June 26, 2010

NATIONAL ACADIAN DAY


HELLO COUSINS & FRIENDS!
For the Acadian Memorial Festival in April, I put together a power
point presentation featuring our Breaux family’s roots from France
to Acadie to exile in Massachusetts and then to Louisiana. The
pictures are from our trips to France in 2008 and Canada – Nova
Scotia and New Brunswick – in 2009.

I have been requested to make the presentation again for National Acadian Day (see below).
If you did not have an opportunity to be in St. Martinville for the
Acadian Memorial Festival, then you will have two opportunities to
hear the stories.

Also, you may know Breaux cousins who might enjoy
the presentation, so please feel free to share this email with
others.
Gayle Breaux Smith
Baton Rouge, LA

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2010, 10:00 a.m.,
Baton Rouge Genealogical & Historical Society
Bluebonnet Regional Library,
9200 Bluebonnet Boulevard,
Baton Rouge, LA.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2010, 1:00 p.m.,
NATIONAL ACADIAN DAY
Museum of the Acadian Memorial,
121 S New Market Street,
St. Martinville, LA
Note: If you google National Acadian Day, there are several
choices to search. Here's one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Acadian_Day

FUTURE EVENT for your calendar:

September 30 – October 9, 2011
Grand Réveil Acadien / Great Acadian Awakening (Louisiana):
Website: http://www.gra2011.org/
This will be a one week gathering of Acadians from around the world.
The entire Acadiana Region will open its doors to welcome family and
friends, who want to celebrate and assist in helping preserve the
Acadian/Cajun culture, customs, traditions and history. The "Grand
Réveil Acadien / Great Acadian Awakening” will be held the week
before Festival Acadiens et Créoles and will close with a huge
celebration of renewal on the last day of the Festival.

June 25, 2010

KEEP FRENCH PROGRAM!!




SAVE THE FRENCH DEGREE PROGRAM AT SOUTHEASTERN AT HAMMMOND


Dear Cousins,

Please sign the petition to save the French degree program at

Southeastern University in Hammond, Louisiana.


It was only 1 or 2 generations ago that French was a major language

here in Louisiana. The system beat it out of our parents and grand-

parents and made them learn English. Many Louisianans still speak

French, and as such the impact of French on our state has been

incalculable.

Other than Quebec, Louisiana is the largest French speaking area in

the Western Hemisphere. There's too much Acadian & Cajun culture

to be lost by eliminating these courses. More schools should offer

these courses instead of trying to get rid of it. I might understand

a school in someplace like Kansas eliminating French (nothing

against Kansas), but not here in Louisiana.


Acadian Memorial:  A people without a past are a people without a future.

June 07, 2010

HELP SAVE PARISH RECORDS


At the end of the Seven Years War, Acadians began to resettle in Nova Scotia . The Torbay region of Guysborough Co. was one of these settlements. The earliest parish in the Torbay area, St. Ann’s was estabished in 1819, and continues to this day. This parish holds importance for all local families with early roots. Of special significance, local Acadian families preferred this parish.
Today, St. Ann 's records are neglected and literally falling apart. They have never been copied, and access to these registers is almost impossible.

Our goal is to preserve and share these records. We are thrilled to report that our project has received permission from the church! And we already have a core team of experienced volunteers on board! All the work will be done through the generosity of volunteers, but funding is needed for expenses.

A fundraising effort was launched this week. To make this project possible, we need help from our cousins and the genealogy community.

To learn more, visit:

http://web.me.com/avery_smith/St._Ann/