Hi there!
Grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, chere. Pass a good time, and hopefully learn a little something along the way.

WHAT IS A CAJUN?

Cajuns are the descendants of exiles from the French colony of Acadia (present day Novia Scotia and adjacent areas) who left their homestead in 1755 and found refuge in southern Louisiana a decade later. By 1700, about 4,000 Acadians occupied the wetlands along Bayou Lafourche and Bayou Teche; they later settled the Louisiana prairies. In the fertile bayous, they fished, trapped the fur-bearing animals, gathered moss, and raised sugar cane, cotton, and corn; on the prairies they established cattle ranches and planted rice. Their traditional domestic architecture consisted of daubed or half-timbered houses with gable roofs, mud chimneys, and outstide stairways leading to attics. The landholdings were often surrounded by the characteristic piex; a rail-and-post fence.

The French-speaking, Roman-Catholic Cajuns, today estimated to number about 500,000, maintain many cultural and occupational traditions of their ancestors. Their speech is an archaic form of French into which are incorporated words taken from English, German, Spanish and various Indian languages. With the decline of the muskrat in the wetlands, the nutria, an import from Argentina, became the Cajun trapper's staple. Oystering and shrimping are increasingly important industries. In recent years, the exploratory drilling for oil in the wetlands and adjacent offshore areas has provided the Cajun with another source of employment.

The French were the first Europeans to explore te St Lawrence River and settle in Canada. To protect the entrance to the great river they needed to hold also the region around the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They gave the name Acadie (In English, Acadia) to the land south of the Gulf. It included what is now Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

In 1605, the French built a fort, Port Royal, at the mouth of the Annapolis River. By 1668, a few dozen French families had settled in the beautiful Annapolis Vallley. Instead of clearing the forest, they build dikes on the low-lying land and transformed the marshes into rich meadows.

Because of its geographical position, Acadia at once, became involved in the long struggle between the British and French for possession of the North American continent. In 1621, James I of England granted all Acadia to Sir William Alexander, who renamed it Nova Scotia (New Scotland). Time after time, Port Royal was conquered by the English and retaken by the French. The Acadians took no part in the wars. They also lived in peace with the friendly Indians of the area.

The final struggle for North America began in 1754. The English were in control of Acadia when the war started. The Acadians were French in language and customs. The English feared that French priests would persuade the Acadians and Indians to enter the war.

In 1755, 53 English authorities in Acadia demanded that each Acadian take an oath of allegiance to England. All who refused were deported. About 6,000 were shipped to English colonies along the Atlantic coast, from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Some made their way to Louisiana to live with the French settlers there. Their descendants are called Cajun, many of whom still speak a French dialect. Others went back to Acadia.

In 1847, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow published his epic poem "Evangeline" about the expulsion and wanderings of the Acadians. He described the Acadian country of Louisiana, which remains much the smae today. According to legend, the poem is based on the story of a real couple, Louis Arceneaux and Emeline Labiche. In the poem, the lovers were separated when the Acadians were deported. Evaneline, the heroine, and her lover, Gabriel lived in the village of Grande Pre'. On the day that they were celebrating their betrothal, the English summoned all the men of Grand Pre' to the church. After being held prisoner for five days, they were herded to ships. That night the English burned their homes and barns; the next day Evangeline was exiled. Evengaline spent the rest of her life wandering in search of her lover. Finally, she became a sister of mercy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, in an almshouse, she found Gabriel as he was dying.

"Evangaline's" grave, and statue can be found in the old Atakaps Cemetary in Grand Pre'. The statue was presented by Dolores Del Rio; an actress who had played the part of Evangeline in an early film. The home of "Gabriel" is now the Acadian Museum in Evangeline State Park at St. Martinville. The Evangeline Oak, the meeting place of Evangeline and Gabriel is also located in the park.

Louisiana named a parish Evangeline and another one was named Acadia for these people who added so much to Louisiana's history and culture.

... Back ...