NATIONAL DAY OF THE ACADIANS

CELEBRATED IN ST. MARTINVILLE , LOUISIANA

Focus on the Children

August 15th, 2006 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the Acadian Memorial and St. Martinville will celebrate the National Day of the Acadians.   This year the 1400+ children who were deported in 1755 and years later arrived in Louisiana with their parents, will be memorialized!   It is important that all Acadian/Cajuns come together for this special day of remembrance and to honor the deported Acadian children’s’ struggle and pain to survive.  

The highlight of the day will be the unveiling of the children’s bi-lingual audio interactive on the mural, “The Arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana ”. Thanks to the History Channel Save Our History grant, the mural audio interactive project, “Let The Children Speak”, will now tell the forgotten accounts of the deported Acadian children through the eyes of local children’s research, writings and voices. 

Schedule of the Day and Evening:

10:00 a.m. – Raising of the Acadian Flag at St. Martinville City Hall

Throughout the Day:

10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Acadian Memorial – Conference Room (Upstairs) Film and slide show of the Save Our History Honors Event in Washington , D.C.

Memorial Hall, A sneak preview of the “Let the Children Speak” interactive.

Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site - 1200 N. Main St., Hwy. 31 - Entry fee waived for tours and showing of the 1929 film, “Evangeline”.

6:00 p.m. – National Day of the Acadians French Mass at St. Martinville de Tours Catholic Church  (5:45 p.m. – Meet at the Acadian Memorial to carry “Acadian Names Banner” and walk together to St. Martinville de Tours Catholic Church for French Mass. We need Acadian/Cajuns to carry the banners. (Parents please ask your children to participate in carrying a banner).   To reserve a banner call 394.2258.

7:00 p.m. – Come Meet the Children at the Official Unveiling Ceremony of Save Our History grant project, “Let The Children Speak”

Refreshments will be served.