Contributor Retraces Hurricanes Katrina & Rita
Maida Owens, a cultural anthropologist and Louisiana native, is the latest contributor to “Beyond Katrina: The Voice of Hurricane Disaster &
Recovery,” a blog focused on changing the future with the knowledge gleaned
from the past. Her photo essays,
“Adventures of a Roving Ethnographer,” look at the how Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita changed not only the physical landscape of south Louisiana but its
emotional pulse as well.
“Seeing
how they are rebuilding and how historical landmarks, sculptures and
plantations withstood the pounding are paramount to understanding the long term
impact of these storms on both our physical and cultural landscape,” explained Owens.
“We just had the second holiday
season since the onslaught of the devastation, yet the obstacles and the
setbacks persist,” explained blogger Margaret Saizan, “Beyond Katrina” creator.
“Because Maida’s stories and personal photos share the resilience of south Louisianans,
her perspective and insight are needed now more than ever to keep this journey
back on the national radar.”
Though the storms hit Louisiana more than 16
months ago, the online community that engages daily with each other via “Beyond
Katrina” is growing, not just in number, but in influence. What began as casual observers interested in
finding out any information on the storm has become a forum for sociologists,
geologists, architects, authors, and photographers hoping to enact cultural
change and policy reform. The blog was
recently awarded the Society for New Communications Research Professional
Award.The award honors innovative professionals who are pioneering the use of social media,
individuals like those Time magazine
named its 2006 “Person of the Year.”
“We’ve had incredible feedback on the photo essay series we began in early October with
nature photographer Matthew White. We hope to continue adding valuable content to tell the whole story of these storms,” added Saizan.
About Maida Owens:
A cultural anthropologist and a native Louisianan who cares deeply about her home state, Maida Owens has been director of the Louisiana Folklife Program, www.louisianafolklife.org , since 1988. She has curated exhibits and websites, authored and edited
books and articles, produced videos, and created educational materials on Louisiana’s many
traditional cultures. She works with organizations and researchers to identify
traditional artists and determine the most appropriate way to present folk
musicians, storytellers, craftsmen, and traditional cooks to the public. She
has worked with hundreds of folk artists from Louisiana's diverse cultures. Her work takes
her throughout the state and in the process, she has photographed Louisiana’s people and
landscapes. Maida Owens’ fine prints are available by contacting her at maidaowens at cox dot net.
About Margaret Saizan
Margaret Saizan (www.margaretsaizan.org) is a new media publisher, personal/ organizational coach, and
community activist. The Baton
Rouge native became a blogger
during the largest natural disaster in U.S.history – Hurricane
Katrina.A graduate of Newfield
Network, one of the best regarded international coach training schools, Margaret
focuses on empowering leadership and facilitating
action during transition, crisis, and disaster as the pathway to new
vision. www.hurricane-katrina.org and Big
Vision Media aspire to ignite wise action, new vision and positive change
through transformational media.
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