Delta Narratives: Building Communities – Economics & Ethnicity

The theme of this Delta Narrative is Building Communities: Economics and Ethnicity. The essay focuses on the primary zone of the Delta, comprising the “Delta proper” towns. When appropriate, cities and towns outside the primary zone are included in the discussion because they are relevant to the topic at hand.

The narrative is divided into three sections. The first section focuses on initial settlement in the Delta, starting with the earliest indigenous inhabitants. It traces the arrival of subsequent immigrant groups and how communities were built around ethnic bonds and the economic needs of an emerging agricultural region.

It also covers the early experience of Delta residents, emphasizing themes of human?environment interaction, emerging settlement patterns, and early community development.