- What has been termed “a gumbo of cultures, people, and traditions,” the Coast represents a fascinating account of 10,000 years of diverse people groups.
Encompassing the state’s six coastal counties, the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area is an experience as much as a place. Under the umbrella of the National Park Service, this specific arm of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, along with grass-roots stakeholders, works to maintain and preserve the uniqueness of what we Mississippians have always called “the coast.”
There is no place on earth quite like it, and those of us who grew up in the 1950s did not think there was anywhere finer! Today’s collective effort provides a cohesive blueprint for ensuring the coast’s legacy and should excite every person who reveres the best of America’s story. The cultural landscape is filled with museums, multi-ethnic traditions, celebrations, festivals, and natural resources that rival those categories anywhere in the world. It is packed with places to explore and wonders to behold.
The sheer title, “Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area,” is a mouth full. It sounds like a government bureaucracy. However, this enormous endeavor is about much more than safeguarding the environment or preserving historic structures that have semi-survived the whims of Mother Nature. Since President Ronald Reagan established the description in the early 1980s, Congress has designated 62 National Heritage Areas in the United States. Each seeks to connect the dots between the individual natural, cultural, and historical elements and to illustrate those interconnections through the stories of its inhabitants.
In essence, the entire project presents a living history. It is unforgettable, engaging heart, soul, and mind for those who come alongside.
Rhonda Price has been Director of the Gulf Coast National Heritage since 2016. An anthropology graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and a native of Pearl River County, Rhonda also did a stint in the political realm as a member of Presidential candidate Bob Dole’s campaign. Her love for her state and her appreciation of its history runs deep. That affection is evident in the warmth of the human-interest features in every issue of the magazine she founded.
Embrace Your Cultural Story is a top-notch quarterly publication that is a little bit Garden and Gun, a little Southern Living, a smidgen of Town and Country, and a whole lot of Mississippi personality. Its breathtaking, sometimes vintage photographs capture in detail the heart and soul of the generations who have called the coast “home.”
Hard copies of the magazine, published by the Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, are available in 18 locations sprinkled across the six-county area, but free online downloads through msgulfcoastheritage.ms.gov are well worth exploring.
What has been termed “a gumbo of cultures, people, and traditions” is the fascinating account of 10,000 years of diverse people groups from Native Americans to the conquering Spanish and French explorers to the Cajun, Croatian, Yugoslavian, Vietnamese, and Africans melding together their significant talents and even their solutions to the region’s challenges. Along the way, a shared sense of zest emerged for celebrating the joy of life in this magical paradise.
The coast is the world’s best example of unity from diversity I can even begin to imagine. Where else can you wrap your mind around the Native Americans’ dugout canoe next to a twentieth-century architectural wonder by the late Frank Lloyd Wright?
Life and livelihood on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are deeply connected to the water. The highly unusual ecological environment of marshes, wetlands, brackish backwater, abundant fresh water, and the Gulf of Mexico itself has spawned unmatched opportunities for the commercial seafood industry and everything connected to it including boat building (hailing back to the prehistoric dugout canoes) and the restaurant industry where iconic names define local cuisine — Mary Mahoney’s for one.
From generation to generation, the family stories that intertwine with the landscape only strengthen the ties between the place and its people.
The wildlife that inhabits the undisturbed natural reserves is as varied and prolific as the nationalities that have proven to be incredibly resilient and resolute in the face of hurricanes and natural disasters.
The compelling creativity and spirit of innovation exist alongside the revered history of the water. Ocean Springs in Jackson County is an eclectic and quaint arts haven where the renowned artist Walter Anderson Museum of Art tells the story of the eccentric genius and showcases his work.
There is a laid-back, unhurried spirit that permeates the air and invites a leisurely stroll through a community that explodes with imaginative art of every sort.
Not so far away in Hancock County the pace is totally different. Here are the Stennis Space Center and Infinity Science Center where you can get wondrous views of the nation’s space program. Close by in Pascagoula is the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation. Founded in 1938, it has designed and built many ships for the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Marine Corps.
All of the aforementioned achieve one of the National Heritage Program’s goals: to engage the local community and strengthen their sense of place and community pride. This leads to long-term economic development and increased tourism. Surely, pride in the community enhances the desire to strengthen every aspect of livability.
For those who think history is not their cup of tea, I challenge them. Despite its bureaucratic name, the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area is all about us, our heritage, our families, and the history that has helped us be who we are. Check it out!
However, another benefit of the coveted designation of National Heritage Area is the eligibility of federal grant money for approved projects. The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s National Heritage Area has funded grants so far in all six counties. Details of the application process are available on the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area website.
Marilyn Tinnin
