America’s First “Trail of Tears”

The Story of the Choctaw Apache Tribe of Louisiana, Toledo Bend Lake

by Dorsey Ebarb Bronson, Mary Meshell Carlin and Danny Ebarb

Large Paperback: $25

This book reveals a slice of little-known American history of the Los Adaes natives, who were forcibly marched by armed Spanish soldiers from their homeland. In 1773, the Spanish government abandoned Los Adaes, its military outpost and mission located at present-day Robeline, Louisiana, six miles from Natchitoches. The Spanish government ordered hundreds of families, including freed Apache slaves and French Laffitte settlers of Natchitoches, Louisiana, to leave their homeland.

Men, women and children died on the march but the rest were befriended by Antonio Gil’Yarbo upon their arrival in San Antonio. He eventually settled them as far as Nacogdoches, Texas. In 1850, their resilient descendants returned to claim their homeland, forming the Ebarb community.

Review presented by Books Along the Teche

337-367-7621 | 106 E. Main Street, New Iberia

DIANE K. BAKER

Medium: Multimedia

Work: Blue Oak II

Available at: San Souci Gallery, Lafayette

Price: $125

As a long-time graphic designer and commercial illustrator, Lafayette native Diane Baker has enjoyed many opportunities to work with a variety of entities and industries. Over the years she’s broadened her method and scope of work from designing primarily on Adobe computer applications (like Photoshop and Illustrator) to embracing more traditional media such as ink, watercolor and charcoal. More recently she’s begun creating 3-D multimedia collages. In addition to her art and her freelance design work, Baker also is a teaching artist with the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

CAROL MILLER

Medium: Pottery

Work: Flower Power

Available at: NuNu Collective, Arnaudville

Price: $400

Artist Carol Miller, a retired digital photography and journalism teacher, only began creating her hand-glazed sculptures five years ago. Her impressive body of work (which is loyal to the flora and fauna of the area and steeped in Acadiana culture) includes other sculptures similar to Flower Power, as well as a series of horses and human figures dressed in traditional Cajun Mardi Gras costume. In addition to working from her home studio in Breaux Bridge, Miller also teaches pottery classes at Emily V’s Pottery in Carencro.

RENÉE REED

Medium: Music

Work: Renée Reed

Available at: most streaming sites

Price: Varies

Renée Reed’s self-titled debut album seamlessly marries her own south Louisiana roots with highly unexpected sounds and instrumentation. The Lafayette native (a former band member of Shrugs) seasons her lyrics (sung in both English and Cajun French) with the spicy beats of lofi drums, the occasional background support of an organ, and the strummy notes of an acoustic bajo sexto (Mexican guitar). The album’s resulting 12 songs are an eerie, ethereal collection of what Reed describes as “dream-fi folk from Cajun prairies” chronicling a three-year attempt to find her place in the world.