CHITIMACHA 

TRIBE OF LOUISIANA 

July 17, 2012 

Honorable Senators Joseph Lieberman and Susan Collins 
340 Dirksen Senate Office Building 
Washington, D.C. 20510 

Dear Chairman Lieberman and Ranking Member Collins: 

I am writing in support of S 2283, which amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act. We are requesting immediate action on the bill. The provisions of this bill and similar 
provisions in HH 2903 are vitally important for their recognition of Tribes as more than local 
governments and for their potential to save lives and property in the face of disasters. 

The Federal Government is committed to Government-to-Government re lationship with The Chitimacha 
Tribe of Louisiana as a distinct political entity. As a result of this status, The Chitimacha Tribe of 
Louisiana should be treated in parity with the states and territories under Federal Disaster Response 
Laws. Our current dependency on the State of Louisiana to make a request for a Federal Emergency 
Disaster Declaration, and implement the resources that such a declaration brings, is inconsistent with 
our status as a distinct and sovereign political entity. This creates a risk of delays in the deployment of 
protective and supportive measures for our citizens and our property. 

The proposed Stafford Act Amendments, which provide for direct requests for declarations of 
emergencies and major disasters from the Tribes to the President, will create and make available 
important tools for The Chitimac'ha Tribe of Louisiana, in partnership with the Federal government, to 

preserve lives and property through rapid intervention during and following major disasters. 

The Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana is located in South Louisiana approximately 15 miles from the Gulf of 
Mexico. The Reservation is directly in the path of that area known as "Hurricane Alley". We have a 
history of surviving many major storms that have historically plagued this area . Over the years we have 
become better at preparing our people and property for the devastation of these events. The 
Chitimacha Tribe coordinates its efforts with the Parish Office of Homeland Security located in Franklin, 
LA. However, because of the overwhelming area that this office is responsible for, the Tribe makes its 
own preparations for events. The majority of our requests are responded to by the DOl, BIA, Army 
Corps of Engineers, Parish Homeland Security and IHS agencies. The Tribe often times gets cut off from 
other areas of the Parish and has to be self-sufficient to survive. We also respond to the needs of those 
non-native families that live near the Reservation who are also cut off from assistance from the Parish. 

The Tribe cou'ld not operate its Emergency Operations System during emergencies if we did not have 
help from the aforementioned agencies. These individuals have been extremely helpful in the past. 

155 Chitimacha Loop Rd. P.O. Box 661 Charenton, LA 70523 (337) 923-4973 FAX (337) 923-6848 


I am respectfully requesting that you act quickly on S 2283, and facilitate our ability to protect our 
Chitimacha Citizens and their property, and to govern and control our territory in a manner consistent 
with the Chitimacha Tribe's distinct political status. 

Sincerely, 


John Paul Darden 
Chairman