Bayou des Glaises Cultural District

Oral History Project

Bayou des Glaises runs through the rural, centrally located Avoyelles Parish. The larger Central Louisiana (CenLa) region is often referred to as the "Crossroads of Louisiana" due to the many cultures that have influenced and shaped the communities. According to the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, the Bayou des Glaises is part of an extensive network of sluggish waterways that once connected to the Red River and owed toward the Atchafalaya Basin. As part of the northernmost region of Acadiana, the Bayou des Glaises community once had a large Louisiana-French speaking population and the economy has always relied heavily on agriculture. With increases in technology and changes in lifestyle over the last several decades, the Bayou des Glaises community and its residents are evolving. As generations continue cultural identifiers, such as Louisiana French, are becoming less present in everyday life. However, community members still cling to these markers. This project focused on collecting oral histories of community members in order to gain a better understanding of the community's past and how the bayou, language and land shaped lifestyles. For more information about the project, view our full project summary.