“The land and the people are one.”
The Bayou Region is home to a number of divergent American cultures, such as the Cajuns, Creoles, and Houmas.
Although there are many shared characteristics of the Bayou Region, there are also very specific differences among each of the bayous. Erudite linguistic studies have shown that even villages along the same bayou utilize different words and pronunciations for similar objects or activities. Historically, the sub-cultures of each bayou have avoided mixing with other bayou sub-cultures, leading to a richness of diversity in accents, tribal lore, music styles, culinary practices, boat design, and subsistence methods. The Center for Bayou Studies aims to preserve these distinct cultures for the reference of future generations.