Franklin's Mariana Titus among 'tradition bearers'

Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser proclaimed October the fifth annual Louisiana Folklife Month, recognizing Louisiana’s rich living traditions and the people who sustain them.
Folklife month activities showcase “tradition bearers” in a series of public programs throughout Louisiana that highlight overlooked cultural communities and increase appreciation of the vital role folklorists play in sustaining the state’s distinct culture. All events will be introduced by folklife ambassadors and professional folklorists who will contribute contextual and historical information.
Lt. Governor Nungesser emphasized the importance of the folklife program and what it means for Louisiana, saying, “Folklife month is a perfect time for us to remember our traditions and honor our culture. Each of our traditions trace back to our ancestors and the people who colonized Louisiana, and without that, we would not have the identity we have today.”
Presentations will honor the following tradition bearers: Elaine Bourque, Acadian brown cotton weaver in Lafayette; Mariana Titus, artist, writer, photographer in Franklin; Janie Luster, Houma Indian artist, basketweaver, jewelry maker in Theriot; Zion Travelers Spiritual Singers, gospel quartet in Baton Rouge; and James Norcom “Buzz” Jackson III, songwriter in Covington.
Louisiana Folklife Month is a project of the Louisiana Folklife Commission in collaboration with the Louisiana Folklore Society and partner organizations in each of the host communities, and it is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities. An abridged listing of Folklife Month events is listed below. For more information these events, you can view the complete schedule of Folklife Month events around the state or visit the Louisiana Folklife Program website.
Honoring a St. Mary Parish Legend: Mariana Titus – Artist, Writer, Photographer, at the Alex P. Allain Main Branch Library in Franklin, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m.
From her early years, spent in Garden City, tradition bearer Mariana Titus was an avid reader and photographer. Mariana merged her experiences of growing up in bayou country and listening to these unique voices, with her innate gift of storytelling, to be able to create new stories and to re-tell the stories of others in an honest, authentic, uniquely St. Mary Parish voice.
Using this technique of listening and informally interviewing local people, she wrote six books. Mariana Titus will be honored, and will give her presentation, entitled St. Mary Parish: Roots and Reflections from a Native Daughter, in the very library that she frequented as a young girl and that is within walking distance of her mother’s — Mama T’s — front porch. She will be presented by folklife ambassador Rebecca Hamilton.