The Walking Trail

As part of my internship with the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, I designed a half mile walking trail with 2 separate living history stations representing different points in Coushatta history. My internship concluded with a presentation to both the Tribal Elders and Tribal Government about the proposed walking trail as well as leading hands-on education to tribal members to represent their tribe at archaeological digs.

This proposed design for the walking trail is intended to enhance the experience of Camp Coushatta. All the attractions from Camp Coushatta remain as part of the walking trail. The goal of this design is to provide authentic resources to educate visitors about Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana. The trail, which is around half a mile long, will incorporate signs, hands-on components, living history stations, and technology. All of which will provide support for the tribal youth who will be serving as the tour guides. QR Codes will be featured throughout the trail and will incorporate both Koasati and English.

This design provides the opportunity for the trail to be open to the surrounding community. Visitors will have the opportunity for a self-guided tour or can request a tour guide for a more enhanced and immersive experience. The trail covers the history of the tribe starting in the ancestral homelands in the Tennessee River Valley up to settlement in the Bayou Blue area of Louisiana and highlights modern Coushatta business enterprises and programs. Additionally, the trail will feature two living history stations: one will feature a 1500s hunting camp based off a sketch from Harrington’s 1908 notes, and the other, an 1800s homestead based off this photograph of Mrs. Williams in front of a log cabin. The living history stations will encourage hands-on learning opportunities by providing authentic replicas for visitors to interact with while learning about the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana.