Theo Chasson, 89, runs Ile De Jean Charles marina and keeps Houma Nation traditions alive

Theo Chasson, 89, a member of the United Houma Nation from Ile De Jean Charles in coastal Louisiana, said he still goes back to the island every day and runs the marina largely by himself. "I run I run that marine by myself," he said, recounting a lifetime tied to the bayou.

The host of a local spotlight program introduced Chasson and framed his story as an example of the area's cultural continuity. The presenter said Theo and his community grew up fishing, trapping, speaking French at home and supporting one another at weddings and other gatherings, and noted that storms have damaged parts of the island in recent years.

Chasson described family and childhood routines, saying his father was Pierre Chasson and his mother Auguste Chasson. He recalled moving to Houma in 1948 and learning English then, and that his mother continued to speak French. "We didn't know how to talk English," he said of his early years. The presenter said Chasson left school in the third grade to help support his family and by age 14 learned a trade, later operating the Ile De Jean Charles Marina as a community gathering point.

He recounted practical details of island life — paddling to school, putting up piers and nets to fish, and drying catches to take to school — and described landscape features that were once marsh and tree-covered. The presenter highlighted the hand-made cast nets, French stories and other practices Chasson preserves.

The segment closed with the presenter thanking Chasson for his example of "faith, family, and community," and noting that while places may change, the values people are raised with help keep communities grounded.