Outcome 1 Case Study
"Increased use of the skills, knowledge and ability of local people."
The Clifton Choctaw Reservation is a small community in rural Louisiana. The community
was founded in the late 1700s by Jesse Clifton and was originally settled by individuals who escaped the Trail
of Tears by hiding in the swamps of Louisiana. Presently 326 Clifton Choctaw live in the area, about 85 households.
A Clifton Choctaw representative and coordinator highlights three priorities for the community: 1) poverty reduction
(healthy economy), 2) education (increased local skills and abilities), and 3) health care (local initiatives and
adaptability). Ninety-nine percent of Clifton Choctaw residents have incomes below the poverty rate. The nearest
outside job prospects are located 30 to 40 miles away, and most Clifton Choctaw community members do not own automobiles.
The high illiteracy rate in the community makes the search for jobs even more difficult. In 1990, 85 to 95 percent
of students dropped out of school without graduating.
A USDA Forest Service Rural Development officer first met with community leaders to discuss possible community
projects that could be funded by the Forest Service in the early 1990s when he was looking for new projects in
the area. This began an ongoing partnership and provided a spark for new developments and activities by the tribe.
Even before this meeting, an awakening had begun in the tribe with the election of new leadership in 1984. In 1987
residents donated funds and built a community center. The center became a place for GED classes and after-school
tutoring, as well as other activities.
In the first meeting between the Forest Service and the residents, the group deliberately worked to match projects
to existing skills. A number of community residents grow gardens or rake pine straw, bale hay or work in houseplant
potting factories. One woman previously had worked in a nursery and now was running her own small nursery with
approximately 150 plants. Thus, the first Clifton Choctaw-Forest Service project constructed a plant nursery and
greenhouse next to the community's craft shop. The nursery became very successful and new nursery customers have
increased sales in the craft shop as well.
A second joint project involved raking and baling pine straw in the Kistachie National Forest. The bales are sold
to a transportation service and taken to the market. By 1995 the tribe was selling 20,000 bales annually.
Shortly after the pine straw project got underway, the community learned that the Forest Service was looking for
growers of containerized long leaf pine seedlings. They provided the Forest Service Rural Development officer with
information and a draft proposal for a nursery and seedling project. The officer assisted the residents with their
proposal, providing the experience in grant writing that increased the proposal's chance of getting funded.
Again, the opportunity matched the skills and experience of local community members who grew up in and around the
forests and had worked with trees. At the same time the organization and implementation of the project provided
opportunities for community members to learn new skills and to take on some leadership responsibilities. In 1994
the Clifton Choctaw and the Forest Service signed a five-year contract whereby the tribe agreed to supply the Forest
Service with containerized seedlings. Using local financing for start up costs, the first growing season produced
100,000 seedlings. A federal loan financed the second season and the tribe produced 200,000 seedlings. With contract
production increasing annually by 100,000 increments, the Clifton Choctaw will supply the Forest Service with 500,000
seedlings by 1998. The seedling business provides four year-round jobs and potentially another 15 or so seasonal
jobs.
The Clifton Choctaw community leadership is working to reduce poverty in its community, but has also recognized
that using and building on the skills and abilities of community members had important values as well. By 1995
most households had at least one member raking and baling straw and potting plants. One of the local leaders reported
tribal members now believe "there is something out there that we can do, and we are doing it." She also
has observed a renewed work ethic and renewed pride in the community. Meaningful productive work opportunities
that value the existing human capacity help define success in the Clifton Choctaw community.
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