WILLIAMS-MYSTIC OPENS DOORS FOR FUTURE TRIBAL CHIEF

“If you show Devon a door, he opens it.” —Professor

Ronadh Cox

Born in Houma, Louisiana, Devon Parfait grew up on the bayou with his close-knit family along what he refers to as the water highway because of the many boats and shrimpers that traveled through. He reflects fondly on his early childhood although it was at times tumultuous.

In 2005, when he was eight years old, first hurricane Katrina and then hurricane Rita devastated Louisiana causing his family to evacuate the bayou twice. They were able to return after Katrina, but not immediately after Rita due to the long-lasting storm surge. Their home was filled with mold and they lost everything.

In the aftermath, Devon and his family moved several times in search of a new home during what became the largest housing shortage in FEMA’s history. Devon, who was in second grade at the time, attended schools in four different districts prior to entering high school, and he struggled to perform well academically. However, during this period, when Devon was twelve years old he had a chance meeting with Chief Shirell Parfait-Dardar, Tribal Chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw. A conversation ensued resulting in Devon being asked if he would one day like to be the tribal chief. From that point on, Devon saw himself as the future Chief.

After graduating from high school with a 1.8 GPA, his college aspirations seemed bleak; however, another chance meeting set Devon’s life on course. While attending a conference in Seattle, Washington, on coastal land laws and environmental justice issues he met Ronadh Cox, the Edward Brust Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, who was speaking about the plight of southern natives. Devon’s intense interest in the important work being presented was noticed by Professor Cox, who invited Devon to speak about his community and their personal experience with the effects of climate change. For the first time, Devon felt his “voice had power and I can use it to help move the dial forward in some way.”

Professor Cox suggested that Devon consider attending Williams College, but his past academic performance prevented him from being accepted. Cox then suggested the Williams-Mystic program, and Devon immediately applied. The experiential education that the Williams-Mystic program provided grounded Devon as he gained an insight into the lives of people in the past. He traveled back to Louisiana with the program where he was able to experience his home community through a new academic lens and discover the deeper issues affecting the area. After the successful completion of the Williams-Mystic program, Devon spent a semester auditing Williams College classes and was then accepted into the College where he studied Earth Sciences. Katy Robinson Hall, Associate Professor of Marine Policy, Williams-Mystic, summed up: “Devon's intense curiosity combined with his passion for his tribal community inspired him to care deeply about getting the most out of his education.”

Ultimately, it was his experience at Williams-Mystic, the Coastal and Ocean Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport Museum, that helped clear the path for Devon to fulfill his destiny. Devon Parfait has become the Tribal Chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw tribe in Louisiana as well as a coastal resilience analyst with the Environmental Defense Fund. He is working on Restoring the Mississippi River Delta and developing effective plans to mitigate land loss and have those plans included in the larger Coastal Master Plan to save the coast of Louisiana. For more information on Williams-Mystic visit mystic.williams.edu.

Sherri Ramella, Editorial Director and Associate Director of Advancement