Acadian to Cajun - A History Lesson

Several reenactors in period costume inhabit the 
buildings in the village. This gentleman was sewing
his costume for the Mardi Gras festivities coming
up later this month.

This is a typical Acadian style home.

 I'm a direct descendant of Stephen Hawkins, who arrived in the Mayflower in 1620. Not long after my part of the family moved to Sandwich and farmed.  They were prolific and soon the younger sons looked for new pastures. My ancestor moved to Nova Scotia and took advantage of an offer for free land there. He profited by the "Great Expulsion", the forced removal of the Acadian people by the British. This traumatic event was popularized by the Longfellow poem "Evangeline". Thousands lost their lives when they were forced on ships and sent all over the world. One particular ship came to Boston and were not allowed to disembark. Half of them died of the cold and starvation on board the ship. Approximately 11,500 were deported and at least 5,000 died of starvation, disease or shipwreck.

The Acadians had to deal with different materials
than previously - from wool to cotton for 
example. 

Weaving was a valued skill and necessity

This simple hand drawn ferry allowed passage
across the many bayous that dot the landscape

Here in Lafayette I had a chance to learn a lot more about this tragic event and the Acadians who finally settled here and now are known as Cajun. We visited two "museums" dedicated to this: the Vermilionville Historic Village and the Cajun Cultural Center. The former is a recreation of a historic village with restored original structures, a restaurant and performance center. We toured it on a day when a Zydeco Band was performing and loved seeing the many couples dancing. It's a form of swing dancing but more contained and with a constant fast up and down movement. There was also a bit of line dancing - too complicated for us!

Line dancing 

And some jouncey swing dancing

There were ten buildings including a church, school and blacksmith shop. A replica of a small ferry showed how they moved across the bayous. We learned about the architecture, lifestyle and possessions of the Arcadians there, but really learned the history and culture in detail at the Cajun Cultural Center on our second day. This facility is run by the National Park Service. Permanent and special exhibits, an award-winning film, and programs share the history, customs, language, and contemporary culture of the Acadians. It was very comprehensive and we really took our time through the exhibits. Later I spent some time reading up on Wikipedia. We had worked up an appetite by then and luckily the Vermilionville village is right next door and this time we timed it right to have lunch at their restaurant, La Cuisine de la Maman. Scott got the $13 special of the day - a cup of Gumbo, Grits & Grillade, Fried Okra, Biscuit and Bread Pudding (yes, it was a lot - we had some the next day leftover). My choice was grilled catfish and salad. It was all wonderful.

A view inside the Acadian Cultural Center. 

Our lunch at Cuisine de la Maman at Vermilionville Historic Village