Sustaining Acadiana Culture from the Ground UpThe Cultural ResearchInstitute of Acadiana (CRIA) works to sustain the culture, agriculture, andtraditions of South Louisiana through collecting edible, medicinal, andgenerally useful seeds and knowledge on living sustainably in Louisiana. In the natural disaster prone region ofSouth Louisiana, CRIA is creating a bank for seeds and traditional knowledge tobe disseminated to the public through various means, ensuring the knowledge ofLouisiana's elders is recorded and passed on to the future generations. The Goals of CRIA are 3fold; First, to collectthe seeds of endangeredplant varieties once common in Louisiana households. Second, through interviewsand research, to gather and store knowledge and information in the realms of sustainableliving, local and indigenous agriculture, and remedies and recipes. Third, to disseminatethe seeds and knowledgecollected to ensure their survival and use by future generations.