Memorial Illumination Volunteers

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Position Overview

Cane River Creole National Historical Park will host two separate memorial illumination events to remember and honor the people who were enslaved on Magnolia and Oakland Plantations on December 4 and December 11 . The Magnolia illumination will take place on Wednesday, December 4th, and the Oakland illumination will take place on Wednesday, December 11. Clean up after each event will be the following days: December 5 and 12 respectively.

The FREE illumination events and self-guided tours will begin at 5:30 p.m. and end at 7:00 p.m. The tours will be outdoors, will cover about a half mile over uneven and unpaved ground, and will occur rain or shine. Participants are encouraged to bring a flashlight and dress appropriately for weather and walking conditions. Oakland Plantation is located at 4386 Highway 494, Natchez, LA. Magnolia Plantation is located at 5549 Highway 119, Derry, LA.

The institution of enslavement and the act of emancipation have left indelible imprints on many aspects of Cane River life, and one of the overarching goals of the Cane River Creole NHP is to uncover the stories of all the people that lived on the two plantations. Each luminaria represents an enslaved man, woman, or child, with each group reflecting a moment in time in the plantation’s history. Luminaries will be marked with the names, ages, places of origin and skills of the enslaved individuals when possible. This information has been retrieved from original archives.

Minimum commitment: A few hours of free time on November 27-30, December 4-5, and December 11-12. Time slots needed:

• November 27-30: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, prepare luminary bags by writing names, etc.
• December 4 and 11: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm, fill luminary bags with sand
• December 4 and 11: 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm, turn on luminary lights
• December 5 and 12: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, tear down and clean up

Goal / Outcome of Job:

To assist park staff in the preparations needed for the memorial illumination. This includes, but is not limited to, filling bags with sand, setting up benches, and writing names and personal information each individual bags.

These volunteers will be needed the weekend before to prepare (At minimum Saturday, November 30th at Oakland Plantation and Saturday, December 7th at Magnolia Plantation).

Day of event: volunteers will assist with adding tea lights to each individual bag and set up around the park along with whatever is needed from park staff.

Post Event: The Thursdays following both events (Thursday, December 5th at Oakland Plantation and Thursday, December 12th at Magnolia Plantation) will be used for assisting park staff with breakdown.

Knowledge/ Skills Desired

• The ability to work with others.

• Desire and ability to work outdoors.

• Ability to work in inclement weather.

• Ability to work in uneven terrain and footing.

• Ability to handle some physical activity.

Difficulty Level

Average to strenuous impact.

Working Conditions:

Volunteer work may involve strenuous manual labor, such as carrying supplies and equipment through fields, over uneven terrain, wet soils.

Training / Preparation Required:

Training will be provided the day of by park staff.

Start Date - 2024-11-30

End Date - 2024-12-12

Activities include: General Assistance