NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

1/13/2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES-The understanding of Creole culture and heritage will take another step forward with the formation of the Creole Studies Consortium.

The initial members of the consortium are Northwestern State University and Tulane University. NSU president Randall J. Webb and Tulane president Scott S. Cowen will sign an agreement Friday, Jan. 17 in New Orleans creating the working arrangement.

Tulane is the home of the National Endowment for the Humanities' Deep South Regional Humanities Center while Northwestern is the home of the Louisiana Creole Heritage Center.

The mission of the consortium is to promote the study and understanding of Creole people and culture through research, education and outreach.

"Northwestern is proud of the work done by the Louisiana Creole Heritage Center in documenting and promoting Creole Heritage," said Webb. "This consortium will enable us to partner with Tulane and the National Endowment for the Humanities' Deep South Regional Humanities Center to do even more."

The Louisiana Creole Heritage Center was formed at NSU in 1998. Over the past four years, the center has presented four major public outreach conferences including one in California last July. Among the Center's current projects is the creation of "Creole Chronicles," a booklet which will present an overview of Creole communities in Louisiana and outside the state.

Since its formation, the Center has grown from one staff member to seven which includes three students. An extensive genealogy department has also been formed to document the history of Creole families. So far, 12,000 names have been collected.

The first major project of the Creole Studies Consortium is an international conference which will be held in New Orleans in October.

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