Greeting Tribal Members

Notala/ Greeting tribal members:

I’m writing you today to update you on the progress and strides we have been making as a tribal community within this past year. We are currently in the process of addressing the Dept. of Interior concerning our inactive petition number 309. The only item, at this point, is to address those consent forms required by all members on our roll to reinstate our petition. All members are required to sign the new government form. If you have not signed your roll consent forms, please go on our web page www.atakapa-ishak.org and print this out and return it to us immediately with your email addresses. Our current Chief that is recognized and acknowledged by the federal Government is Chief Edward Chretien Jr. and not Mr. Fretty or any other chief. Mr. Fretty is not appointed by the council as a Chief, so please make sure you have Chief Chretien’s name on the petition forms and mail all forms back to the tribe addressed as Atakapa-Ishak Nation, P. O. Box 1532, Lake Charles, La. 70601. The Consent form needs to come back to us immediately as this is the form the federal government has sent to Chief Chretien for completion.

As you know we have been actively working to continue the process of federal acknowledgment this year, and we have also been attending several events within Texas and Louisiana to bring awareness to the bands in the areas that our people live in. Please continue to come to our website for further notifications on our upcoming events as well as our accomplishments. One of our most recent accomplishments took place at Vermillionville in Lafayette La. We served as the host tribe for the new Native American Village that is under construction. We are also working with the French American Chamber of Commerce/Gulf Coast to attain Acknowledgement of the Atakapa-Ishak tribe from France.

Finally, if you have not paid your dues, please do so on the website through pay pal or send a money order to Atakapa-Ishak tribe, these funds are needed to help pay for postage, filing of taxes, office supplies and the legal expenses that are incurred in trying to get us recognized. If you have paid, you have received a receipt acknowledging your payment to us. If you have not sent your money in through these channels and not received a receipt, then we have not received your funds.

Please forward this email to any of your family members that we do not have emails for. Again your participation is needed and I, as your acting Chief, along with your council members are working very hard for the good of the nation. I’d like to send a big thanks to all the new members that have come on board and those members that have submitted their consent forms. God Bless the Ishak Nation.