Written by: Belinda Brooks

Oral History by:  Rodger Collum

Adolf “Felix” Desadier was the seventh child (third son) of Joseph and Seraphine “Josephine” Ann LaRenaudiere Desadier.   He was born on December 5, 1870, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  Felix grew up under the tutorship of his father Joseph Desadier Jr (1832-1906).  Joseph grew up during the years of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and remembered well the injustices that were poured upon his people.  Therefore, Felix’s generation was born a short time after the Civil War ended in 1864.  For the Butte Indians during this era, President Lincoln’s views on Native Americans left them with little hope of human rights, much less citizens’ rights within the United States.  In a speech delivered in 1859 at the Illinois College in Jacksonville, Lincoln stated that the United States “owns a large part of the world, by right of possessing it; and all the rest by right of wanting it, and intending to have it.”

TRIBE CHANGED TO FAMILY

Without a doubt this was the main topic of discussion when it came to the survival of the tribe.  The views of the United States government had not changed when it came to the indigenous people of America.  Therefore, the decision was clear where the Butte Tribe must stand on the topic of survival.  They would become the Butte “Family” of Bayou Bourbeaux rather than the Butte Tribe by order of Chief Joseph Desadier Jr.  In other words, the family must assimilate to the ways of the United States government or risk losing everything that had been passed down to the family from their ancestors.  

PRAIRIE LANDS & INDIAN TRAILS

Felix Desadier was the last Butte Chief to live his life on the prairie lands of Bayou Bourbeaux area in Natchitoches Parish.  For those who are not knowledgeable concerning the history of the prairie grasslands in the Bayou Bourbeaux area, it will be surprising for them to learn that the lakes of the area are actually man-made.  Before the 1930s, the land was a vast prairie.  For hundreds, maybe thousands, of years through the beginnings of the 1830s and the Indian Removal Act, thousands of buffalo roamed those prairie grasslands.  Not only that but also, Bayou Bourbeau, specifically Chivery Dam, was the vertex where all the Indian Trails met at the Collum Temple Mounds.  The land itself tells the tale.

Right off of the prairie grassland near Bayou Bourbeaux, known today as Prairie Lake, Native Americans physically hauled tons and tons of white sand from the hills about three miles away to make sandhills for the buffalo to roll in.  These sand dunes were called “The Licks.”  Buffalo were constantly trying to brush off flies, bugs, ticks and other parasites.  When this happened, the Indians were sitting in wait to kill the buffalo as the buffalo were in an unsuspicious state of defense.  Today, hundreds of years after the prairie lands have been covered with water in what is now known as Prairie Lake in Natchitoches Parish, one can get a still glimpse the remains of “The Lick’s” white sand and find arrowheads that were used in attempts to kill buffalo that wallowed in sand when waters of the lake are low.

Another feature of Butte territory that marked the importance of its people were the Indian trails that led to what is known today as the Collum Temple Mound.  Three trails led out from the temple mound which sat on a creek which is today Chivery Dam.  These three trails led to Winn Parish, Campti and Goldonna (Salt Licks).  Native Americans marked the trails with bent trees which are still visible today.  Butte Hill was/is located on the Indian trails.  The only other waterways were Seline and Black Bayou.  It made sense that the trails would lead to the temple mound because the Butte territory was a hot-spot for indigenous travel across Americas.  As visiting natives would approach a Butte native village, they would first go to the temple mound, pray and leave their gift, then visit the village.  The evidence of numerous Native American villages and mounds all-encompassed the Butte area.

Along with the Licks, Butte Hill and the Indian Trials, another feature of Bayou Bourbeaux was Jewel Springs.  Jewel Springs was/is considered a mystic, healing springs.  All of the Butte chiefs used the spring for healing purposes.  They would often take their family there to picnic and spend a family day.  Should someone become deathly ill or accidently hurt, they would go to the springs to wash in the healing waters.  Chief Collum reports that he makes trips to the spring when the weather and the land is approachable. 

HUNTER, TRACKER, GUIDE

It was no secret that Felix was an avid hunter, tracker, and guide.  He loved nature and animals.  Felix was known for having beautiful horses. too.  He rode a giant16.5 hands white horse.  Rodger was told a story by his elders about Felix at twelve years old.  For several weeks Felix and his father had been finding dead calves scattered around the farm land.  There was obviously a rogue-cat on the loose thrill-killing helpless animals.  Normal big-cat kills would consist of making a kill, eating whatever the cat wanted of the kill, dragging what was left over to a safe place, covering the left-overs with grass or other such objects, and returning to eat the remains at another time until it was all consumed. This cat killed calves, ate what he wanted and left the remains to the buzzards.  Felix’s tracking skills were excellent. By now, Felix knew the cat was obviously a rouge-panther.  With his father’s permission, he headed out on the trails with full intentions of returning home with the pelt of the offending cat.  He tracked the cat for three days and nights.  On the late morning of the third day, he found the cat laid up in a den of branches, straw and grass.  One good shot and the cat was history. 

 

MARRIAGE

As Felix grew to be a young man, he met and married Theresa Thompson.  Not much is known about Theresa, but they had one child.  His second wife and life-long companion was Victorine “Fee” Flores.   Fee was 15 years older than Felix and the widow of William Carter.  Her marriage with Carter produced seven children.  As Native American stories and fact go, Felix Desadier was Fee’s second cousin.  Felix and Fee’s mother, Elizabeth Larenaudier were first cousins.  So, as a norm in Native American culture, this marriage was a familial relationship that lasted until Felix’s death in 1926.  Fee never remarried and died at the age of 108 in 1961.

FAMILY LEADER

Felix was a wealthy man.  He came into some money from San Antonio.  Although it is not exactly known where his wealth came from, it is highly likely that he may have been involved in illegal cattle trade activities but this has not been proven.   Felix and Fee lived a life of servitude to their family and their community throughout their marriage.  They knew and understood too well what being tagged “Indian” meant in the United States.  Family came first with them.  Obviously, their skin tone was not white.   Family children were not allowed in the “white” schools.  Knowing that would be an issue with the segregated school systems, Felix’s father, Joseph Jr., had prepared for that when Felix was a child.  Joseph had built the first school for the family children on the bayou, the Desadier School.  During Joseph’s childhood, eight children were taken from the tribe to be taught the American ways and never seen again.  They would always remember the children that never returned.  The family would always be careful, be prepared, be watching.

Felix attended the old school that his father, Joseph Jr. built.  By the time that Felix had become a man in 1905 and had his own family, the first schoolhouse was dilapidated Having a school that the family children could attend without having to be shipped off to another area was important to everyone, especially Felix.  Not trusting the government with the care of the family children, Felix helped rebuild a new school near the old Desidere schoolhouse stood and where the present-day Pace Community Center stands. 

Each morning before going to school, Felix’s children would milk the cows and do chores.  In the summertime, all the children had to work in the fields and take care of the cattle, mules, hogs, and chickens. All of the grandchildren knew how to milk cows.  The family was allowed to go to his barns and milk the cows whenever they needed to. Neighbors were also allowed to milk the cows when they were in need.

Everyday tribal life continued in the family regardless of whether one called the group a family or a tribe.  Felix had the responsibility of feeding a large number of family units.  The way that the family units ran in Bayou Bourbeaux is that everyone from children around 5/6 years of age up to the age of people who could work would do their part to put food on the table, clothes on the backs of the family, roofs over the heads and a bed to sleep on for everyone. 

Felix was known as a specialized farmer in his era.  After the Civil War in the South, slave labor was no longer allowed so farmer had to improvise.  Cotton was still king in the South and fighting Johnson-grass in cotton fields was a major concern.  As a child Felix raised geese that would follow him around the yard and pluck Johnson-grass right out from under his feet.   That memory gave him and idea!   He raised a flock of geese, drove them to the cotton fields, watched them pluck the Johnson-grass out of the cotton field at no cost and no-labor to the farmer, herded them back to the crib and locked them in for the night to protect them from coyotes or other predators.  As Felix got older, he raised a little over two-hundred geese to help with his cotton. 

Felix’s farm was also known for his fine-peach wine.  He had a huge orchard that he took much pride in.  His farmlands grew vegetables, grains and cotton which gave the family food and work. 

Each month the entire bayou tribe/family would gather to travel to Natchitoches to sell seasonal farm products (grains, cotton, vegetables, wine, Spring-water, salt, etc.) and buy whatever supplies they might need, especially ammunition.  In those days, the family would all have to ride the ferry across the river to Grand Ecore.  One of the important products that the Butte family would sell was water from Jewel Springs close to Butte Hill.  Jewel Springs was known as a healing springs in those days and people would pay for bottles of water that came from there.  A few members who know the location of the springs still travel to the springs today to wash or drink from it.

MURDER ON THE BAYOU

Years before July 5, 1905, Ozan Desadiere had left the Butte side of the bayou and moved to the Campti area when he married a Trichell cousin.  On that night in 1905, Ozan was sitting at home with his family when he heard someone calling from outside.  He walked to the front door and saw three men riding horses yelling out for help in the darkness.  They needed him to bring a light outside to help them.  Ozan hurried and did as he was asked.  As soon as he stepped out on the porch with the light, he was shot dead by the men on horses. 

As would be expected, word traveled fast on the bayou. Felix knew the men would be headed for Grand Ecore on the trail to escape to Texas.  These men had been hanging around the area trying to buy up land for a while.  He saddled his horse and headed up the trail to Grand Ecore where he waited in ambush for the murders.  Sure enough, in attempt to get to Texas one of the three assailants road up the trail on a mule.  Felix shot him off of the mule with buckshot but did not kill him.  The man got away on foot.  Felix took the mule home and kept him.  The other two men were caught and taken to jail.  Three weeks later, Felix got word that the man he shot made it to San Antonio and died of his wounds.

CHURCH

All Butte chiefs raised their children on the same land.  Felix and Fee were no different. Their homeland is located in what is known today as the Pace Community.  Bayou Bourbeaux runs straight through it.  In the beginning of the 1900s, the family held church service on their land under a little brush arbor.  That little brush arbor advanced to a family community brick church building named Christian Harmony Baptist Church in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  The land that the church and parsonage sit on today was donated by Felix, Fee and Clarence Desadier.  Throughout the years, numerous additions and upkeeps have been added to by the current chief, Rodger Collum and his wife, Charlia, as well as other family members.  *Note: The Pace bloodline mixed with the Butte bloodline through, Josephine Desadier, Felix Desadier’s youngest daughter.

DEATH OF A GREAT CHIEF

Felix was a working man.  It was not enough for him to give orders for others to do a job.  He always had to be a part of the jobs that were going on.  One of his favorite things to do was to work in his orchards and make wine.  One day he fell from a pear tree.  That fall led to a punctured spleen and a long and painful death.  Felix was bed-ridden for a long time during his illness.  He was carried by sled to Jewel Springs several times and washed in the healing waters in hopes of a cure. 

Chief Adolf Felix Desadier was cut short at the age of 56 on December 26, 1926.  He left his son, Chief Clarence Desadier, to carry on and lead the family.

Next, Chief Joseph Desadier Jr, 3^rd Chief of Butte Tribe of Bayou Bourbeaux

Chief#5- Clarence Desadier (1899-1969)

Clarence Desadier was the second son of Felix and Victorine “Fee” Flores Desadier. Although he was the second son, he was chosen by his parents for the position of the fifth family leader/chief of the Butte Tribe.  He was chosen for this position because of his obvious love of family, work ethics and his ability of keeping the family together.  As a businessman, his skills in managing money and real estate were outstanding.  His parents could depend on him to do whatever it took to see that the family did not go lacking in food, shelter and education.  Not only did he care for his family, his love for his entire bayou community was evident by the way he shared what he had with others.

In true Native American cultural, familial lifestyle, Clarence Desadier found his wife and life partner within his tribe.  On November 17, 1917, Clarence married Louella Waters, his second cousin.  Clarence and Louella’s grandmothers were sisters, Seraphine Josephine and Marie Zelina Larenaudiere.  The Larenaudiere sisters were the second-great granddaughters of Marie Theresa De La Grande Terre, the Chitimacha wife of Frenchman Jacques (dit Nantes) Guedon.  Together, Clarence and Louella raised three sons and four daughters on the same land that the present-day chief, Rodger Collum, resides.

Clarence’s service to the family began in the early 1920s when his father’s health began to decline.  Following Felix Desadier’s death in 1926, Clarence became the head of the family with his mother, Fee, standing at his side.  Concerned about his people, Clarence aka “Parrain” to the family, made sure that his truck garden was planted and his milk cows were well cared for and ready to produce milk for the family as well as those in the community who were living in hard times. 

Undoubtedly, the late 1920s and 1930s were hard times for those raising families in and around Bayou Bourbeaux as well as the entire United States.  1927 brought the historic Mississippi River flood.  The flood waters in Louisiana displaced many of the Butte Tribe families who had relocated their families closer to the Mississippi River in hopes of making a better life for their families.  October 1929 marked the month of the Wallstreet Crash and the onset of the Great Depression.  Then, shortly after the economy finally began to recover in 1939, World War II began and the young men within the family received draft cards that stripped them away from their families to serve their country on foreign shores. Clarence had two sons, Otis and Henry, who served during WWII.   During these hard times, Clarence made sure that those in his family who remained on Butte land had jobs to go to, food on the table, beds to sleep in and roofs over their heads. 

Through it all, Clarence was careful to keep the family bloodline under-the-radar.  Why?  His grandfather, Joseph Desadier Jr., lived through the 1830s Indian Removal Act.  Joseph knew only too well the discrimination, hatred and disrespect that the United States government held for the indigenous people of America.  Joseph made the decision during those times that the “tribe” would become a “family.”  No longer would the Butte Tribe acknowledge their Native American bloodlines.  White settlers were determined to claim the rich, alluvial lands of the Native Americans.  While on behalf of the settlers and their own interest, the government with no concern for Native Americans forcibly removed indigenous people from their ancestral homes to ghost lands of the West with no resemblance to the land of their forefathers. To keep Butte lands and families in place, it was necessary to take on a new cultural identity. 

Clarence’s mother, Fee, lived to be 108 years old.  At her death, all of her assets were left to Clarence to distribute.  Fee trusted her son to do what was right with her belongings.  His decision on distribution of her property was based on work ethics of his siblings. Clarence carried on the expected duties of the family leader and continued to oversee family business meetings and reunions. He kept the family tightly knitted by working together, growing crops together, burying their dead together, and so forth.  He was a well-respected leader who held many titles. He was the local game warden, a deputy sheriff, a preacher, as well as a farmer and cattle man.

 

Clarence’s main concern as a game warden was outsiders hunting on Butte lands and killing wildlife need to support the welfare of his people. This concern was what actually led him to become a game warden. Times were very hard and the family depended on wildlife such as deer, hogs, rabbits, squirrels, ducks, geese and other game to survive. As an official federal wildlife game warden, he was responsible for the preservation of wildlife on Bayou Bourbeaux, which in turn allowed for the survival of this family.  To illustrate this point by comparing/contrasting hunting rabbits on the bayou in Clarence’s lifetime compared to hunting rabbits on the bayou in today’s world, taking a ride down the backroads of the bayou at night time to see how many rabbits can be spotlighted would tell the tale.  During the lifetime of Clarence, it was easy to spotlight hundreds if not thousands of rabbits running across dirt roads and fields at night.  In contrast, today, one can ride for miles and miles up and down bayou roads and not see one rabbit on the side of or crossing the road.

Spirituality/religion has always been a significant factor in the lives of the Butte families.  For Clarence, this was certainly true.  Throughout his lifetime, he along with his parents, played key roles in the building of the Christian Harmony Baptist Church in the Pace Community.  The land that the church and parsonage sit on today was donated by Felix, Fee and Clarence Desadier.    History of that little church began in the early 1900s with both Felix and Clarence as well as many other family members having served as deacons throughout its lifespan. Hundreds of family members were born (christened), baptized and buried into that church.  The church recently celebrated its 130^th birthday celebration.

Saturdays and Sundays were always times for family gatherings.  Grandma Fee, Clarence’s mother, always lived within walking distance of her son’s home.  Her children were raised to understand the importance of family togetherness.  Saturdays were visiting days.  Family from near and far would travel to sit around the yard under trees and on the porch to watch children play, drink coffee or sweet tea, enjoy fresh baked tea-cakes, talk about current events and relate oral family history.  Saturday gatherings were no less than 20 to 30 family members passing by.  When the evening came, someone would likely break out a fiddle and it was time for music and dance.

Sundays were always spent in church, no exception.  Everyone would bring pot-luck dishes and there was always more than enough food to share with all who attended. At times, upward of 100 people would come to “Paw” Clarence and “Maw” Louella’s house to eat.   The norm would be 50-60 people after church for lunch.  Family came from all directions.  There was a pecking order to seating at meals.  Elders were seated and served first followed by the rest of the family.  Teaching children to respect their elders was and continues to be a major responsibility passed on by adults of the Butte Tribe.  

Comically, Chief Collum likes to remind his people how special he was to the elders, or at least to his mom, Olla Mae, and Maw Louella.  On Sunday just for him, they always made his favorite banana pudding (without bananas.)  Knowing that Rodger had to wait in line with the children, Olla Mae and Louella had a special place set aside for him where there was always a bowl of pudding waiting just for him.  

Each month, Clarence would call a meeting of family elders. These meetings were rather traditional in their schedule. About 20 elders would be in attendance. Clarence always opened the meeting with prayer.  Coffee, tea, Kool-Aid, and teacakes were served. After taking time to greet everyone, the group would then sing old family, tribal songs.  Money would be collected for family needs.  There may have been family that were sick or short on cash to pay bills and the money collected would go to help with those issues.  Storytellers would tell stories about life when they were children.  They would relate to Rodger the traditions and customs of their lifetime.  The elders would talk about the importance of hunting and fishing on Bayou Bourbeaux.  Many within the tribe were hunting and fishing guides in Natchitoches Parish which was a popular tourist site for hunters through the state.  Without the plentiful supply of wildlife, the family would have never made it through the hard times of the Great Depression in the 1930s.  For Clarence and the elders, controlling and protecting Butte lands depended on keeping outsiders away from their land.

Fond, humorous memories of Clarence and Louella Desadier told by their grandchildren are numerous.  Clarence’s children all lived in the surrounding area.  Each evening, Louella and he would take a ride around to check on his daughters and their families before they went to bed.  All the family knew that Maw Louella liked her beer, especially when she went riding.  This created an issue for Paw Clarence since he was a preacher man.  Rodger and his cousin, Buddy Hayes, laugh when they tell the story about riding with their grandparents at those times.  Clarence would drive up to the local “beer” stop and park in the dark.  Someone from inside would walk outside with a brown paper bag with Maw Louella’s favorite drink inside.  Clarence would pay for it and they would be on their way.  

Rodger always speaks of Maw Louella with a smile on his face.  He would go to her first, whenever he wanted something that he felt his Paw or parents would deny him.  Maw was always up to the challenge of making deals with him.  He and his cousin-in-crime, Buddy Hayes, loved to go hunting beginning when they were only five and six years of age.  Others may have objected but with Maw on their sides they pretty much knew, without a doubt, it was a done-deal.  They had guns but ammo was hard to come by.  Maw Louella always liked to cook rabbit.     Maw would get the boys shells if they would hunt rabbits and bring her some back for supper.  Now, you might think what was the big deal about getting shells?  The big deal was that Paw Clarence was a Wildlife and Fisheries Agent.  The boys were too young to hunt on their own and would have to go hunting behind their grandfather’s back.  Paw confronted Louella.  Louella in her slow, southern drawl would respond, “Now, Clar…ence, you know you enjoy eatin’ them rabbits.”  That was it!  No more was said about the boys hunting or Louella passing out the shells.  Louella always had the say-so when it came to the pots and pans.    

Buddy told the story that on a cold winter day Maw decided that she was going to cook geese for the family.  The boys were around the ages of eight and nine at the time.  She gave Rodger and Buddy a box of shells with the initial “HV” on them.  What were they to do?  If Maw said do it, they had no choice.  So, they eagerly headed out with the dogs to the bayou waters to find the biggest, bad’est, fattest goose to deck Maw’s Sunday table.   Suddenly, Buddy spied a gigantic goose that seemed hundreds of yards away.  He pointed it out to Rodger and said, “We’re too far away for you to hit it.”  Rodger said, “No, man!  Give me one of those HIGH VOLTAGE shells Maw got us.”  Buddy gave him the shell and, sure enough, that goose was as good as cooked.  Rodger killed it on the spot.  Buddy said, “Wow, Rodger!  Never heard of those HIGH VOLTAGE shells.  Maw needs to get us a bunch of them.”

 

On a more serious note, there were times that Clarence, as head of the family, had to shut the bayou down.  Friday, December 6, 1957, Kenneth Wayne Frederick, Clarence’s grandson, left Clarence’s house with two dogs to go rabbit hunting.  When the dogs returned without the grandson, Clarence called in the family, shut down the bayou and the hunt was on.   The Town Talk newspaper of Alexandria, Louisiana, reported that, “It was the grandfather who traced the boy’s footprints from near the Pikes home for about 2,000 feet until they faded out into the swamp.”  Bayou Bourbeaux was shut down for approximately two weeks.  No one could enter or leave the bayou unless they were family or part of the search party until the body of Clarence’s grandson was found.  The body was found partially submerged in the bayou under a Bayou Bourbeaux bridge near the Clarence community on December 18^th, 1957. The coroner later ruled that the cause of death was drowning.

Years before that accident, another Bayou Bourbeaux crisis occurred when a tornado came through the bayou.  A midwife who lived on the bayou was standing in her front yard holding her baby.  The baby was not old enough to sit up by itself at the time.  Suddenly, a big wind sucked the baby from the mother’s arms.  The mother was in a panic running from one place to another to try to find her baby.  She could not find her anywhere.  Knowing that when people had problems on the bayou that Clarence was the person to contact, she immediately got in touch with him.  Clarence formed a search party right away.  For two days the community searched for that baby.  On the second day, someone heard a strange sound coming from the field behind the Christian Harmony Baptist Church.  It sounded like a small animal that was in trouble.  Sure enough, it was the baby.  He was alive and well.  There are many more stories like these to tell.  Much more than time will allow.  Through good times or bad, Clarence never failed his people.  His wisdom and love for his people were passed down to his chosen successor, Chief Rodger Collum.

Clarence and Louella lived their lives during the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution in the United States.  For them, they enjoyed all of the new modernized inventions.  It would be accurate to say that in the Bayou Bourbeaux area they enjoyed the first of all that the new inventions that technology had to offer.  They were first to have a phone, a tractor, as well as a car with an air conditioner and automatic transmission. They were also the first to purchase a television.

The passing of Clarence and Louella Desadier was mourned by many of the Bayou Bourbeaux community.  At the time of Clarence’s passing in 1969, Louella stood by the side of her grandson, Rodger Collum, until he came of age to take on the responsibility of leading the family/tribe for the next generations.  Louella passed that baton to Rodger at the birth of his first child and son, Shannon, in 1975.

Next article, 4^th Chief of the Butte Tribe of Bayou Bourbeaux, Adolph Felix Desadier.

by: Belinda Brooks

Butte Tribe’s own Ravin Trichell & her partner, Jacob Prescott, took top-honors in the 2020 Social Studies Fair Presentations at ULM Euwing Coliseum in Monroe, Louisiana, today. Their presentation on the Butte Tribe of Bayou Bourbeaux was awarded Grand Champsonship Honors of the entire event for Division 1 Schools. They will be moving to State Competition in May 2020. Congratualations, Ravin & Jacob! You have made your tribe very proud of you. Good Luck in State Competition!!!! Thank you for inviting me to be a part of the big day.  bb

by: Belinda Brooks

NEWS FLASH!!!!! LATEST COLLUM TEMPLE MOUND ARTIFACT FIND…. Charlia Collum visited the mound today after she noticed that the rain waters had collasped part of the mound. She found a couple of arrowheads and then found something that she thought was some type of PVC pipe. She started to throw it away when Rodger noticed what she was doing and stopped her. Sure enough, it was a KAOLIN CLAY PIPE.

(Note: For me what this proves is that our mound is far more than an ancient mound. This proves that Europeans have visited our ancestors here on Butte land.) bb

Jim Maus Artifacts

A selection from the vast collection of Jim Maus

So what are kaolin clay pipes?

THE KAOLIN CLAY PIPES OF EARLY AMERICA

About five hundred years ago, when the Europeans began exploring the Americas, (or as they were called at that time – the New World), they found the indigenous people smoking tobacco leaves in their ceramic and stone pipes. When these early adventurers returned to Europe, they took both tobacco and the smoking instruments to show their fellow countrymen. Those inventive people decided they could make smoking devices for their personal use, which they did, and later made more to send back to the New World for trade and to sell. These were kaolin clay pipes of early America. Read the rest of this article here: http://www.jimmausartifacts.com/kaolin-pipes/

by: Belinda Brooks

An Oral History of the Butte Chiefs

#6  Chief Rodger Collum

By: Belinda Brooks

When asked, “Why after all these years have you decided to go public with your tribe?” Chief Rodger Collum replied, “My ancestors raised me for such a time as this.  It is time to reveal the secrets and tell the story of my people.”

The secrets of the Butte Tribe began at Bayou Bourbeaux over two hundred years ago.  Only a handful of warriors at any given time knew the secret of Butte Hill.  The few that did spent a life time guarding it.

BUTTE TRIBE OF BAYOU BOURBEAUX is rich in oral history.  To bring a better understanding of this oral history and the leadership that has revealed it, the life of the present chief, Rodger Collum, will be discussed first.  In the following weeks, this journalist will reveal the story of the remaining five leaders/chiefs of the Butte Indians.  The details described in the history of this chief was provided in interviews with numerous family members and Chief Rodger Collum, himself, in several sessions throughout late 2019 and early 2020.  In the following weeks, the tale of each of the remaining five chiefs will be opened for all to read.

Chief #6 – Rodger Lee Collum (1953 – Today)

Rodger Lee Collum was born March 3, 1953, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  Rodger was the first son of Alford Lee “Duck” and Olla Mae Desadier Collum.  Rodger’s mother, Olla Mae, was the daughter of the family leader/chief at that time, Clarence and Louella Waters Desadier. 

Leaders of the family tribe at the time of Rodger’s birth were, Victoria “Fee” Desadier aka “Grandma Fee” and her son, Clarence Desadier.  There were a multitude of descendants to choose from when looking for the next leader of Butte Tribe.  Through oral stories told by cousins today, it is rather easy to understand the reasoning behind the choice of choosing the little towheaded grandson, Rodger Lee, to be the leader and protector of the family at demise of the current leaders.   

Rodger was constantly into things, always asking questions, always moving forward, never retreating, never going backward. He was born to lead.  That was easy for any and all to see.  Whatever was happening, Rodger was into it and leading it.  At an early age, Rodger’s father, told him that there were only two types of people, those who lead and those who follow.  Rodger had no doubt who he was.  He had no desire to follow.  Yet, he knew the importance of doing what he was told and following the instructions of his elders.  When Grandma Fee and/or Louella called out “Rodger Lee!” everything stopped and they had all his attention.

Following his elders is what he did.  At the early age of five, Rodger was called into the meeting of the family elders.  From that day forward, whenever the elders met, Rodger was at their feet while the other children were sent out to play.  For a five-year-old, that was hard for him to understand.  Why he could not go out to play with his cousins.? He was told by the elders that he was special.  Hard for a little boy to understand, but he obeyed.  He was told that it was very important for him to listen carefully, remember the stories that were told, the songs that were song and always remember family came first.  He was told one day he would tell these stories to his family.  At the end of the meeting there would always be a big dish-pan of homemade tea cakes with a  dish towel on top to keep the flies off.  The ladies always made sure that Rodger had his belly full before he left to go play.

At the age of five, Rodger was allowed to hunt by himself.  He remembers goings into the woods by himself, killing a deer and dragging it home with the help of his dogs.  That is only one story of hundreds because Rodger never went hunting without bringing home game.  From the age of five until today, when a cousin needs meat to put on the table, they do their best to get Rodger to hunt with them.

As Rodger grew into his teenage years, he lived his life on the bayou next door to his Grandma Fee, Grandpa Clarence aka “Parrain.” (French for Godfather), and Grandma Louella.  He observed the importance and the burden that was placed on the leader of the family.  Should a family have hardships, they would go to Parrain for help.  Should a couple wish to marry, they would ask permission of Parrain.  It was nothing unusual for anything of importance to a family member to ask permission of Parrain.  Clarence would grow community gardens for all families to gather food.  Clarence had a herd of milk cows that the family and community were allowed to milk to feed their families.  Rodger took note of all of this.  He felt the responsibility of family that would soon be his. 

In the summer of 1969, Clarence Desadier passed away at the age of 70.  Rodger at age 16 was not ready for the responsibility of leadership of the family.  His grandmother, Louella, became Rodger’s mentor and family leader until Rodger came of age.  For the next six years, Rodger was available for his grandmother’s bidding.  Living his entire life next door to his grandparents, life was full of demands regarding family issues.  Family sicknesses, deaths, arguments, and other issues.  When there were deaths in the family, Rodger was in charge of seeing to the burials.  There were specific rituals that were involved in burying family members. Rodger and specific cousins would dig the graves. Family members would sit up all night with the body of their dead loved ones during the wake the night before the funeral at Christian Harmony Baptist Church in Pace Community, Natchitoches Parish. During the funeral, the family would normally Rodger to drive the hearse to the graveyard.  In his lifetime, Rodger counted 69 family members that he had buried.  Rodger told one story about burying a family member that was interesting.  Rodger did not have time to go to the grave yard to show the funeral director where to dig the grave of his uncle so he sent his cousin. The cousin pointed out the wrong plot to the funeral director. The funeral proceeded.  Grandma Louella’s son was buried in the wrong plot.  A few days later, an old woman began calling Grandma Louella complaining that Louella’s son was buried in the old woman’s plot.  One week after the burial, Grandma Louella had Rodger dig his uncle’s body up and bury him beside Rodger’s brother who died years earlier.

On August 11, 1975, the birthdate of Rodger’s first-born son, Shannon, he was called to Grandma Louella’s house.  Grandma Louella told Rodger, “It’s time for you to take over, Rodger Lee.  Go in the back room and look in the cedar chest.  Get the buffalo robe and bring it to me.”  Inside the buffalo robe were old family pictures from early 1800’s, arrowheads, documents, and old photobooks that were crumbling.  The buffalo robe itself was crumbling. 

From that day until today, Rodger has borne the burden of the leader/chief of the family tribe.  Today there are multiple clans attached to the family.  There have been separations through family squabbles, but with Rodger’s leadership the families have stuck together.  When there is trouble, Rodger is the one that the family calls.  When there is death, Rodger is called first.  Often times, he, himself, has met the expense of the funeral.  He has provided food through community gardens.  In natural disasters, local law enforcers call on him to help gather his people together.  In local and parish elections, candidates bid for his support to win elections.  There have been times that the entire bayou community has been shut down and guarded from outside forces by the family tribe.  At times like this, no one was allowed to enter, no one was allowed to leave until the threat to the family was gone.  In the early 1950s, a cousin went hunting and did not return that night.  His two dogs returned without him.  Grandpa Clarence shut the bayou down because he had no idea what may have happened to his grandson.  He thought that someone may have abducted him. A large search party began a 24/7 search for fourteen days while the bayou was shut down.  No one entered.  No one left.   On the fourteenth day the grandson’s body was found.  He had drowned in Bayou Bourbeaux.

Roger has held many tribal meetings over the years in the old schoolhouse to build and retain bonds amongst the family, discuss any issues, raise funds for the tribe, teach tribal history, and repeat the stories that were shared with him so many times as a little boy in the meetings with the elders.  The importance of this to Rodger cannot be understated because the stories need to continue to live on with future generations as requested by the elders.  Just as his forefathers have, he upholds the Butte Tribe religious beliefs, cultures, and enforces respect for the elders within our tribe. He recently taught some of the old songs to interested tribal members who sang them at our family tribal meeting in hopes that they will not be forgotten. When Rodger speaks, the tribe listens. His opinions are well respected and followed. Any issues that arise within the family, he is the one contacted for guidance.