ABA honors with gratitude the traditional homelands of the Houma, Tunica-Biloxi, Choctaw, and Chitimacha peoples upon which we gather for Children’s Institute 2024. This land is known to the Choctaw/Chicksaw people as Bulbancha, “the place of many tongues”. This land was the traditional hunting, trading, and residential grounds of these Indigenous people. It is on this land that the Houma people established what is now known as the French Market. Bayou St. John, which runs through today’s City Park, was a major trading ground for the Houma people as well as other Southeastern Tribes. The sacred ground of Congo Square is where the Houma people held their Green Corn Ceremony. These histories must not be forgotten. From food and music to art and language, the Native people of this land continue to leave their mark on New Orleans.

We honor and are mindful of the traditions of Indigenous trade on the Mississippi River; exchanging knowledge and resources with each other much like our purpose for this conference. We recognize that the First Peoples of this land were killed, involuntarily removed, and enslaved, the victims of physical and cultural genocide and broken treaties. 

But the resilient voices of these Native Americans are still heard and remain an inseparable part of the culture of New Orleans. We honor and respect the many diverse Indigenous peoples who continue to live here.