Basket DiplomacyBefore the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana became one of the states top private employerswith its vast landholdings and economic enterprisesthey lived well below the poverty line and lacked any clear legal status. After settling near Bayou Blue in 1884, they forged friendships with their neighbors, sparked local tourism, and struck strategic alliances with civic and business leaders, aid groups, legislators, and other tribes. The Coushattas also engaged