News & Events Archives

Newsletters

• Calling All Cajuns. Invitation to the Annual Acadian Memorial Foundation, Inc.[June 21, 2006]- Click here to download the PDF.
• Calling All Cajuns Newsletter – March 2006
• Calling All Cajuns Newsletter – Festival Edition March 2006
• Calling All Cajuns Newslettter - April 2005
• Calling All Cajuns Newslettter - March 2005
• Calling All Cajuns Newslettter - November 2004

See 2007 News

2007 Events

Maine Film Maker and "Evangeline" Scholar In Louisiana To Film "Evangeline And The Acadian Journey"

On a recent whirlwind trip, a film maker and an Evangeline scholar from Maine, visited Cajun Country both to capture the history of Louisiana Cajuns and to bring them part of their Acadian history from Nova Scotia and from France.

Brenda Jepson, who produced "The Story Of The Acadians," an hour-long documentary which spans from 1604 to 1785, became fascinated to know what happened to the Acadians after their deportation from Nova Scotia and decided to make a sequel.

While working on "The Story Of The Acadians" in France, she learned of the 1,500 Acadians who were deported to France and then traveled to Louisiana to settle, and she knew she had to learn more about their fate by traveling to Louisiana to meet their descendents.

Jepson teamed up with Dr Francoise Paradis who already had traveled to Louisiana several times to meet Cajuns to share with them her work on Evangeline, the Acadian heroine immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem. Dr Paradis also volunteered doing work for the Red Cross in Plaquemine in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Now Jespon and Paradis would travel together to Cajun Country to work on a film called "Evangeline And The Acadian Journey", as well as doing showings of the film Jepson already had produced, "The Story Of The Acadians.

"We were completely overwhelmed by the stories we heard in Louisiana, and by the beautiful scenery we filmed. We also were completely engulfed by the friendliness and helpfulness of the folks we met. I have never seen anything quite like it," said Jepson, who has filmed extensively throughout Europe and the Eastern Seaboard states for PBS during her twenty-four year film career.

Very soon, Jepson realized that her original plan to film an hour-long documentary, including a fifteen-minute segment on the Cajuns of Louisiana just wouldn't do. "The story of the Louisiana Cajuns" is so big, we quickly realized that we would have to devote at least an hour for telling the tale - if it stops at that."

And so the two plan to come back in October to continue their work. And some of the Cajuns they met plan to venture up to far Northern Maine next month for the Acadian Festival in the St John Valley.

“Seeing Acadians making these connections is so exciting,” said Dr Paradis who is part Acadian herself. “These families have been separated for well over two hundred years – in fact the Acadians who settled in the St John Valley came in 1785. That is the same year a group of Acadians came to Louisiana. Yet when they meet, they look alike, they sound the same and laugh at the same jokes.”

Jepson and Paradis also plan to return to Louisiana in April next year to show their film “Evangeline And The Acadian Journey.” Jepson will spend the winter in the loft of her snow bound, old log house editing the footage together. “I can’t wait to get started,” said Jepson. “While the north winds blow outside, I will have the pleasure of editing together beautiful footage of balmy Louisiana in spring time. It will bring back many wonderful memories!”

May 19, 2007, 5:30 pm

BRENDA COMEAUX TRAHAN & WARREN PERRIN COLLABORATE TO WELCOME NEW YORK'S LA BOCA THEATER COMPANY TO ACADIANA

The La Boca Theater company will introduce "EVANGELINE & RITA: AN INTERACTIVE DRAMA WORKSHOP" in Acadiana. The company is in town this weekend, visiting from New York, and would like to invite you to a Saturday afternoon workshop at 5:30 p.m. in Erath at the Acadian Museum of Erath. The company troupe will use theater to explore the relationship between Evangeline and Rita. They are creating a new play about the continuing legacy of displacement, using Longfellow's poem and real stories from Hurricane survivors.

What they would like to do is get to know those people who experienced Rita and might identify with Evangeline's story. It is important to them to build a relationship with the community whose story they want to tell, to better understand what needs to be said to their audience when they perform in New York.

At 5:30 pm on Saturday, May 19, the La Boca troupe will present a small piece of their show and ask for your feedback. You will be invited to take part in a series of interactive exercises that will allow participants to examine the Rita experience through drama. This workshop is a unique opportunity for those who have endured destruction and displacement to use storytelling as a means of building community resiliency after the storm.

The public is invited to join with the troupe in an effort to assist them with their play while reflecting on recovery after the devastating storm. For more information call Brenda Comeaux Trahan at 337.394.2258 or 337.288.5914.

May 2, 2007

"Emmeline, Evangeline and the Bayou Teche" by Christy Dugas Maraist
(Lecture on Longfellow's literary work and his influence on St. Martinville's legend)
Acadian Memorial (conference room), 121 South New Market
May 2nd, 2007, 2:00 pm

Longfellow influenced the history of the Acadians and others to record local history. Join an Acadian Memorial board member and native of St.Martinville, Christy Maraist, to learn more. She will discuss "Emmeline, Evangeline and the Bayou Teche." and touch on important figures such as Marguerite Martin, Edward Simon and Felix Voorhies who are at the center of St. Martinville's interesting, much debated, historical legend.

Marguerite Martin, Acadian exile portrayed on the mural at the Acadian Memorial is the second best known figure on the mural at the Acadian Memorial. Her stories of "Acadie" and Poste des Attakapas are recounted in Felix Voorhies, "Acadian Reminiscences." Marguerite Martin is the matriarch of the Guidry, Hebert, Castille, Mouton and Dugas families. She had five daughters so none of her descendants carry the names of her husbands, Rene Robicheaux or Dr. Antoine Bordat.
Enjoy coffee, tea and cookies as we reminiscence over the St.Martinville's rich story

April 2007 Events

April 10th, at 6:00
Acadian Memorial Conference Room / (Access from the back gate)
Admission: $1.00

Catahoula native, Greg Guirard, photographer and author will lecture along with a slide presentation of the Atchafalya Basin scenery and wildlife. His topic is titled "What should be done in the Achafalaya: A Concern for Cajun Fisherman".

***

April 17th, 6:00pm
Acadian Memorial Conference Room
Admission: $1.00

François Paradis, Acadian native of Madawaska, Maine and author of "Evangeline, An Acadian Tale" will present a slide show on the tale of Evangeline and discussion of the influence Longfellow's works on the Acadian history.

***

On April 18th, Dr. Allan Dubos from les Landes, France, will be in St.
Martinville as guest of the Acadian Memorial, city of St. Martinville and Alliance Francaise de Lafayette.

At 10:30 a.m. the public is invited for a private tour of the Acadian Memorial and Acadian / African museums ending at 11:30 a.m. with a luncheon and lecture held in St. Martinville' s Duchamp Opera House on 200 South Main Street starting at 11:45 a.m.. The lecture on his research is titled, " ACADIA: HISTORICAL FANTASY OR CONTEMPORARY REALITY?".

For the past five years, Dr. Dubos has been putting his energies into a work
of fiction on the Acadians, both from Canada and from Louisiana. He has
produced four books to date on this period of time in the history of France
in America, a time still poorly understood. The books have allowed him to
establish an additional link today between France and her former possessions
in North America, connected by a history of 200 years.

Dr. Dubos states,"Fantasy or Reality, both are accurate, in fact. From the
arrival in 1604 of Henry IV's pioneers to the nomination of an Acadian
lieutenant governor for the province of New Brunswick, four centuries of
tumult, epic struggle, tragedy and the resurgence, reveal and recount what
can easily be called, without exaggerating, the Acadian miracle. It is a history that is, indeed, remarkable, these families of colonists content on their land but unfortunately caught between a rock and a hard place, what with the British on one side and the French on the other. Brutally uprooted, set adrift on the sea, then forgotten about over time, theirs is a story of biblical dimensions. The several thousand survivors of the deportation of 1755 should have disappeared, blending in with the general population. On the contrary, they formed the original migration of a people who today, having neither state nor province but, still an incredible vitality, ask to be recognized for that. The driving force of this fierce
resistance to assimilation has been their attachment to the French language,
which they have clutched to their bosom in the face of trials and tribulations. What lesson can be drawn, if any, from history? Is the experience of the Acadians an example of the deliberate, barbarous treatment of peoples that we often witness in our own times?"

Cost for the luncheon and lecture is $15.00. Space is limited and
reservations must be made in advance by calling 262.5810 or 394.2258. There
is a $2 admission fee for each attraction, the Acadian Memorial and St.
Martinville Heritage Center.

Sponsors: Acadian Ambulance, La Délégation Général des Alliances Française aux USA, CODOFIL Alliance Française de Lafayette & Acadian Memorial

***

April 19th, 6:00 pm
Admission: $1.00

"The Story Of The Acadians" To Premier In Louisiana

A film that traces the Story of The Acadians will premier in Louisiana at the Acadian Memorial on 19th April at 6:00p.m. when Maine film maker, Brenda Jepson and Evangeline scholar, Dr Francoise Paradis , fly to Cajun Country to present the epic documentary.
"We have had a film showing in France and at theaters all over Maine, where many folk of Acadian descent are living today. I am thrilled we now have the opportunity to bring this film to the Cajuns of Louisiana." said Jepson.
"It's about their origins too and I'm sure they will find the story of The Acadian Line, where many of their ancestors were housed as refugees before emigrating to Louisiana, a fascinating piece of their history."

The Story of the Acadians spans one-hundred-seventy years beginning with the arrival of the French at Isle St Croix off the coast of Maine in 1604 and ending at the Acadian Line in France in 1774. It was from The Acadian Line, that hundreds of Acadians emigrated from France to Louisiana.

This hour long epic tells the tale of a peace loving people who never give up. The Story Of The Acadians shows how the first French settlers brought with them pre-fabricated homes from France, how their strong relations with the Native Americans helped to save their lives, and illustrates the innovative designs of the French in the construction of the the intricate system of dykes they introduced into North America.

The film explains how the French became Acadians with a culture of their own - a culture of family values, of hard work and of a determination never to be destroyed despite numerous attacks by the British - assaults which culminated in one of the worst human tragedies of all time - the Deportation from Nova Scotia.

"The Story Of the Acadians" features dazzling footage of St Croix Island and St Sauveur in Maine; Port Royal, Annapolis Royal and Grand Pre in Nova Scotia as well as Chaussee in Poitou, France - ancestral home of the Acadians. It ends at The Acadian Line in Chatellerault in France where a few descendents of the Acadians still live today.

After living in France for twenty years, hundreds of the Acadian refugees left The Acadian Line in the late 1700's to settle in Louisiana. They had been given free land in Poitou as well as homes, but their hearts remained in the New World and so they left for a new life in Louisiana.
"The Story Of The Acadians" is an unforgettable account that shows how a nation without borders has survived for more than two-hundred-and-fifty years and has become even stronger for its struggles.

The film had its world premiere in France when Maine's Governor, John Baldacci, presented the film to the French during his gubernatorial trade mission. For more information contact Brenda Jepson: 896-3416 or email her at abjepson@nci3.net website: www.crownofmaineproductions.com

Attached Photos Identification



1. Illustrations from the film #373 shows the first French settlement in North America at Isle St Croix off the coast of Maine. Although it was only 1604, the settlers brought with them pre-fabricated houses with leaded glass windows. These would become the Acadians after they abandoned this inhospitable island and colonized Nova Scotia instead. After the deportation in 1755, their descendents would end up back in Maine in the St John Valley in 1785 after fleeing to New Brunswick.



2. The second illustration shows the deportation of the Acadians from Grand Pre in 1755. Don Cyr, an Acadian scholar living in Lille in northern Maine, produced these paintings.

***

CALLING ALL CAJUNS AND FRIENDS
THIRD ANNUAL - Acadian Memorial Festival
March 17, 2007
Theme: A Celebration of Longfellow's 200th Birthday & Influence on Acadian History

Evangeline Oak Park
Evangeline Blvd. & South New Market
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
Opening Ceremony

Let the festival begin with a tribute to
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
with the musical
"Evangeline"

10:30 a.m. Evangeline Musical by Lisa's School of Dance, St. Martinville

11:00 a,m. Cajun Band, Kyle Huval et les Acadiens – Bandstand

11:00 a.m. - Wooden Boat Tent along the Bayou Teche
Join the discussion and hear stories and history of Wooden Boats

11:00 am - Theatré Acadian -Deportation Vignettes- Acadian Memorial Hall

11:00 a.m. to 1:00p.m. - 1929 Film "Evangeline" - with Christy Maraist's story of St. Martinville's true Evangeline – Acadian Memorial Conference Room (Limited Space)

1:00 p.m. Reenactment of the Arrival of the Acadians / LeBlanc & Trahan Families

Cajun Bands Members will fiddle a Welcome song
Introduce- Mickey Rivet, Plaquemine, LA with International Acadian Festival
Tribute to Longfellow’s 160 year old poem, "Evangeline" - Queen Evangeline, Erin Francsé) arriving by boat - Welcoming Evangeline are Indian Princesses & Chief / International Acadian Festival, Plaquemine, LA.
Children's Welcome Parade - singing and declaring pride of being Acadian
Actors portray first LeBlanc and Trahan ancestors

2:00 pm. - John Albert Landry - Lecture and Book Signing on his new book, "Hoorah Plantation - 1930-1945" Al captures the nostalgia of a time when family was all important in the Louisiana/French culture and plantation life was still viable

2:00p.m.. Cajun Music by "Moi-J'aime-ca-Comme-Ca (I-Like-It-Like-That)"

2:00 p.m. - Nunk Allain - Story Teller Traiteur / Heritage Center Media

3:00 p.m. - Dr. Ray Brassieur, ULL - Wooden Boat Lecture / slide show. Acadian Memorial Conference Room

Children's Programs

11: 00 a.m. "Name the Acadian Mural Pig" and enter the Pig Coloring contest - Heritage Center Media Room

11:00 am - Jackie Miller teaches children and adults how to make the traditional Screen Mardi Gras Mask. Cost: Supplies $8 / Children under 12 - Adult needed – City Hall

12:00 Noon - Story of the "Fiddles and Spoons: An Acadian Mouse Journey" / Color the Mouse family / Parade of Acadians with spoons, flags & bubbles. Learn some French songs with French Teacher Renée-Claire Bornes / Heritage Center Media Room

1:45 p.m. - Announcement of the Winning mural pig's name and the Pig coloring contest
- Bandstand

2:30 p.m. Egg Knocking Contest (Pacques), St. Martinville Information Center Grounds – Blue House

All Day Exhibits & Demonstrations & Arts&Craft
Cajun Foods: Couche-couche, Jambalaya, Gratons, Boudin
According Making, Moss Picking, Quilt Lessons, Antique Cars
Antique and Reproduction Wooden Boats on the bayou and on display
L'Ordre Du Bon Temps Tent: Cajun Men Cooking Game and Fish
Wooden Boats display - Atchafayala Minature Boat Replicas Used by Acadians
Sweet Booth & Much More

***

Feb. 27th, 11:00 a.m. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) plaque unveiling - "Longfellow's Influence on St. Martinville and the Acadian/Cajun history". A commemoration and remembrance of Longfellow's 200th birthday, 160 year old poem "Evangeline" which speared the making of the 1929 film"Evangeline" in St. Martin Parish and Judge Felix Voorhies's local historical book on the Evangeline of St. Martinville, "Acadian Reminiscences: The true Story of Evangeline"! The public is invited!

January 2007

Bonjour,

Two thousand and six, a year committed to memory! Despite the tragic storms that surrounded our community, the Acadian Memorial ends this year with many blessings! This was a difficult year yet a perfect time to find new ways to preserve our Acadian heritage for the local Cajun families,children and tourist around the world.

The efforts of the Acadian Memorial and supporters created a national awareness about our history! A message of acknowledgment from author of "To Honor Our Veterans: A Trilogy," Jason Theriot, applauds our success, "I want to thank you and your volunteers and donors for taking the "Acadian Revival" and preservation movement to a new level--a national level--where others will learn that our history is more than just crawfish, hotsauce, and Evangeline. It is about survival, adaptability, ingenuity, and longevity. I believe your efforts, and that of the Acadian Memorial Foundation will have a generational impact. Fier pour êre L"Acadien! (Proud to be an Acadian)"

All who worked on projects this year have much to be proud and grateful for! Read below just a few of our major accomplishments & highlights during 2006.

The History Channel's $10,000 Save Our History grant and the $10,000 Lowe's Honors Award gave local junior high students an opportunity to become "detectives" as they studied the history of deported Acadian children. This project, created by Sylvia Bienvenu, brought a major impact on the interpretation of the story of Acadian children's deportation experience! We were recognized nationally by the White House Preserve America Initiative, First Lady Laura Bush, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, U.S. Department of Education, the History Channel, Save Our History and Cox Media. How wonderful that teachers have the opportunity to use the curriculum / project guide, recognized by these major national organizations, to engage future students in learning through this "active hands-on" classroom approach. For more information, Click on: Let the Children Speak By Sylvia S. Bienvenu, Ed.S. An Educator’s Guide to researching and writing the history and genealogies of Acadian children who arrived in Louisiana in the late 1700s after being deported from Nova Scotia by the British. The Acadian Memorial 2nd Annual Festival offered an added program with the re-enactment of the Acadian's arrival on the Bayou Teche. Two Acadian family names, Hebert and Broussard were honored and next year, on March 17, 2007, the Leblanc and Trahan families will be honored during the festival. Thanks to the idea of the festival chairman, Ray Trahan, we can teach the story of the Acadian's settlement in Louisiana through this live visual program.

The Acadian Memorial Foundation initiated a fundraiser organization based on a 400 year old social eating club called "L'Ordre Du Bon Temps". In 1606, Samuel de Champlain started this eating club to provide entertainment and satisfy hearty appetites during the long, harsh Acadian winters for his 15 men company. Each took a turn being host for the day by designing his menu on the day's hunt and paraded with their creative dishes before serving. Christy Marist, past AM President, created the idea to celebrate the anniversary of "L'Ordre du Bon Temps" for a means of bringing our Cajun nation of people together. Now the Cajuns of Louisiana will be a part of the "first club of its kind" in Louisiana. Join us to enjoy "400 years of Acadian/Cajun Men Cooking: 1606 Acadian/Acadie - 2006 Louisiana/Louisiane. We invited our fellow supporters and Cajun cooks of game and fish to join this chapter just as the first Acadian settlers did. Charter members hope you will participate in the two "soirées" a year to enjoy fellowship and great eating. Membership is a yearly $25.00 per person.

The progress accomplished at the Acadian Memorial during a year where many Acadians suffered greatly yet survived, says a great deal of the Cajun people, who are all about "survival, adaptability, ingenuity, and longevity" as Jason Theriot's message indicates!

Bon Noel et Bon Année 2007

2006 Events

• Become a Charter Member of the L'Ordre Du Bons Temps-Louisiane
  
  L'Ordre Du Bon Temps - Louisiane has been established to celebrate the first social club established in America in 1606 - see the News & Events page for a welcome letter, membership application and facts.
• National Day of the Acadians in St. Martinville - August 15, 2006
• The History Channel® Announces Acadian Memorial Foundation as 2006 Save Our History National Awards Finalist
• Save Our History / History Channel Grant Project Completion
• The Acadian Memorial Host Canadian artist, Sue Mill's Exhibition of Acadian Faces, Landscapes, and Answers to "How far is Acadie from here?
• Ancestor of Longfellow celebrates the local St. Martinville History
• Be a part of Chef John Folse's Audience & Help the Acadian Memorial
• Acadian Memorial Foundation receives SAVE OUR HISTORY GRANT from The History Channel
• Vermilion Tours Trip To Nova Scotia
• Tidbits of Taste & Time... the culinary holdings of The Historic New Orleans Collection

Save Our History / History Channel Grant Project Completion 

The Opening /Unveiling of the Save Our History / History Channel Grant Mural Interactive has been rescheduled. The new date for the opening has now been scheduled for August 15th, the National Day of the Acadians. Please help with publicity and do mark your calendar for this great day of celebration!

August 15, 2006
Join the Acadian Memorial in Celebration of:
The National Day of the Acadians - See Announcement
&
The Opening of the Save Our History Grant Project "Let the Children Speak" - A Mural Audio Interactive of Bi-lingual Children's Voices Telling First Person Stories of Deportation Experiences. See Announcement

Tidbits of Taste & Time... the culinary holdings of The Historic New Orleans Collection  

On January 26th, 2006 at 6:00 p.m. join us at the ST. Martinville Cultural Heritage Center on South New Market, St. Martinville! Speaker, Gerald Patout, Jr., will present "Tidbits of Taste & Time... the culinary holdings of The Historic New Orleans Collection."

New Orleans and Louisiana cuisine and cooking are legendary and the evolution of this art form is firmly rooted in the historic pathways of this colorful city and state. This presentation will focus on some of the noteworthy culinary information resources from the extensive holdings of The Historic New Orleans Collection.

In addition to THNOC research holdings, the presentation will feature remarks on a current collaborative effort to build an up-to-date New Orleans cookbook bibliography as well as commentary related to a couple noteworthy culinary grant awards. In June, the History Channel recognized The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) with an inaugural Save Our History Grant to partner with elementary and high school students on a culinary history project specifically related to Creole cooking. THNOC is one of 29 history organizations across the country that will receive Save Our History community preservation grants to fund innovative, educational projects designed to bring communities together and engage children in the preservation of their local history.

To reserve a seat please call Brenda Comeaux Trahan at the Acadian Memorial, 337.394.2258

2005 Events

Resweber Named “La Dame Beausoleil

We're still building friendships between Louisiana and Maine 

We're still building friendships between Louisiana and Maine.  First of all, Brenda and Ray Trahan and Christy and David Maraist, on behalf of the Acadian Memorial and the Town of St. Martinville, traveled to the north of Maine to Madawaska, for their Festival Acadien and the twinning ceremony between these two towns.  According to Brenda, everyone had a good time, and Louisiana won 1st prize for their Mardi Gras float.  Congratulations!  Could it be that Maine will arrive in Louisiana for Festivals Acadiens?

And then, Charles Larroque landed in Bangor the week after for lots and lots of meetings.  He is working, along with Louisiane à la carte, with Ben Levine on a collaborative documentary between Louisiana and Maine with the good of launching community discussions and activities.  Ben will be here in September to present his film Réveil Waking Up French at the 3 Jean Lafitte Centers.  Maine's coming!

Jason Theriot, Author and expert on World War II History: Presentation & book signing of his new book about bayou Veterans experiences

Sunday, November 13, 2005 at 2:00 p.m. the Acadian Memorial Conference Room, in St. Martinville will host Jason Theriot who will speak about his new book,"To Honor Our Veterans: An Oral History of World War II Veterans from the Bayou Country, Vol. III: The European Theater". After his presentation, he will host an autograph session and sell a trilogy set of his books at a discount.

On the same day at 4:00 p. m., Theriot will also appear at the Duchamp Opera House in St. Martinville He will host an autograph session and offer the same discount for the trilogy set of books, "To Honor Our Veterans : An Oral History of World War II Veterans from the Bayou Country, Vol. III: The European Theater

The Acadian Memorial Sponsors Selections of the Grand Pre:
A World Premiere Musical
Performed at the Duchamp Opera House
St. Martinville, LA
August 15, 2005 (National Day of the Acadians) at 7:15 p.m.
 
Score by Roy Bertucci and Cody Daigle
Book by Cody Daigle
 
(Free Admission)
 
In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Acadian exile from Nova Scotia, the Acadian Memorial will present  selections of the Acadian Cultural Center's world premiere  of a new musical, Grand Pre, by local artists Cody Daigle and Roy Bertucci.
 
Grand Pre musicalizes the events leading up to the 1755 deportation of Acadians from Grand Pre.  Focusing on two Grand Pre families in the months leading up to the deportation, this nine-character musical explores the human cost of this tragic event.
 
The production also boats a company of local performers/actors including Nancy Tabb Marcantel, Maureen Brennan, Ruth Diaz, Ashley Lopez, Brittany Monaghan, Jim Diaz, John Oliver, and David Richard.
 
Grand Pre was commissioned by the Acadian Cultural Center, and is being funded by a grant from the National Park Service.
 
For more information call 394.2258 or Cody Daigle at cdaigle229@earthlink.net

To Honor Our Veterans: An Oral History of World War II Veterans from the Bayou Country, Vol. III: The European Theater

Book signings in St. Martinville, Breaux Bridge and Lafayette Author Jason P. Theriot will be appearing at the following book signings this winter:

Sunday, November 13, 2005 at the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville. A book presentation and autograph session will begin at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 26, 2005 at Impressions (117 S. Main) in Downtown Breaux Bridge, 11:30 a.m - 1:30 p.m.

Friday, December 2, 2005 at Lili's for Books inside Bella Luna in the Lafayette Oil Center (456 Heymann Blvd), 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. during the annual "Lafayette Festival of Lights"

All Souls Observed at the Acadian Memorial Garden Deportation Cross Replica

Join us on November 2nd at 10:00 A.M. Special Blessing Ceremony conducted by Father Austin Leger dedicated to the souls of Acadians & African Americans of St. Martinville. Catholic Saints skit by St. Martin de Tours May Day Theatre troupe.

Ongoing Children's French Classes

Alliance Française de Lafayette offers its first series of French
classes for children. Children will learn historical vignettes, traditional songs, recipes and participate in activities related to the various French populations of North America.

Classes are taught “immersion style” by a native French speaker and cover two age groups: 4-6 year olds from 10:00 to 11: 30, 7-11 year olds from 12 to 1:30. Classes begin October 22, run for eight weeks and will be held at Acadiana Arts Center, located on 101 West Vermilion in Downtown Lafayette. Early registration is vital to ensure class success. Cost for the eight week session is $120 + AFL Membership. Membership categories are $50 for families, $30 for individuals, $20 for students. Benefits of membership include free or reduced entrance to cultural events throughout the year.

Contact AF Lafayette Coordinator Faustine Hillard at 337-262-5810 for more information, or write to codofil@bellsouth.net.

Ongoing Adult Beginners French Classes  

The Acadian Memorial will start a new adult language session of “FRENCH FOR BEGINNERS” on Tuesday, November 15th at 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The group will meet in the Conference Room, 2nd floor. (Access the stairs from the back of the Acadian Memorial Meditation Garden).

Join the group to see what we have to offer. You may be surprised about how much you may already know about the French language.

For more information call Brenda Comeaux Trahan @ 394.2258 or Oris Lebouthillier @ 394.9868.

December 4th, 3:00 p.m. - Join us for a Cajun Christmas celebration and the last Acadian Memorial event to commemorate the 250th Acadian Deportation Anniversary / Please RSVP

• Mary Ann de Boisblanc's, Acadian Primitive Artist - 80th Birthday Party
• Special Hurricane Katrina Presentation & Story by Dr. Ben de Boisblanc, LSU Medicinal School Director
• Christmas Party - French Christmas Carols Sing-a-Long, Theatre, Covered Dish
  
  
  
  
  

“A Salute to Cajun Veterans”
August 15, 2005 (Nation Day of the Acadians) from 2 – 4 p.m. at the Duchamp Opera House, 200 South Main St., St. Martinville

Panel Discussion featuring:
Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Plus film director Pat Mire and author Jason P. Theriot

Join on August 15, 2005 from 2 to 4 pm at the Duchamp Opera House, as the Acadian Memorial celebrates the National Day of the Acadians and the 250 anniversary of the Acadian deportation, by honoring Cajun veterans with a “Salute to Cajun Veterans” panel discussion program. Guest will be veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, film director, Pat Mire and author, Jason P. Theriot.

We must not forget the brave sacrifices of our local veterans who served far and wide defending our freedom. Audience members will get an opportunity to meet some of our local heroes and hear their amazing stories from the frontline. Those in attendance will be encouraged to participate in a two-hour question & answer panel discussion. Don’t miss this chance to meet true Acadian heroes.

After, everyone is invited to the Acadian Memorial for “Supper & Entertainment On the Bayou Teche” following a French mass at St. Martin du Tours Catholic Church at 6:00 p.m. For more information call the Acadian Memorial at 337.394.2258

Summer Camp For Children – 2005 
Sponsored by "The Acadian Memorial"
 
The French Summer Camp 2005 is intended to give K to 6 grade students a first French learning experience through fun, camp-like activities.  Location will be the Evangeline Oak Park and Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site.
 
The Program will focus on the French Language and the French History of St. Martinville. Your child will not be expected to speak French since this is a "French for Beginners" camp.  A certified St. Martin Parish French teacher will teach the camp sessions.  The cost is $40 cash and space is limited.  Camp sessions may be canceled depending on numbers registered each week.
 
Weekly sessions are schedule from:
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. daily
Weeks of:
June 6-10, 13-17, 20-24, 27-July 1
July 11-15, 18-22, 25-29

To Register and for more information call  (337) 394-2258 or (337) 394-9868.

Boy Scout Iris Planting Project Along Bayou Teche Honors Acadians

Harold Schoeffler, Boy Scout leader, environmentalist, and Boy Scout member Keith Cangelosi, have collaborated with Mayor Eric Martin, the Acadian Memorial and the Garden Club of St. Martinville to beautify an Atchafalaya waterway, the Bayou Teche. The project to plant native Louisiana Irises and Cypress trees along the Bayou Teche historic area will help Cangelosi attain the status of Eagle Scouts.

Cangelosi has developed and planned the project according to the guidelines set by the Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service. This project will benefit the city of St. Martinville by bringing more visitors to the historic site. Visitors will stay longer to admire the beauty of the locale thus strengthen economic development. Other benefits will be improved water quality along the banks of the Teche for wildlife and fish, and also assist with slowing down erosion along the bank.

Irises will be harvested from excess in the swamps and marshes of St. Mary Parish. Cypress trees will be obtained from donations or picked out of the river. Members of Boy Scout Troop 405 will help with harvesting the plants by canoe. Planting will take place during the first week in November. The Acadian Memorial honors the Acadians through this project.

There’s a Mouse in the House! An Acadian Mouse!

The Acadian Memorial brings Canadian, Lila Hope-Simpson's, new book Fiddles & Spoons: Journey of an Acadian Mouse to the children of Louisiana so they can learn the story of the Acadians and why they settled here.  Cecile Souris (Souris - French for mouse) will come off the pages of the storybook, "Fiddles & Spoons" to tell her story!   Madame Souris will enter the Acadian Memorial, in costume, to tell her version of the Acadian odyssey where she lived under the floorboards of an Acadian family, les Dubois of Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia, during the 1700s!  The Acadian spirit shines through when Cecile Souris and her mouse family find themselves deported and searching for a new Acadie. Join them on an unforgettable journey in this heart-warming tale of courage, love and joy as the Acadians continue to celebrate life with "Fiddles & Spoons"!
 
Read a few words from the book:

Lila Hope-Simpson, opens the story, “It was fiddle night in the Dubois household, and under the floorboards, the mice were bursting with excitement!  Cecile Souris wore her linen dress, dyed a bright beet-root red, and her tail twitched with anticipation.  On Saturday night, when the floor boards started to beat to the rhythm of the music and spoons and dancing upstairs, Cecile would grab her little brother Etienne and, together, they would dance until the moon lay low in the Grand-Pré sky”.  Simpson ends the story on this note, “Eventually, some of the families made their homes in the new land…some wandered, as far as Louisiana. They fished for shrimp and grew crops of sweet potato and sugar cane. The mice settled under the floor boards of the Dubois family’s new home, and scavenged for strange spicy crumbs and rice. They continued to work hard for an honest life, often wondering why they had to leave their land and their homes to start all over again…”
 
This book is dedicated to uprooted people from every place and time, whose spirits have proven that after adversity, life goes on!  And sometimes, there is even dancing!  Let us dance and celebrate our wonderful Louisiana and livelihood we have made for ourselves!    Written in such a creative way, I felt this book should be shared with children of south Louisiana.  The book will be sold at the Acadian Memorial starting in October.   Families and teachers schedule an appointment for a performance by Madame Cecile Souris by calling 337.394.2258.  

Resweber Named “La Dame Beausoleil”

The Famille Beausoleil association recently presented their “La Dame Beausoleil” Award for 2004 to Patricia D. Resweber.

“While many know Pat as someone who spends a great deal of time at the Acadian Memorial in St. Martinville, few are fully aware of the fact that this lady and her husband Leonard, along with Janie [Jane G.] Bulliard were the ones responsible for [it],” said association officials.

Resweber and Bulliard co-founded the Memorial, from its inception, through its funding and construction, to its opening. Today they remain involved in the Memorial’s operation and development as an interpretive center for Acadian history and a pilgrimage site for Acadian descendants from around the world.

Resweber’s late husband, Eugene Leonard, was also very involved in creating the Memorial, particularly with overseeing renovations to the historic building that houses the monument.

“Patricia is an excellent example to all people,” officials further stated. “If one is willing to dedicate the time, energy and love required, dreams can become a reality.”

Resweber’s dream was to build a beautiful memorial to her Acadian heritage, where all Acadian descendants could feel proud of their ancestors. She traces her Acadian lineage through her mother, who was a Broussard.

The award certificate bears the signatures of Sheila Broussard of Nova Scotia and J. Maxie Broussard of Louisiana, former association president who signed the award before he passed away last June.

Resweber received the award at the Famille Beausoleil’s annual banquet in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, held August 12 during the Congrès Mondial Acadien (World Acadian Congress). Over 270 Broussard descendents and supporters attended the reunion from August 11 to 13 in Antigonish and Pomquet, Nova Scotia.

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