Dear Members of the Atakapa-Ishak Tribe,
I bid you greetings and blessings. I would like to take the time to address your recent meeting that I was not notified of that was held in Texas nor was I asked to be present with any of the Tribe’s council members. I am aware of the animosity and false accusations that certain people are harboring towards me as your current appointed chief. I am working very hard for the cause of our people. I am dedicated to our principle goal of achieving our State and Federal recognition. I, along with my council, have been spending a great deal of our personal monies, time and assets while conducting business on behalf of the tribe as we have been repairing burnt bridges and creating new networks of communication, attending meetings between our tribe and politicians both State and Foreign as we are attempting to address our seven criteria while suffering personal illness and death in my family.
My council and I have acquired many sympathetic people of influence that are willing to help, aid, assist, and represent our tribe in our efforts. I, and my council members, have worked to keep accurate records with the proper receipts and documents for all of you. All members that have sent in funds to us have received receipts showing their payments. All donations should be made through the PayPal account or the following address Atakapa-Ishak, P. O. Box 1532 Lake Charles, La 70601. When paying through the mail please include your address on your cashier check and give us your email address if one is available. If you have given any money in any other fashion I assure you that our records show we did not receive those funds.
I make sure that all information is placed on our website www.Atakapa-Ishak.org and I have also sent communications to those that I have addresses for. This is the first time your contact information was made available to me. When Chief Fretty organized a gathering earlier this year, weather forced the cancellation of the only discussed date of a Texas gathering. We are working hard to plan activities in the near future in the Texas area.
I did have an introduction gathering in Louisiana for everyone to attend. Some members did not receive information because I did not have addresses or emails to contact many of you until now.
Let me tell you a little about myself, I am a Christian, a father and grandfather, and a member of the Atakapa-Ishak tribe, and have been actively involved since the organization of the Bands began in 2000 with Mr. Hubert Singleton. I was appointed your chief by the past Chief Amos, and that was approved by his council members. As your current chief I have the right to appoint my own council as stated in the constitution just as Chief Amos did when he appointed his council.
I and my council members have have tried to reach out to all members. We have placed every activity on the website for all members to see, sent letters out to those members that I had addresses for to allow you all to participate. Please go to our site and see what we are doing. We can be reached by email at [email protected]. My ancestors are a long line of Atakapa-Ishak from the Opelousas and St. Martinsville area and are listed on the Atakapa-Ishak census. Some of these same people are some of your relatives. Mr. Hubert Singleton’s family were personal friends of my family and he wrote about my grandparents and great grand parents in his book, and they were Atakapa.
The oldest member of my family that was mentioned in his book is now 96 years old. I can tie my lineage as far back as the late 1600’s. Some of my ancestors fought in the Revolutionary war serving in New Orleans and made up the Atacama Dragoon. I am asking you all to try to work me and my council members and share ideas you may have. We are interested in hearing and trying to work with everyone. We have a lot of people that have rejoined our cause and tribe since I became Chief. These people recognize the efforts and like what they see. My council and I believe that together we can do great things for our cause.
I respectfully ask for you all to try to give the current council and myself a chance to function and if you all have information that can help us or ideas please let us know.
Respectfully,
Chief Crying Eagle (Edward Chretien, Jr.)