MARKSVILLE – The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is mourning the passing of John D. Barbry, a revered tribal citizen, cultural leader, historian and advocate whose life’s work helped shape the identity, continuity and future of the Tunica-Biloxi people. His passing is a significant loss to the Tribe and to Indian Country.
Barbry was a pillar of the Tunica-Biloxi Nation and a respected figure throughout the Pow Wow circuit and Native communities nationwide. Since 1995, he served as chairman of the Tunica-Biloxi Pow Wow Committee, helping to create and sustain one of the Tribe’s most significant cultural traditions. Under his leadership, the Tunica-Biloxi Pow Wow grew into an annual gathering that brings together tribes from across the United States to share traditions, strengthen relationships and celebrate Native culture.
Barbry dedicated his professional career to preserving and strengthening tribal culture and education. As Director of Development and Programming for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, he oversaw the Language and Culture Revitalization Program and, since 2016, the Education Department. His work focused on protecting the Tunica and Biloxi languages, advancing cultural lifeways and ensuring tribal youth have the resources needed to succeed academically and beyond.
“John Barbry was one of the most important cultural leaders our Tribe has ever known,” said Chairman Marshall Pierite. “He was deeply articulate, thoughtful and driven by a genuine passion for our culture and traditions. John carried our history and language with care, humility and responsibility, and one of his greatest honors was being able to share that knowledge with others — especially over the last generation. He understood that culture is not something we simply remember, but something we must live, practice and pass forward. Our Tribe, and Indian Country, are stronger today because of his lifelong dedication and service. He will truly be missed.”
Barbry oversaw the Tunica Language Apprenticeship Program, which trains tribal members to become fluent speakers and instructors. The program was supported by a grant from the Administration for Native Americans, secured through Barbry’s leadership and grant development efforts. He also led cultural initiatives including the Tunica-Biloxi Language and Culture Summer Camp and community workshops focused on traditional crafts, songs and storytelling.
Barbry also forged key partnerships to expand access to cultural resources. He led the program’s collaboration with the American Philosophical Society on the Indigenous Language Manuscript Interface project, an archives-based, open-source platform allowing researchers and tribal citizens to view digitized manuscripts in endangered languages, including Tunica language notebooks from the 1930s.
His contributions extended beyond the reservation. In 1987, Barbry assisted with cataloging the historic “Tunica Treasure” following its repatriation to the Tribe, a defining moment in the reclamation of Tunica-Biloxi heritage. In 1988, he served as research supervisor in the manuscripts division at The Historic New Orleans Collection. In 1993, he became the first Native American-appointed archivist at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.
In addition to his cultural and academic work, Barbry brought more than 20 years of experience in casino marketing and management in Louisiana and California, applying that expertise to strengthen tribal institutions and programs, including at the Tunica-Biloxi-owned Paragon Casino Resort. He also worked to secure multiple education grants to expand tutoring, counseling and student support services, including efforts to ensure tribal students had access to learning resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In recognition of his extraordinary impact, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities named Barbry the 2022 Champion of Culture and appointed him as a board member in 2023, honoring his lifelong dedication to protecting and promoting Louisiana’s cultural resources and Native heritage.
Barbry earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from McNeese State University and a master’s degree in history from the University of New Orleans. His legacy lives on through the language he helped preserve, the youth he mentored and the traditions he safeguarded.
The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana extends its deepest condolences to Barbry’s family, friends, colleagues and all who mourn his passing. His leadership, integrity and devotion to the Tunica-Biloxi people will be felt for generations.
Information on memorial arrangements will be shared when available.
About the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana
The Tunica-Biloxi people first appeared in the Mississippi Valley. In the late 1700s, they settled near south of Marksville in east-central Louisiana. Today, the Tribe has more than 1,600 members throughout the United States, primarily in Louisiana, Texas, and Illinois. The modern Tunica-Biloxi Tribe is composed of Tunica, Biloxi (a Siouan-speaking people from the Gulf coast), Ofo (also a Siouan people), Avoyel (a Natchezan people), and Choctaw. Although ancestry is typically intermixed through marriages, tribal members typically identify either as Tunica, Biloxi or Biloxi-Choctaw. The Tribe owns and operates the Paragon Casino Resort, the largest employer in Central Louisiana. For more information about the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, visit https://www.tunicabiloxi.org/ and “like” us on Facebook.