Jean-Luc Pierite talks about his upbringing in New Orleans and how his roots in his tribal community and his faith in the Roman Catholic tradition intertwine in his advocacy and work on behalf of the Native American community. Throughout the conversation, he talks about the role of the Day of Mourning and how it links the past efforts of the United States Government to terminate tribes to the present struggles facing indigenous communities across the nation.
He talks about the ceremony and events that take place and why linking the legacy of the past to the struggles indigenous communities face is critical to addressing the harms that have taken place and advancing social justice.
Jean Luc offers three concrete examples to consider when gathering during the 2022 Thanksgiving holiday that will center a different story from the origin myths around the holiday.
Jean-Luc Pierite, President of the Board of The North American Indian Center of Boston. Prior Jean-Luc was elected to the Community Linguist seat of the Advisory Circle for The Institute on Collaborative Language Research. Jean-Luc has a B.A. in Humanities with a co-major in Mass Communication and Japanese from Dillard University in New Orleans. He also earned an A.S. in Video Game Design from Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. Jean-Luc currently is the International Procurement and Logistics Manager for the Fab Foundation. Jean-Luc is a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana.
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