Working in the Swamp

The Swamp Life Expo also celebrates the distinct and unique ways of life that have developed to allow local people to live and thrive in a swamp environment. Crafts of all kinds will be demonstrated at the expo—not displayed, demonstrated. One important focus of the festival is to showcase these traditions as they were and are currently practiced; that way, visitors can talk with practitioners and craftsmen as they work. As one would imagine, the demos are intimately connected to the swamp ecology: Woodcarvers make use of the abundant and fire-resistant cypress that grow in the swamp, fishers build and repair their characteristic hoopnets, and painters capture the swamp in its verdant murkiness. There will also be demonstrations of hunting techniques that don’t require guns: learn how to make arrowheads or how to use the atlatl, a kind of spear developed independently by a number of early societies and still sometimes used to hunt today.

Perhaps most importantly, at least for a swamp life expo, will be the exhibition of examples of characteristic boats of the area, like the iconic pirogues and the later putt-putt boats that made use of early one-cylinder engines. These crafts exemplify the inventiveness and resiliency of the culture, which figured out how to work with their rich environment and make use of local resources. Speaking of which, the importance of good environmental management is a strong theme at the expo, with exhibits on conservation and water quality in Bayou Plaquemine and other nearby waterways. Even though they’re not the transit highways they once were, these waterways are still the arteries of this area; and it’s vital that they are kept healthy, thriving, and usable by local people.

Though the Swamp Life Expo is on the same day as an LSU home game this year, Clark notes that you still have time to visit before the game begins. Make it a full Louisiana day by learning about a unique regional heritage, and then catch some football. For more information on the Swamp Life Expo, visit visitiberville.com/iberville-swamp-life-expo.