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Grass has grown high and the ancient burial mounds are poorly maintained at the Marksville State Historic Site. The park is a National Historic Landmark and one of the country’s most significant archaeological sites. {Photo by Rene Borrel}

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A tree blocks the path around the Prehistoric Indian Park & Museum. Maintenance of the state historic site has declined since the park was reduced to being open only one day a week due to state budget cuts. {Photo by Rene Borrel}

Marksville city officials call for action to save Indian Park

Historic landmark in ‘deplorable’ condition

Something needs to be done to address the “deplorable” condition of the Prehistoric Indian Park & Museum, Marksville city officials said at the City Council meeting Jan. 11.
The 42-acre site is poorly maintained with high grass covering most of the grounds. Many of the museum’s exhibits have been removed.
“It looks like it has been abandoned,” Mayor John Lemoine said. Lemoine said the city had initially stepped up to take over operating the historic site when the state announced it would be closed in 2015. At that time, the Office of State Parks said the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe had expressed an interest in managing the park and museum.
Since then, the state has opened the site on Fridays and for special tour groups.
The city is no longer in a feasible financial position to assume operating and maintaining the park and museum.

AVOGEL TRIBE PETITIONS
Mickey Baptiste, chief of the unrecognized Avogel Tribe of Louisiana, told the City Council that the Avogel consider the Marksville Historic Site to be their ancestral home and have also asked the state to allow them to operate and maintain the park. Baptiste said the Avogel organization has the necessary equipment to clean the park if the state names it as the administrator for the site.
“I petitioned the state to let us operate the park,” Baptiste said. “They said they had not made a decision” on an entity to manage the site.
Avogel Tribe Secretary Stephanie Webb said the organization holds its quarterly meetings at the historic site.
There are four unrecognized “tribes” and the federally recognized Tunica-Biloxi who claim ancestral ties to the prehistoric people who once occupied the Marksville State Historic Site.
The Avogel Tribe, the Avoyel-Taensa Tribe, Avogel Nation and Avoyel-Kaskaskia Tribe all claim to be descendants of the Avoyel Indians for whom this parish is named and who were here when the French explored this area.
None of those groups have been granted federal or state recognition as a Native American tribe. The Tunica-Biloxi claim the Avoyel tribe was absorbed into the larger Tunica and Biloxi tribes, along with the Ofo and other small tribes.
French explorers put the number of Avoyel at about 280 in 1698. In an 1805 report, the tribe was said to have been reduced to only two or three women.
“It is deplorable what has happened to our park,” City Engineer Rene Borrel said. “It is an unbelievably historic site.” Borrel said the site is of such archaeological significance that the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs should probably step in to save it.
The site is located on a bluff overlooking the former river channel. Archaeologists have determined it was a ceremonial center for Native American tribes in this area around 2,000 years ago.

NATIONAL LANDMARK
It was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1964 due to its importance in American history.
The culture of the people using this center was unique enough to have the name “Marksville Culture” attached to any similar groups found since this site was explored in the 1920s and 1930s.
Lemoine and others recalled the park’s “glory days” when it was a major recreational area for the parish. At one time, the site had a small zoo, a public swimming pool and hosted events such as the annual 4th of July activities.
“It is called the Marksville State Historic Site,” Lemoine said. “I hate to see it like this because it has our name attached to it.” Its archaeological significance is linked to the six burial mounds within an area enclosed by a semi-circular earthwork wall, about 3,300 feet long and ranging in height between three and seven feet tall. The open side of the enclosure is the edge of the bluff along what was the river. There are more mounds located outside of the enclosure.
There is no entry fee on Fridays, when the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost for special appointments are $46 for groups of up to 10 people and $4 per every person after 10.
Appointments can be made by calling 225-342-8111.
A spokesman for the Office of State Parks said the state is still hoping the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe will manage the museum and park “for several reasons -- the tribe is adjacent to the property and they have a vested interest in Native American history and they have expressed an interest in managing the site.”
At this time, however, the spokesman said the state will consider offers from any organization or local government entity interested in operating and managing the site on a full-time basis.
Until then, the state will “continue to provide minimal maintenance of the park. We are planning to bush hog the site in a few weeks.”

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