“The New Isle”

Retired priest Father Roch Naquin, a resident of “The New Isle,” poses for a photo on the front porch of his new house in Schriever.

Isle de Jean Charles residents begin relocation to the ‘The New Isle’

Story by Janet Marcel ~ Photos by Lawrence Chatagnier

Father Roch Naquin, retired priest of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and member of the Biloxi Chitimacha Choctaw Tribe, recently relocated to “The New Isle,” an Isle de Jean Charles Resettlement Community in Schriever, which is made up of the residents who formerly inhabited Isle De Jean Charles, an island located in Terrebonne Parish, about 40 miles south of the new community.

Isle de Jean Charles, like much of coastal Louisiana, is rapidly disappearing into the Gulf of Mexico due to coastal erosion and sea level rise. The island once encompassed more than 22,000 acres, but today only 320 acres of Isle de Jean Charles remain. The sole connecting road to the mainland—Island Road, built in 1953—is often impassable due to high winds, tides, sea level rise or storm surge. Residents of the island are predominantly of American Indian ancestry, who represent an incredibly unique and diverse culture of people who have lived there for hundreds of years (https://isledejeancharles. la.gov/).

Governor John Bel Edwards along with other state and local officials were on hand at the end of August as a dozen homeowners met with attorneys to sign the papers necessary for them to take ownership of their newly built homes in The New Isle neighborhood in Schriever.

“This is the very first program of its kind in the nation’s history, where we’re having to move people because of climate change. I wish it wasn’t necessary, but it is,” Governor Edwards told those present. “To understand how a once sprawling and vibrant community of thousands of acres has dwindled to little more than a few hundred is to understand the real consequences of climate change. The residents of Isle de Jean Charles did not want to leave their island; on the contrary, the island left them. They deserved and needed help, which is why our state invested years of planning, outreach, design and construction into The New Isle resettlement community. This is a nationally and internationally observed and eagerly awaited event for us all.”

Father Naquin says his family has had a home on Isle de Jean Charles his entire life.

His parents raised six children in a 12 ft. by 18 ft. house there. In a

1957, they built a new, bigger home on the island. Even though he grew up on Isle de Jean Charles, he says it hasn’t been too much of a transition for him to move to The New Isle because as a priest he was used to moving around from parish to parish.

Regarding the new settlement in Schriever, Father Roch says he is definitely in favor of it and wishes every resident who lives on Isle de Jean Charles would have taken advantage of this great opportunity.

“It’s a blessing from God that we were invited to move to higher ground and a safer location,” says Father Naquin. “I tried to get the message across to those who didn’t want to leave now that if something bad happens in the future and your home is destroyed, you won’t be able to ask them to build you a house then. It will be too late … you’ll be on your own. You will have missed out and then what are you going to do?”

Even though he has been living there for less than a month, Father Naquin says it has been great so far. “I am surrounded by family here. All of the homes are very well built and energy efficient. My home is plenty big enough … I have an extra bedroom for guests.”

The residents of Isle de Jean Charles were part of the design process for the homes and the community, and they met regularly to discuss the options for their homes, he explains.

Father Naquin, who retired Oct. 31, 1997, turned 90 years old Sept. 25, and is the second oldest priest in the diocese. He says he hasn’t quite figured out how much he plans on being involved with his new church parish, St. Bridget in Schriever. “One day, I plan to offer my services to Father Simon Peter Very Rev. Patrick J. (P.J.) Madden, diocesan administrator, greets Governor John Bel Edwards during the governor’s visit to “The New Isle,” a resettlement community for the residents of Isle de Jean Charles. Also pictured is Very Rev. Simon Peter Engurait, pastor of St. Bridget.

… I just haven’t given him that privilege yet,” the priest says with a smile.

Louisiana was awarded $48.3 million in Community Development Block Grant funds in 2016 to work with residents of Isle de Jean Charles to develop and implement a structured and voluntary retreat from the island into safer communities. After extensive research, evaluation and input from island residents, the Louisiana Land Trust, on behalf of the Louisiana Office of Community Development, purchased 515 acres of rural land near Schriever, a higher, safer and more resilient location to serve as the site for the Resettlement community, which includes the new homes, sidewalks, ponds, walking trails, a community center, and other amenities designed in conjunction with the Island residents. In November 2019, Isle de Jean Charles residents agreed to name the Resettlement community “The New Isle” (https://isledejeancharles.la.gov/).

Residents of the New Isle receive the homes, which are built to withstand 150 mph winds, and the lots free, but must cover property taxes and insurance. They own the homes outright if they occupy them for five years.

Thirty-seven of the island’s 42 households decided to move to The New Isle, with one family choosing to resettle on their own by purchasing a Louisiana home with the state’s assistance that is not in a flood zone. Residents of the New Isle will still own and have access to their original houses on Isle de Jean Charles. BC