In service to the community

“The mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is to help people before, during, and after disasters. However, the bureaucratic processes that come with this aid often fail to serve the community members most in need…. “The traditional model is very paternalistic—the system is ‘we take care of you, and we make decisions for you.’

It’s just viewed very differently in our tribal [United Houma Nation] system, where when individuals take a position of power, they’re there in service to the community. Their role is really to make themselves humbled to the community.”

Lanor Curole (United Houma Nation) in: Astrid Caldas et al (2023) “Building Community Resilience: Lessons from Frontline Leaders” Union of Concerned Scientists 

Image: Lanor Curole is Tribal Administrator at, and a citizen of, the United Houma Nation in southeast Louisiana. Credit: The Courier, Houma Today.