KATRINA + 5: DOCUMENTNG DISASTER

The exhibition Katrina + 5: Documenting Disaster is a reminder of the history made since August 29, 2005, and The Collection’s ongoing efforts to record it.
May 12–September 12, 2010
Williams Gallery, 533 Royal Street

"In the timeline of history, half a decade constitutes not even the blink of an eye, but for many residents of the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina, the past five years have seemed like a lifetime. Yet time has moved on. Five years after the storm, recovery efforts have produced a mixed bag of results across our region."

http://www.hnoc.org/?p=1704

WE'RE BACk! AFTER NEARLY 5 YEARS!

St. Bernard Genealogical Society is back!
Next meeting July 17th 10:30 am at the
Slidell branch of St Tammany library,
555 Robert Blvd.

New Orleans research will be the topic with a Q & A session following.
We are not limited to St Bernard Parish research. Guests are welcome.
our research assistance is not just for St Bernard Parish.
http://www.sttammany.lib.la.us/slidell.html

August 21th, same time and location
September 18th same time and location
October 16th and Nov 20th also
December luncheon projected for Dec. 11th

Suzanne D. "Sue" Wessing
swessing@hotmail.com

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.

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.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/keep-the-french-department-at-southeastern- louisiana-university

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.

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/

THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS

From Gilbert LaBauve's Journal  1915

It was this 8th day of the present month that the battle of New Orleans,101 years ago, was fought. My father would often speak to me of the streunous time, of those days; how the Tennesseeans and Kentuckeans would drift down the Mississippi River, in flat boats roofed over, and dance on the roof of the boats as they floated down the river, as they were going down the river towards N. Orleans, in anticipation of trouble from the British who were ammassing forces around Pensacola and vicinity of New Orleans.

Finally the call was made for men, and a company was organized in No. Baton Rouge and adjoining parishes and, the men flocked to the American Standard, no one holding back.
My grandfather, Isidor Labauve was at the battle of New Orleans on the 8th of January 1915

THE LABAUVE GUARD

THE LABAUVE GUARD

Company B, Labauve Guard, 11th Regiment Infantry,

James A. Ventress Jr was commander, at his promotion Joseph
Warro became commander. Warro resigned 4 Jun 1862 & John C. Kleinpeter became commander.

Regiment was organized at Camp Moore on 13 Aug 1861 with 857 men.

Ordered to KY, they became part of the garrison at Columbus.

On 7 Nov, the men fought in the Battle of Belmont MO - 12 killed & 42 wounded.

Then moved to Island No.10 after the evacuation of Columbus & remained there till 17 Mar 1862, then to Fort Pillow.

The regiment took 550 men into the Battle of Shiloh on Apr 6th & suffered heavily in a bayonet charge against an enemy artillery battery.

On May 9th, they participated in the Battle of Farmington MS - 12 men killed, wounded or missing.

General Braxton Bragg ordered the regiment disbanded on 19 Aug because of its decline in numbers caused by battle causalities & illness.

The men left from Co B went into the 20th LA Regiment. Some picked men were organized as part of the 14th LA Battalion Sharpshooters.



Many thanks to the United Daughters of the Confederacy Website
UDC4LA@aol.com

copyright (c) 2000 Steven A. Cormier
11th Regiment Volunteer Infantry
www.acadiansingray.com/11th%20Regt.%20Inf.htm - 14k

DEATH OF A HERO

From Gilbert LaBauve's Journal

July 17, 1917

I am about recording the death of a hero, Gustave Labauve, Orderly Sergeant of a Company of the 18th regiment of Infantry commanded by Col. Armant of St James' Parish, participated in the battle of Mansfield, during the Confederate War.

The 18th regiment was ordered to charge a battery disployed behind a rail fence. As soon as the colonel received the order to charge the battery, he arose, leaving his regiment prone on the field. And, answering "The order to charge will be executed; but charging that battery is leading my men to death." whereupon he mounted his fiery steed, no sooner had he mounted, than a ball ended his military career. He fell dead; but the regiment made the charge nevertheless, and, in advancing at a double quick, the Standard bearer fell. No sooner had he been killed than Alexander Breaux of Fausse Pointe raised it high, telling the boys to follow their standard.

He had made only a few steps onward when he was killed, Leonce Ransonette also of Fausse Pointe, raised the color on high and advanced on toward the goal, but he also fell, mortally wounded

Gustave Labauve, happened to be, the only officer of the company unscathed. All the others had either been wounded out of action, or killed; he, as follows, in such emergencies, would not allow the regimental color to trail in the dust. On picking it up, he raised it on high and called to the men to follow him on to victory; no sooner were these words uttered than he was perforated by a mines? ball. And, fall on the bloody field, covered with immortal glory.

He was my first cousin, Uncle Victor Labauve being his father. There was not a lazy bone in that boy, fear was an unknown quantity in him. He was always ready to do his part in everything. I knew the boy well, for we split boards together in the Fausse Pointe swamps on Bayou Crocodile that empties into Lake Pond. For nearly two months we were encamped near that bayou; I was then 15 years old, and Gustave was about two years older than myself.

The Company must have been the center of the regiment, as it was entrusted with the Regimental Color. The regiment got to the rail fence, anyhow.

All at once the battery which had been pouring grape shot and canister into the ranks of the 18th regiment ceased. firing, and the whole battery with its support of infantry, were captured as prisoners of war, but the Confederates who had flanked them by a circutious movement around them. They all surrendered, about 5000 men in all. To accomplish this Genl. Dick Taylor had sacrificed nearly one whole regiment. Gustave Labauve was every inch a man;

To prove his sense of honor, it is only necessary to relate about his furlough at his home at Fausse Pointe, for he was on furlough home at the time the yankees went up the Teche to Red River. His wife and wife's relatives begged him to remain home--that his furlough was not yet up. But nothing could prevail on him to remain home while his company would be exposed to the enemy's fire on the battlefield. So, eluding the yankee army by a flank movement, he left his home and arrived at the headquarters, just in time to enter into action.

TREASURES OF GRAND PRE

Historic site reveals more valuable artifacts to archeologists

By GLEN PARKER

Mon. May 24 - 4:53 AMHistory is being unearthed at the Grand Pre National Historic Site at an unprecedented rate.
The latest phase of a decade-long archeological dig at the Acadian village came to a close on Saturday amid an atmosphere of optimism and enthusiasm.

"For us, this is an outdoor classroom," said Jonathon Fowler, professor of archeology at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

He has been leading a team of 14 undergraduate students in the latest phase of the dig, which got underway on May 3.

The continuing work is the result of a partnership between Saint Mary’s, Parks Canada and the Societe Promotion Grand-Pre.

"We’ve found lots of things," Fowler said.

Some artifacts unearthed so far, besides the rock walls and foundations, include fragments of pottery, handmade nails, a glass wine bottle, window pane glass, coins, spoons, belt buckles, buttons and clay pipes.

"We’re finding things that are durable, and some of these objects are very datable," Fowler said.

In 1755, the site was the centre of an Acadian village. It is thought that the original parish church stood there. It has long been a site of national significance.

photo:  The Memorial Church in Grand Pre    
http://www.grand-pre.com/en/courage-to-conquer.html

GACHGS MEETING

WestBankGenealogySociety Yahoo! Group

Title: GACHGS meeting

Date: Tuesday May 25, 2010

Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Location: St. John the Baptist Parish Library, 2920 Hwy 51, LaPlace, LA

Notes: Speaker: Emory C. Webre

Topic: The Education of Freedpeople in Louisiana by the Catholic Church during Reconstruction, 1865-1900

ACADIAN MEMORIAL EVENTS

Summer and Fall 2010

121 South New Market Street, St. Martinville, LA

www.acadianmemorial.org

Phone: (337) 394-2258

===============

July 28, 2010 - Day of Remembrance

Join the Acadian Memorial for an afternoon of commemoration:

Induction of Bernie David, Louisiana representative of the Mi'kmaq

Nation, into the Acadian Museum Hall of Fame "Living Legends."

Program co-hosted by the Acadian Museum of Erath, & held at the

Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville.

Tribal ceremony by the Métis/Mi'kmaq nations coming

from Vermont, Canada and Louisiana..St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church

French Service and Mass to remember the day the Deportation Order was

signed.

=================

August 15, 2010 - National Day of the Acadians

National Day of the Acadians has become International Day of the

Acadians! Celebrate the culture and heritage with educational lectures,

storytelling, Acadian films, and reception at the Acadian Memorial

ending with a French Mass at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church.

===========

October 6, 2010- L'Ordre du Bon Temps supper

Gala dinner for Acadian Memorial Foundation members belonging to

L'Ordre du Bon Temps (Order of Good Cheer) to be held at the City Club

at River Ranch, Lafayette, LA. Executive Chef Patrick Mould and

International Guest Chefs prepare and deliver an extraordinary gourmet

dining experience. Purchase of Foundation membership and event tickets

required.

Brenda Comeaux Trahan

Curator Director Acadian Memorial & Museum of the A.M.

Director of St. Martinville Department of Tourism

www.acadianmemorial.org & www.stmartinville.org

337.394.2258

fax 337.394.2260

Grand R'veil Acadien Great Acadian Awakening 2011

Grand R'veil Acadien / Great Acadian Awakening 2011

October 7th - October 16th

Come when the weather is nice and cool  (Louisiana)


Event mission: to awaken the population of Louisiana, primarily those of Acadian descent and the youth, to the realization that we are losing our language, culture, and coastal lands, and to seek support, partnerships, solutions and concerted plans of action through large gatherings with Acadians from all over the world.

Planned Schedule:

October 7, 2011 Unveiling of Acadian Monument in New Orleans, LA

October 8, 2011 Showcase New Orleans area

October 9, 2011 Opening ceremonies in Houma, Louisiana

October 10, 2011 Showcase Houma area

October 11, 2011 Ceremonies in Lake Charles, Louisiana

October 12, 2011 Showcase Lake Charles area

October 13, 2011 Ceremonies in Lafayette, Louisiana

October 14, 2011 Showcase Lafayette area.

October 15, 2011 Festival des Acadiens et Cr'oles

October 16, 2011 Closing ceremonies Lafayette, at Festivals Acadian et Creole

( www.festivalsacadiens.com)

The event will focus on showcasing the regional culture and developing closer ties between all Acadians throughout the world by hosting:  Family Gatherings - Seminars - Lectures - Many Other Cultural Activities

Come celebrate and help preserve the Acadian culture!
For More Information Contact

Ray Trahan, Louisiana Acadie President

Phone: (337) 288-2681

Email: beaufile@bellsouth.net

CAJUN MUSIC LIVES!

The Traditional Cajun Music Radio Network   

http://www.live365.com/stations/lamusicradio?play

Cajun music lives. The Cajun culture is alive and well, not only in the local Louisiana area but also through the countless displaced Cajun descendants scattered around the world.

Come join us in celebrating the Cajun culture in it most exciting form -- the music of Cajun country. The Cajun Music Radio Social Network welcomes you to come on in. Listen to streaming traditional Cajun music and view special video events. Get the latest news from the area. Find out where the best bands are playing. Start your own fan club for your favorite artist. Open a discussion about Cajun music, food, festivals and more!

It's no Accident that we launch this site on Mardi Gras day, February 24, 2009! Y'all come on in.

Allen Menard

Director of Root Music Promotion

Louisiana Music Radio Network


Plays Tracks Like



Blackie Forestier - Here I Am Drunk Again - Cajun Favorites

Charivari - The Monkey & the Fiddle - A Trip to the Holiday Lounge

Chuck Guillory - Chere Bassette - Grand Texas

Jamie Bergeron - Nonc Adam - Walking Away

Milton Adams - Midnight Playboy Special - Steppin' Fast

CALLING ALL CAJUNS!

IT'S FESTIVAL TIME!

CALLING ALL CAJUNS!

A Publication of The Acadian Memorial Foundation March 2010

With the first breath of spring in St. Martinville arrives the Acadian
Memorial Festival. On March 19 and 20, 2010 the 6th annual festival
once again promises a good time in the historic district. As sponsors
of the festival, it‟s a great time for Foundation members and our
families to get together.


Bring some guests, and let‟s take part in the fun with a Friday night
downtown stroll for the Art Walk, Tour of St. Martin de Tours Church
and Crawfish Boil (call Ray Trahan, Festival Chairman, to reserve
tickets) and Saturday‟s festivities in Evangeline Oak Park including
live music, great food and drinks, exhibits, merchandise, costumes, art, reenactments,
reunions,  genealogy presentations, etc. Volunteers are needed, welcomed and
greatly appreciated!


By festival time, installation should be complete for the new lamp for
the Eternal Flame. Stop by the Acadian Memorial Courtyard and have a
look!


It will be our pleasure to host some special guests: author Gérard-Marc
Braud and Maryannick Braud of Nantes, and artist Georgette Bourgeois of
Nova Scotia. The traveling exhibit Voices of the Atchafalaya is also
scheduled for display. Created by Earl Robicheaux and John Amrhein, it
features photography, recorded oral history and ambient sound.


At 1 p.m. on festival day, take a spot on the Boardwalk and welcome the
2010 Honored Acadian Families, BREAUX and GUIDRY, some of whom will be
representing their ancestors in the much anticipated reenactment of the
Arrival of the Acadians on the Teche in St.Martinville.


Admission is FREE to all events! Please enjoy Cajun cooking and
beverages from our booths in support of the festival. See you there...

Festival Schedule Updates
http://www.acadianmemorial.org/
http://www.stmartinville.org/


For More Info: Email us at
info@acadianmemorial.org
or call: 337-394-2258/
337-288-2681

ACADIAN FLAG-BEARER AT OLYMPICS

NEW.BRUNSWICK (CBC) - An Acadian hockey fan from Dieppe, N.B., has attracted attention from

across the country after last Sunday's gold medal men's final.

Two different groups of Acadians started searching for the man who was captured on television waving

the Acadian flag during the game.

Michele Pothier was watching from Victoria, B.C., when she saw the familiar red, white, and blue flag

with the yellow star undulating above the gold medal match spectators.

"I went, 'Oh my God, look, someone's waving the Acadian flag.' "

Pothier, who is originally from Nova Scotia, was instantly curious.

"Who would go to a gold medal game in Vancouver with an Acadian flag on them? It was just random,

fun stuff," she said.

So Pothier put together an anglophone Facebook page "Who was waving the Acadian flag at the Canada

vs. USA Olympic game?" calling on people to identify the flag bearer.

A similar French site was created by others Qui étais l'Acadien avec notre drapeau?

In total, about 400 people were looking for the flag-bearer online.

Meanwhile, the man who had been waving the flag, Bobby Léger, had no idea he was getting so much

attention until Monday, when word got out that it was him.

Joël Viger proudly announced on the French site that it was his "bon chum" Léger. "You're the man,

Bob!" he wrote.

Lissa Léger also posted a comment. "Proud to say it's my brother and my dad! Way to go, guys! I guess it

took a gold medal game for someone to notice our flag at the Olympic Games! Go Canada Go."

Bobby Léger said he used a fishing rod as a flagpole. "When we got in we scrambled to get the whole

fishing rod together and taped the Acadian flag on it, and there we went," he said.

"Every time that we got an opportunity to wave the flag, we did, because I just wanted to prove to all of
my buddies that I was actually at the game."

Afterward, dozens of people came up asking about the flag, said Léger.
"We were just walking down the streets and [people shouted] 'Hey, an Acadian here.' Overall it was

pretty neat."

Léger said nations around the world wanted to fly their colours at the Olympics, and he's glad L'Acadie

wasn't left out.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/100305/canada/canada_newbrunswick_nb_acadian_flag_olympics_hockey

ACADIANS: BAYOU TECHE TO ATCHAFALAYA

The theme of the 2010 Acadian Memorial Festival is Acadians: Bayou

Teche to Atchafalaya. The festival, a museum style celebration of the

Acadian Settlers in Louisiana, will be held on Saturday, March 20, 2010

from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in St. Martinville. Festival Kickoff is Friday,

March 19, 2010 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. All events are free and open

to the public.

The Acadian Memorial Foundation Board and the City of St. Martinville

want to share the highlights to entice your presence. The history and

stories step right out of the museum and Memorial to showcase the

Acadian Cajun culture and traditions loaded with visuals and fun for

all ages.

Festival kickoff will be a Downtown Promenade around historic Church

Square. Join us for an Art Walk through downtown businesses, Crawfish

Boil, tour of St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church and introduction of

the 2010 Festival’s honored families, Breaux and Guidry. Advance

tickets for the crawfish are on sale by the L’Ordre du Bon Temps.

Brief family meetings can be arranged, please contact us for

accommodations.

Festival day is old fashioned Cajun fun set in Evangeline Oak Park.

Acadian costumes are encouraged. Join us for family reunions, music,

cuisine, history, lectures, theatre, film, demonstrations, storytelling

and kids’ activities, wooden boat parade/exhibit, antique cars, and

much more. Voices of the Atchafalaya, a traveling exhibit of

photography and sound, will be on display. Special guests will include

author Gerard-Marc Braud and Maryannick Braud of Nantes, France and

artist Georgette Bourgeois of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Cracklins, boudin, jambalaya, fried fish, cush cush, Cajun sweets, etc.

will be cooked on site. Beverages of all types will be available.

Anyone interested in selling their Cajun products may rent a booth.

The Reenactment of the Arrival of the Acadians on Bayou Teche takes

place at 1 p.m. on festival day. Bring your children, grandchildren and

elderly family members for this opportunity to reconnect with all Cajun

families! We are looking for two to four members from the Breaux and

Guidry families to ride in pirogues or barges. Acadian Dress circa

1764 is required. Please contact us to make arrangements.

All Cajun family associations should join in a huge welcome of the

Acadians arrival in St. Martinville.

Let us make this the biggest day ever! For more information or to

volunteer, contact us at 337-394.2258 337-288-2681 or

info@acadianmemorial.org. Please visit our websites at

www.acadianmemorial.org and www.stmartinville.org for schedule updates.
 
CONTACT: BRENDA COMEAUX TRAHAN, ACADIAN MEMORIAL CURATOR, 337.394.2258

CHILLY PARADE

NEW ORLEANS — Pete Fountain, clarinet in hand and looking dapper in a white tuxedo and fedora trimmed in gold, kicked off Mardi Gras with his "Half Fast Marching Club" the way they have for 50 years: with beads and jazz.

Fountain, 79, has marched every year except the year after Hurricane Katrina hit, when he had bypass surgery.

"We're slower than we were, and older than we were," Fountain said with a laugh. "But on Mardi Gras none of it matters."

Tuesday, the final day of Carnival, was sunny and cold with high temperatures expected to hang around 50 degrees.

"I have plenty of antifreeze with me if I need it," said Jessie Grace, 57, playfully waving a flask from his pocket. "If Mardi Gras doesn't warm you up, nothing will."

Grace and about 30 family members and friends staked out their spot on St. Charles Avenue at 2 a.m., setting up chairs and tables. By 7 a.m. gumbo was cooking in a big pot and ribs were on the barbecue grill.

A week after the parade celebrating the New Orleans Saints' first Super Bowl victory, the joy of that win fed right into the Mardi Gras.

Many of those along the parade route wore Saints jerseys. One group of cyclists were costumed as flying pigs, which long-suffering fans had always said they would see if the Saints won the big game.

"Hell froze over," said Sandra Bell, 51, shivering under a blanket. "Can't you feel it?"

Saints quarterback Drew Brees, coach Sean Payton and owner Tom Benson served as monarchs of parades and more players rode with the Krewe of Zulu.

"It's a big, big deal," said Glynn Brown, 55, who said he had taken out a second mortgage to pay for the Saints gear he and his family were decked out in. "But Mardi Gras is our heritage."

MARDI GRAS!

Title: Mardi Gras

 

Date: Tuesday February 16, 2010

Time: All Day

Notes: Laissez les bons temps rouler!

GRAND REVEIL ACADIEN

LOUISIANE-ACADIE, INC. ANNOUNCES

“GRAND RÉVEIL ACADIEN / GREAT ACADIAN AWAKENING”

Lafayette, Louisiana. January 29, 2010 - Louisiane-Acadie, aiming to

fulfill the mission to mobilize all Acadians to participate in the

continued expression of their native French language and culture,

announces "Grand Réveil Acadien / Great Acadian Awakening”, a one week

gathering of Acadians from around the world, to be held in Louisiana in

October 2011.

From September 30 to October 9, 2011, 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 of the first North American settlers, the

Acadians. 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

After engaging a group of young adult Cajuns (Les Jeunes Cadiens) to

represent the Louisiana Acadians at the 2009 World Acadian Congress, an

awakening of their heritage became evident. "The spirited Acadians of

the Acadian Peninsula of New Brunswick , hosts of the 2009 Congress,

more particularly the “Grand Rassemblement Jeunesse”, sparked a

renaissance and awakening of our younger generation's pride and

interest in preserving their Cajun ancestor's native French language

and culture,” states Louisiane-Acadie President Ray Trahan.

The Acadians left France in the early 1600s to colonize “Acadie,”

present - day Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, Canada. Years after the

Deportation of 1755, over 3,000 Acadians arrived and settled in south

Louisiana bringing with them the French language and rich

French-Acadian customs. These settlers, now called "Cajuns," are

estimated to number over 600,000. As the Louisiana gulf coast, where

many Acadians settled, dwindles, the Cajuns are forced to move further

north to English-speaking communities. Consequently, as the older

generation of Acadians passes away, our French language and many Cajun

traditions risk being lost forever.

When Cajun parents/grandparents pass away, material possessions from

those loved ones are dearly preserved to remember and honor them.

"There is no better way to honor and remember our loved ones, than to

keep and to live their native French language and culture,” says Trahan.

The importance of keeping this momentum cannot be lost. It is time to

invite the world, especially those of Acadian descent, to join us, in

Louisiana, and continue the fight to keep this culture alive

We have awakened a renewed spirit of our Cajun people and need

everyone, including our international families and cousins, to support

us in our efforts. Vive l’Acadie!

###

If you would like more information on this event, please contact Ray

Trahan at (337) 288 – 2681 or visit www.gra2011.org and

http://www.louisiane-acadie.com/.

For your information:

“Grand Réveil Acadien/Great Acadian Awakening”:

Mission: The mission of the Great Acadian Awakening is to awaken the

population of Louisiana and the world, primarily those of Acadian

descent, and in particular our youth, to the realization that, while we

have made positive strides, the people of Louisiana are losing their

French language, culture, and coastal land, and to seek support,

partnerships, solutions and concerted plans of action through these

large gatherings.

Executive Board Members:

President Ray Trahan

Vice-President Elaine Clement

Secretary Peggy Matt

Treasury Loubert Trahan

Philippe Gustin

Brenda Trahan

Valerie Broussard

Lucius Fontentot

Associate Members Sharon Alfred

Angie Istre

Information will be forthcoming as plans are finalized. The web sites,

mentioned above, for Louisiane-Acadie are currently being developed and

should be accessible shortly.

Sponsored by a grant from the State of Louisiana and the Lafayette

Consolidated Government

CALLING ALL CAJUNS!

The Acadian Memorial Festival, a museum style celebration of the

Acadians who settled in Louisiana, will be held on March 20th., 2010


from 10 am to 4 p.m.

The "Evangeline Oak Park" is the setting for a day of old fashion

Cajun fun. Enjoy an old fashioned spring day of Cajun culture and

traditions with music, cuisine, history, lectures, theatre, films,

demonstrations, storytelling, wooden boat parade/exhibit, antique

cars, and much more.

This day is an opportunity for Acadian families to join together for

reunions and connections. Featured are educational and traditional

opportunities for our younger generation. Bring your children,

grandchildren and elderly family members to reconnect with all Cajun

families.   Acadian costumes are encouraged.

The highlight of the day is the Reenactment of the Arrival of the

Acadians to St. Martinville. It will take place on the Bayou Teche

at 1 p.m.

All Cajun family associations should join in a huge welcome of the

Acadians arrival in St.Martinville. Let us make this the biggest day

ever!

The two families honored, who will participate in the reenactment,

will be the Breaux and Guidry families. We will need two to four

members from each family to ride in pirogues or barges for the

reenactment. We will furnish the pirogues unless you have one of

your own and want to bring it.   It is mandatory that these

participants dress as the Acadian ancestors did during their arrival

beginning in 1764. Most carried all their belongings with them so a

grass sack full of hay, old clothes etc., would have that effect.

Come dressed the part and encourage all your family members and

friends to dress accordingly also.

The festival is free but Cajun food and drinks are sold to pay

expenses. We cook on site: cracklin, boudin, jambalaya, fried fish,

cush cush, cajuns sweets, etc. We also sell drinks: water,

coke, beer, wine. etc.   Also, anyone interested in selling their

Cajun products can rent a booth.

A CAJUN VALENTINE

Join the city of St. Martinville, Acadian Memorial,  Cultural

Heritage Center at the most romantic and most photographed oak tree

in the United States, a most important aspect of intrigue and

adventure that can bring romance to couples for Valentine Day!

On February 11, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. Longfellow's poem, "Evangeline"

the romance behind it will be part of a tribute to all couples who

were married or engaged under the famous oak tree in St.

Martinville. Many marriage proposals and weddings occurred under the

boughs of this famous and magnificent oak tree situated along the

Bayou Teche. Some of these couples will tell about their reason for

coming to this romantic town and famous tree to keep a most precious

memory of their marriage and proposal.

Peggy Hulin with Old Castillo Hotel: La Place du Evangeline, ( 220

Evangeline Blvd, St. Martinville 337.394.4010 ) will co-host the

event, and the city of St. Martinville invites all couples to be a

part of this annual romantic celebration. Come enjoy a Valentine


romance "Cajun Style" then dine in our historic city.

Enjoy a reception with music, door prizes, lecture on Longfellow's

"Evangeline" and the influence this story has on romance for couples

and the history of the Acadian/Cajuns. Come early and catch the 1929

film of "Evangeline" shown at the Acadian Memorial Conference Room

South New Market~ 337.394.2258.

Free and open to the public.

Brenda Comeaux Trahan

Curator Director Acadian Memorial & Museum of the A.M.

Director of St. Martinville Department of Tourism

www.acadianmemorial.org & www.stmartinville.org

337.394.2258

ADVENT BLESSINGS

"This is the irrational season/
When love blooms bright and wild./
Had Mary been filled with reason/
There'd have been no room for the child."

From Madeleine L'Engle's poem "After Annunciation"

http://www.splendoroftruth.com/

ACADIAN RESISTANCE FOUND IN DIARY

The officer's writings are mostly dry and technical - accounts of the weapons deployed and how many lashes were meted out for drinking.
But buried in the terse prose of Jeremiah Bancroft's journal, which goes on display today in Halifax, are new details of Acadian resistance to the 18th-century deportation. It's information that one community leader hopes will help erase a lingering feeling of helplessness.
"I have met several Acadians over the years who have experienced a sense of shame of not having done anything about it," said Victor Tétrault, executive director of the Société Promotion Grand-Pré. "That's what they gleaned from the history, but with this we can know that we did all we could."
Ensign Bancroft's writing offers an account of the 1755 British military efforts to remove Acadians from the Maritimes. It includes some acts of resistance not mentioned in the journal of expedition leader Lieutenant-Colonel John Winslow, the only other British officer whose account of this phase of the deportation has survived.
The original Bancroft journal is now lost, but in 1925 an amateur historian typed out what appears to be an accurate copy, going so far as to replicate archaisms such as "Munday ye 16th." Then it was filed away and sat forgotten for decades, until chanced upon by Jonathan Fowler, an historical archaeologist at Saint Mary's University in Halifax.
The pages will have their first public airing today at the university's Sobey School of Business, exhibited for one day only along with artifacts from the Grand-Pré site. There is the hope that the exposure could jog someone's memory and perhaps lead to the original journal resurfacing.
"There are only a few documents written by eyewitnesses, so this is very interesting," Prof. Fowler said. "Because the events of the deportation have such resonance today, any light that we can throw onto these events, that becomes significant."
The transcript notes the captives' "shame and confusion" when they learned their lands were forfeited and they would be deported. Later, though, Ensign Bancroft describes prisoners seizing weapons from the British and fleeing, captives slipping off ships and a man shot while trying to escape.
"It really humanizes the deportation, this cataclysm in the Acadian experience, because it shows us how messy it really was," Prof. Fowler said. "This is not a people that simply goes passively aboard ships and sink into the mists of history."

OLIVER MOORE
HALIFAX — From Thursday's Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/in-lost-diary-story-of-acadian-resistance-is-found/article1377945/

TO READ AND PRINT JOURNAL,

GO TO

 http://www.smu.ca/newsreleases/ 2009/26-11- 2009.html

and click at the bottom where it says VIEW 

LEST WE FORGET

Lest we forget

Lest we forget

To the editor,

Two hundred fifty years ago, several thousand Acadian men, women, and children were deported from their home; their property burned or confiscated the victims of crime against humanity.

This missive is to alert your readers of a series of interviews by the CBC on the subject of the Acadian deportation.

The first interviewee is Warren Perrin who will address the subject of an apology for the Crown for the deportation. It will be aired on November 10 at 7:15 in the morning.

Perrin is an attorney in Louisiana and the recent author of a biography on Acadian Redemption (copies at Acadian Village in V.B.) He is also President of CODOFIL in Louisiana. Perrin was a recent guest speaker at UMFK, at the invitation of History Professor Roger Paradis.

Perrin has been calling for des excuse de la Reine for over two decades, and, in a carefully researched document, cites numerous precedents for doing so.

David Le Gallant and myself will be interviewed on November 12 at the same time, in French and English.

Le Gallant is a graduate of Moncton University, with a degree in common law.

From there he went on to study at the European Institute for International Studies in France where he won first prize for an essay entitled, "La passion d'un voyage d'un Acadien errant.

He is also the past president of the Acadian Museum Association of P.E.I., and the Sr. Antoinette de Roches Historical Society.

Le Gallant is a man of the world several times over, and he has also endorsed Perrin's efforts to obtain an apology from the Queen for the so-called Grand Dérangement.

For myself I continue to labor in the Augean Stables of Acadian history, 1604-1763.

My interview will focus on the issue of genocide, and whether it is an apt description of the deportation.

Until a few years ago, historians were in agreement to blame colonial underlings for the Acadian tragedy; some even blamed the victims.

I followed the money trail and it led me George II. The Crown has since admitted responsiblility, but the apology lingers. Without this, there can be no healings, no closure.

Two hundred fifty years ago, in 1758, the Acadians on Ile Royale, (Cape Breton Island), and those on Ile Saint-Jean, now Prince Edward Island, were deported to France.

Of the 4,000 who were deported from Ile Saint-Jean, some fifty percent never reached their destination.

Many died from fever on the squalid and over crowded ships; the others went down to a watery grave. Two ships sank in mid Atlantic, and another broke up on a reef.

While the insular Acadians were being rounded up for deportation, General Jeffrey Amhurst ordered Colonel Robert Monckton to clear the St. John River of the unwanted Acadians.

Their settlements were torched and most, though not all, fled up river to the St. Lawrence where they found host families.

Weakened by exposure, hunger and fatigue, many succumbed to disease and were hastily buried in unmarked graves along the river.

For the very elderly and very young, the long trek to Québec was a death march. The few that were found hiding in the forest were ultimately deported.

Among the settlements that were destroyed was Sainte-Anne, the largest with some 250 inhabitants, located at present day Fredericton.

In 1759, the settlement was felled upon in the dead of a winter's night. Among the dead were women and children.

Many of the refugees would eventually find homes here in the upper St. John Valley.

This Thanksgiving, while we are enjoying the comforts of home and family, we may want to pause and reflect on the fate of those refugees, many of them our ancestors.

They were embarked on often-leaky tubs to cross 3,000 miles of ocean during the hurricane season.

This was the most dreadful time to sail the North Atlantic when ships braced against 30 and 40-foot waves, and huddled below deck were hundreds of terrified, filthy, hungry, feverish people, gasping for every breath of fetid air, whose groaning and weeping and screeching mingled with the whimper of the dying.

Gaze upon the river before you and witness the pitifully long line of distraught refugees as they went their way, in fair weather and foul, to face a grim future in a strange and distant land.

In war as in peace, the innocent always suffers more than the guilty. T'was at this time, this season, 250 years past that the light almost went out for the Acadians.

Lest we forget.

Roger Paradis

UMFK Professor

Fort Kent

HALLOWEEN'S CHRISTIAN ROOTS

The true origins of Halloween lie with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead—including ghosts, goblins and witches—returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires.


When the Romans conquered the Celts, they added their own touches to the Samhain festival, such as making centerpieces out of apples and nuts for Pomona, the Roman goddess of the orchards. The Romans also bobbed for apples and drank cider—traditions which may sound familiar to you. But where does the Christian aspect of the holiday come into play? In 835, Pope Gregory IV moved the celebration for all the martyrs (later all saints) from May 13 to November 1. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Even or “holy evening.” Eventually the name was shortened to the current Halloween. On November 2, the Church celebrates All Souls Day.

The purpose of these feasts is to remember those who have died, whether they are officially recognized by the Church as saints or not. It is a celebration of the “communion of saints,” which reminds us that the Church is not bound by space or time.



The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that through the communion of saints “a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things” (#1475).

Carving the Turnip?

Many of the customs we now associate with Halloween are also derived from ancient celebrations.

For example, the current custom of going door-to-door to collect treats actually started in Ireland hundreds of years ago. Groups of farmers would go door-to-door collecting food and materials for a village feast and bonfire. Those who gave were promised prosperity; those who did not received threats of bad luck. When an influx of Irish Catholic immigrants came to the United States in the 1800s, the custom of trick-or-treating came with them.

Does your family carve a pumpkin to place on your porch for Halloween? If so, then you can once again thank the Irish for the tradition. Actually, the custom began with a turnip. People would hollow out the turnips and place lighted candles inside to scare off the evil spirits. When the Irish came to America, they discovered the pumpkin as a larger substitute for the turnip. And so, we now carve pumpkins instead of turnips for Halloween.

CAJUN ALL SAINTS DAY

All Saints Sunday

By James Akers

ST. MARTINVILLE – It is often said that after 225 years of the existence of St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church, there are more people buried in the cemetery than are alive today in town.

All Saints Day, which falls this Sunday, is a major feast day and holy day of obligation in the Roman Catholic Church. But in past times, people used to begin cleaning their family tombs for the occasion starting six to eight weeks before Nov. 1. People could be seen arriving at the cemetery with buckets, brushes, brooms and scraping tools. For weeks before Nov. 1, one could find Mrs. Louis Gary Sr., and her prison labor force cleaning the cemetery.

In the early days there was not the choice of flowers you have now. Talented people would fashion wreaths from wire and would make colorful crepe paper flowers dipped in hot wax. On the church square would be seen vendors of these arrangements. Rooster’s combs, fresh flowers of burgundy and gold, were popular. The small purple flower known as “everlasting” could also be found. The more affluent of the community would have fashioned wreaths of metal flowers to adorn the tombs.

 At the end of the day, these metallic wreaths were removed from the tombs and stored away until next year. Upon the tombs could be seen every type of container from glass milk bottles and glass fruit jars to beautiful vases holding flowers for the deceased. The tombs were described as looking like white wedding cakes.

All Saints Day was a solemn day and yet a festive day. St. Martinville is a social community and the day provided an opportunity for the gathering of local news and visiting friends and relatives. From before dawn on the grand day, people began to converge on the town to fulfill their religious obligations and to honor their dead.

People from the country, out-of-town visitors, and local people began to gather at the cemetery and the church. Many people from the country visited the cemetery the whole day, bringing lunches and beverages. All Saints Day always brought brisk business to town. Most merchants closed their stores for the three o’clock ceremonies, however. Mrs. C.T. Bienvenu could be seen collecting the cemetery dues at the gate. All the way to the rear could be found Mrs. Luke Bonin, sitting on her concrete bench, saying the Rosary.

The women at that time wore black, navy blue, gray or brown. Hats, kerchiefs, and later, chapel veils were appropriate head coverings. Usually All Saints Day was cold. Some of the older ladies wore the Croix de Bon Morte, crucifixes pinned to their coats. Children were starched and ironed within an inch of their lives.

Because of the sugar cane grinding going on at that time, many men were not able to attend services until late in the afternoon. After working so hard in the cemetery, ladies brought pieces of cardboard to fan the soot off the tombs, deposited there by the burning of the sugar cane in the fields and the smoke stacks of the Levert and Bulliard sugar mills, which filled the air with a sweet smell.

At about 2:30 p.m., the vested priest and the altar servers lined up outside the Church, bearing the processional cross, acolytes, the aspergillums and sprinkler carrier. There was no driveway in front of the church at that time, so the procession went down Main Street to Bridge Street and to the cemetery. From the main gate, the procession moved to the large cross in the cemetery. Many of our pastors were gifted orators and gave stirring sermons that were spoken about for days. After the ceremonies, the priest retired to the church and the visiting continued until dusk.

In the 1970s, Father Kenneth R. Morvant added an second observance at night. The community was encouraged to place lighted candles in glass containers on the tops of the tombs for this second blessing of the cemetery. Hundreds of flickering candles enhanced the beauty of the occasion until the 1980s. A great writer once said that one of the beauties of the Christian religion is the way they honor their dead.

Blessing of the tombs in celebration of All Saints Day will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, at the following cemeteries:

•Catahoula – After 10 a.m. Mass, Our Lady of the Lake Cemetery, St. Rita’s Catholic Church.
•Henderson – 11:30 a.m., St. Michael’s Cemetery, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church.
•Cecilia – 8 a.m., St. Joseph Cemetery, St. Joseph Catholic Church; after 10 a.m. Mass, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.
•Arnaudville – After 10:30 a.m. Mass, St. John Francis Regis Catholic Church.
•Coteau Holmes – 11 a.m., St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.
•Breaux Bridge – After 10:30 a.m. Mass, Cemetery No. 1; 3 p.m. Cemetery No. 2, St. Bernard Catholic Church.
•St. Martinville – 4 p.m., St. Michael’s Cemetery, St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church;
3 p.m. Queen of Peace; 4 p.m. St. Michael’s Cemetery, Notre Dame Catholic Church.

NEVER FORGET

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world.
Peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace
among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and
minds are consumed with hatred.

God of understanding, overwhelmed by the
magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and
guidance as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so
that the lives lost...may not have been lost in vain.
Comfort and console us. Strengthen us in hope, and
give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly
for a world where true peace and love reign among
nations and in the hearts of all.


-- Pope Benedict XVI
Prayer Service at Ground Zero
April 20, 2008

Painting by Peter Oneill

http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=peter+oneill&init=quick#/photo.php?pid=30318936&id=1353888410&ref=mf

La Fête Nationale des Acadiens

The Acadian Memorial "A people without a past are a people without a future."

Laa Fête Nationale des Acadiens
National Day of the Acadians

August 15, 2009

121 South New Market
St. Martinville
337.394.2258

Acadian Memorial Events

Acadian colors and attire encouraged (red, white, blue, and gold)

St. Martinville, LA ~ Saturday, August 15th! On this day St.
Martinville, Canada, and France celebrate la Fête Nationale de l’Acadie
or National Day of Acadians. The City of St. Martinville, Historic
District, and the Acadian Memorial / Museums, along with the
Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site invite tourists and
friends to enjoy the ongoing activities happening around town. Come
spend the day in historic St. Martinville, we love company!

Events of the day:

The day will start at 1:00 p.m. at the Acadian Memorial with an
opportunity to hear and view the audio interactive of the mural, "The
Arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana".

1:00 PM ~ Flag ceremony - Lead by Sarah Roy, Acadian Memorial Choir
Director

2:00 PM ~ A Patchwork of Memories story telling by Yvonne Thibodeaux
Bogan. She will share her short stories about growing up in the 1950s
rural French farming community of Richard in Southwest, LA.

3:30 PM ~ Thèatre Acadien / Vignettes on Deportation Story

5:30 PM ~ Meet at the A
.M. Hall to line up for procession / leave for
church at 5:50 p.m. / For Children:* Tintamarre (racket) is an Acadian
tradition showing Acadian pride by making as much noise as possible.
*Bring your own noise makers.

6:00 PM ~ French Mass at St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church, mother
church of the Acadians, with the Acadian Memorial French Choir

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM ~ Enjoy dinner in the historic city’s wonderful
restaurants.

--
Maegan Berard
St. Martinville Tourism Department
337.394.2233
P.O. Box 379
St. Martinville, LA 70582
www.stmartinville.org

-------------------------------

WE SHALL NEVER FORGET

WE SHALL NEVER FORGET

July 28th, 6:00 p.m. ~ Acadian Deportation "Day of Commemoration"

Memorial Service held at St.Martin De Tours & The Acadian Memorial Meditation

Garden St.Martinville ~

Brenda Comeaux Trahan, Curator Director of the Acadian Memorial and Monsignor Douglas Courville of St. Martin De Tours invite all Louisiana Acadian /Cajuns and friends to join in a spiritual Memorial to remember the Acadian victims who died during the years of the deportation.

As mandated by the Queen's Proclamation of December 9, 2003, and with the support of the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, we request that all churches in the Acadiana region please toll the church bells at 6:00 P.M. on July 28th, 2009 in remembrance of the day that the Acadian Deportation Order was signed by the British officials in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The signing of the Order by the British Lt. Governor Charles Lawrence brought about the Diaspora which commenced on September 5, 1755 and resulted in the cruel removal of Acadians from their homelands in Acadie, now present-day Nova Scotia.

Warren Perrin, instrumental in bringing awareness to the Canadian Parliament comments, "Over 250 years after the defining tragic event of Acadian history, we will pause to remember the unparalleled saga of our ancestors because, as was stated in dictum by William Faulkner, ' The past is never dead. It's not even past '

The desirability of an official apology to the Acadians became the subject of debate in the Canadian Parliament and within the Acadian community.

In 2003, the Society Nationale d'Acadie, -- the largest Acadian organization in the world-- wrote directly to the Queen of England "asking that she ' recognize the wrongs done to the Acadian people as a consequence of the deportations from 1755-1763' in order "to turn the page definitely on this tragic episode in our past". As I look back upon the Petition For An Apology, which I launched in 1990, I'm very gratified to have played a role in bringing about this closure."
Following the Commemoration ceremony, please join those in attendance for a prayerful procession to the Acadian Memorial Deportation Cross and the closing ceremony.

Thereafter, there will be a short reception and later a communal dinner at local restaurants in St. Martinville, Louisiana (Dutch treat).