, whose family is

thinking about staying.

“She might not move,

and the rest of the peo-

ple probably will, and

that’ll make me very sad

for leaving my friend.”

U.S.

Isle de

Jean Charles,

Louisiana

PACIFIC

OCEAN

NORTH

AMERICA

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