What is Cajun?

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

Rick van Opbergen, I wouldn't think that Cajun French OR Quebec French would incur much more than loud laughter in France, since both have as much in common with French French as Anglo Saxon has with English.

Cajun French or Acadien Francais has some difference from the Parisian French but I am able to make myself understood and I can watch a French Film and understand it 8) ! The words (mots) have changed little just technology has increased. The Action verbs remain unchanged, the technology verbs show some differentials.
Not an exaxt match, but I wouldn't recommend talking about someones mother in Quebec or Parish using Cajun French!!!!

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

These time are very tolerant, :x ask me about the 1950's and before (a little before my time) but Acadiens in Louisiana were whipped and punished for speaking French ]
Haggis, now about the little matter of the deportation.

That was a fascinating glimpse at what it is like for you, thank you! I am shocked at the practices in the 50s, but guess I shouldn't be, that was smack in the McCarthy era where anything remotely unAmerican was suspect.

Tell me about the ' little matter of the deportation'. You have my curiosity running high now.

Haggis,
The discrimination wasn't because of McCarthy type stuff but Franco phobe feeling from the North of Louisiana where the population is mainly White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) and the KKK stuff ran rampant!!!

Remember David Duke? The KKK was strong after the American Civil War upto the post WW2 era! The Louisiana Constitution of 1921 forbade the use of French! Our New State Constitution (1974) now mandates French as a legal language! The Anti Francophone forces are gone and we use the language as we see fit! Merde Anglais!

The Acadiens weren't Un American, just not from their part of Amurika! Texans moving in with the oilfield in the 20 and 30's were anti-francophone and this was a source of conflict, solved when they learned we had the numbers and the voting rights act of 1964!. Most Acadiens were limited on schooling since schooling was offered in english and SEGREGATED since the Acadiens were treated as different from the White anglos!

The deportation is the dark stain on Canada's history, the Acadiens were deported from Nova Scotia from 1755 to 1764 in large numbers in the only organized Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide episode in North America. The Cajuns (acadians) of Louisiana are descendants of those people who were illegally expelled from the Province of Nova Scotia by an iillegal order and scattered to prevent their "taking over" of Acadie (Nova Scotia & New Brunswick)! Their story is told in the story of "Evangeline" by Henry wordsworth LONGFELLOW. The deportation was illegal and steps are being taken to rectify it in the world court system, as it looks, most of Louisiana is basically descendants of people illegally deprived of their British Citizenship at the time and resitiution of our citizenship and status in Canada is what being sought.

Do search of the GRAND DERANGEMENT, Exile of the Acadiens and Warren Perrin Petition for a detailed information about this episode in history. Hint: A Cajun is suing the Queen! Since Canada has signed the treaty recognizing the World Court, the Treaty on Genocide (with NO Statue of Limitations) it could get interesting.

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

Re: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

Warren A. Perrin with the Cajun flag (right?) ... just so people know the face behind the name 8) ...

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

Warren A. Perrin with the Cajun flag (right?) ... just so people know the face behind the name 8) ...

C'est le avocat! His petition could light off a whole debate in the forum by itself! Did you read it! 8O

http://www.acadianmuseum.com/petition1.html

The flag is the Acadian (Acadien) flag flown by the Acadiens of the Martimes of Canada as well as the Acadians (Cajuns) of Louisiana!

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

I actually read the whole petition Martin, it really fascinated me. Now, yesterday evening I was actually discussing this with a friend of mine. He said: but what is a Cajun? Meaning: do all Cajuns not have to speak the same language, (considering not all Cajuns speak French) to call themselves one distinct group?

But I do wonder whether you will actually get recognition. Not in a way as: you have no grounds to ask for recognition; but as in: the Cajuns do not seem to have a strong lobbygroup in Britian (is there one?); which makes it hard to even discuss the matter in British parliament. Or am I wrong here?

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Why Not Introduce You

Martin, you mentioned the differences in language a while back with regard to technology. That always interests me because my Ukranian relatives would be happily rambling on in their native tongue, but would have to use the English for any piece of farm equipment or technology invented after 1909, when they came to Canada.

I wonder if that is changing now that communication is so easy.

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

I actually read the whole petition Martin, it really fascinated me. Now, yesterday evening I was actually discussing this with a friend of mine. He said: but what is a Cajun? Meaning: do all Cajuns not have to speak the same language, (considering not all Cajuns speak French) to call themselves one distinct group?

But I do wonder whether you will actually get recognition. Not in a way as: you have no grounds to ask for recognition; but as in: the Cajuns do not seem to have a strong lobbygroup in Britian (is there one?); which makes it hard to even discuss the matter in British parliament. Or am I wrong here?

He said: but what is a Cajun? Meaning: do all Cajuns not have to speak the same language, (considering not all Cajuns speak French) to call themselves one distinct group?

Cajuns is the generic term for Franco-Hispanic people in Louisiana, usually but not always descended from the Acadians deported from Nova Scotia in 1755-1764. Our culture is strongly tied to the Acadiens of the Maritimes of Canada!

As far as having a strong Lobby, the petition is one of those things the new World Court in Brussels might get to handle, what is the outcome? I don't know. My personal opinion is that Canada should take the lead on this one since they inhereted the Right, Title and interest of Britian with the formation of the confederation in 1867. The British Parliament and Crown have referred the question to Canada and they voted to set aside July 28 (The anniversery of the start of the deportation) as a day of commeration of the Acadian People! So much for even an Apology, so lets take the gloves off and give us the right of return to our ancestrial homelands taken illegally from us in 1755! Internation Court I am told takes a dim view of Genocide and Ethnic Claeansing as long as the Ethnic groups and countries exist with a Statue of Limitations (NO TIME LIMIT)!

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

BTW: didn't David Duke run for senator in the state of Louisiana?

Yeah, and Governor (Premier) too! He was in a runoff against one of the slimiest politicians for governor and we had to hold our nose and vote for SLICK EDDIE EDWARDS so we would be the laughing stock of the US and possibly the world for having a neo-nazi running our local State Government.

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

Re: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

Cajuns is the generic term for Franco-Hispanic people in Louisiana, usually but not always descended from the Acadians deported from Nova Scotia in 1755-1764. Our culture is strongly tied to the Acadiens of the Maritimes of Canada!

But is it not true that there are also Native Americans and people with for example Irish and German roots who are part of the Cajun people? For example Tommy McClain?

...the new World Court in Brussels...

Don't you mean the one of The Hague?

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

Cajuns is the generic term for Franco-Hispanic people in Louisiana, usually but not always descended from the Acadians deported from Nova Scotia in 1755-1764. Our culture is strongly tied to the Acadiens of the Maritimes of Canada!

But is it not true that there are also Native Americans and people with for example Irish and German roots who are part of the Cajun people? For example Tommy McClain?

...the new World Court in Brussels...

Don't you mean the one of The Hague?

Yes, intermarriage has brought a strange mix to to Cajun Bloodline, just look at me, Scotch-Irish and Acadian! My wife's G_G_G_G_mother was Micmawq from Nova Scotia along with her husband who was Acadien French. Mixed in the Acadiens of the Maritimes, there were Irish, Spanish, Portugese and Italians with the common link of being Catholic!

No, The Interantional court of Justice set up by EU of which Canada is a signatory.

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

Re: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

I thought you meant the International Court of Justice in The Hague, set up by the UN ... my fault.

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

I was wondering Martin: are there also Acadians left in Europe? I read that a number of Acadiens were deported to France and England in the 18th century, around the same time when your ancestors were deported to Louisiana.

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

Or did all these Acadians later return to the Maritimes, or did they settle in Louisiana?

 

[Rick van Opbergen]

RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

And are there also many Acadians in Maine?

 

[Andem]

Re: RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

And are there also many Acadians in Maine?

I believe Maine was or is still considered as part of Acadia. I would imagine that their merge into the American culture is complete or in a very similar situation as Lousiane because of the "Melting Pot" nature of the country. Not totally sure though..

Acadia Today
Today, the territory of old Acadia
encompasses a portion of Quebec,
all three Maritime Provinces of Canada
(Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island)
as well as the state of Maine.
http://www.novascotiatours.com/acadia.html

 

[peapod]

Here is a small sampling of a good online website, most genealogy data bases require a fee, but if you are not looking for actual records there are many good genealogy websites. This one as alot of acadian history.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/2162/

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

I was wondering Martin: are there also Acadians left in Europe? I read that a number of Acadiens were deported to France and England in the 18th century, around the same time when your ancestors were deported to Louisiana.

My wife's family was deported to Virginia where the colony did not want any (GASP) French Catholics in their midst so the sailing ships were redirected to England where the Acadiens were held in "Concentration Camps" until they were dumped upon France, interestingly enough, their status wasn't mentioned in the Treaty of 1763 and they were considered British Subjects! The Abby Laval did help them to move on to Louisiana where the Spanish King needed settlers! My Father's people were sent directly to Louisiana via Santa Domingo!

Many Acadians remianed in Europe and were also sent to the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, parts of South America and even the Falklands!

Today, descendents of those Acadiens can be found scattered throught the Americas. The sad thing is that Canada doen't give them any special immigration status even though the deportation came from Nova Scotia!

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: RE: Why Not Introduce You

Martin, you mentioned the differences in language a while back with regard to technology. That always interests me because my Ukranian relatives would be happily rambling on in their native tongue, but would have to use the English for any piece of farm equipment or technology invented after 1909, when they came to Canada.

I wonder if that is changing now that communication is so easy.

Le télévision is known to us as Le Boob Tube, La chaussure (shoe) becomes Zapat. Le truck, La chariot (car) yeah, it happened with us too! I get fussed from the kids since they all know "Book French" STILL ITS THE BOOB TUBE!

 

[Martin Le Acadien]

Re: RE: Why Not Introduce Yourself?

Or did all these Acadians later return to the Maritimes, or did they settle in Louisiana?

There was no effort to keep families together, My Father-in-Law's family has cousins spread throughout the Maritimes, Louisiana and the Carribbean. It is sad since the story of the deportation is called the GRAND DERANGEMENT (Big Inconvience in French) and was a true blueprint for Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing. Most were not sent back to the Maritimes, those that made it back did so under their own power or hid in forests with their friends, the Miqmwq.

No right of return has been established nor any apology offered, nor any acknowledgement.

 

[TenPenny]

And now the Lt-Gov of New Brunswick, who is legally the Queen's Representative, is none other than Hermenegilde Chiasson, who is an Acadian poet.