Embedded Files
History
History
The French, who became known as the Acadians, first settled in NS at Port Royal (near Annapolis Royal) when Samuel de Champlain landed there in 1605. From here the Acadians scattered across the province south to what is known today as the French Shore past Yarmouth to the Pubnico region, north to Grand Pré on the Minas Basin, to Shepody River, NB, to Amherst, and Cape Breton.
By the early 1700s they had developed a strong and distinct identity, marked by a special relationship with the Mi’kmaq. They were still French, but they were first-and-foremost ‘Acadians’ and took no side in the dispute over the territory between the French and the British. Over the years their colony was repeatedly handed back and forth between England and France but the Acadians always remained neutral, struggling to keep a peaceful existence in their new homeland. However, when war broke out again in 1744 the English were not satisfied with their neutrality and this attitude led to the expulsion of the Acadians from their homes beginning in 1755 and continuing intermittently over the next decade. This event is known as the Grande Dérangement which saw more than 6,000 people rounded up and put on ships to be dispersed among the American Colonies. The story of the deportation has been immortalized in the epic love poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow called "Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie".
When the war ended in 1763, some of these Acadian families began to return but as their lands had been given to the New England Plantars, they had to start over in more isolated and inhospitable areas of the province. Today, Acadians live in every corner of Nova Scotia. Their presence is especially strong in Cheticamp and Isle Madame on Cape Breton Island, in Pomquet near Antigonish, and in southwestern Nova Scotia in Wedgeport, Pubnico and Clare, or the French Shore along Baie Sainte-Marie. The Acadian spirit is alive and well in these communities and annual Acadian festivals are common across the province where huge celebrations take place, commemorating Acadian history, culture, music and food.
The system of dykes built by the Acadians, which enabled the salt marshes to be used for hay and arable land by keeping sea water out, remains a significant contribution to us today.
Early Acadia, by Claude T. Picard
Aboiteau-style dike and sluice, Beaumont (Memramcook), N.B.
Culture
Culture
Acadians have established oral and written traditions through which they affirm their identity. From the characters in Antonine Maillet’s La Sagouine to the fiercely modern poetry of Herménégilde Chiasson, from the songs of Édith Butler to the chiac rap of Radio Radio, the art and culture of Acadia are at the forefront of this living identity. Until the end of the 19th century, the Acadians lived in isolated groups and had little contact with the outside world. This isolation helped to preserve the traditions of their ancestors: their way of speaking (which is a variant from the Poitou region in France), their cuisine, their celebrations and their oral traditions. Since the Acadians’ arrival on the North American continent in the 17th century, they have passed down songs, stories and legends from generation to generation (taken from Canadian Encyclopedia).
Rappie pie, or râpure in French, is a traditional Acadian dish consisting of grated potato and usually chicken. Made on the French Shore, it can be purchased in grocery stores across the province (I have bought it at a Sobeys in Halifax and at the Independent grocer in Annapolis Royal). To experience Acadian culture, attend one of the many festivals that take place in NS, PEI or NB where there is food, music and fun!
Canadian Encyclopedia- link to more information on Acadian culture and history
Slideshare - slideshow of Acadian culture and cajun music and brief history of Acadia by Travis Cooke. This has Louisiana references but could still be used as a resource.
Acadian Folksongs- link to site for cd purchase or download
Grade Two classroom activities (could be modified for higher grades)-link to a PDF: activities include building a dyke, create a flag, hold an Acadian Festival, play Acadian recess games, read Acadian Folktales and create your own.
Acadian Music
Photo from Tourism PEIAcadian Music
(Figure 2-29) Artist Lewis Parker's painting, Acadians building dykes and aboiteaux at Grand Pré, shows the collaborative building of dykes at Grand Pré.
(Figure 2–34) Destinations and movements of the deportees during the Acadian Odyssey. Based on an original design by Robert Leblanc.
Language
Language
According to the 2011 census, there were 38, 775 people in NB, NS and PEI whose mother tongue is French. There are two dominant forms of French spoken in Canada: that spoken in Quebec and the French spoken in the Atlantic provinces by Acadians. Acadian French is unique to the Atlantic region with dialect distinctions between different areas. As a result of early Acadians being cut off from France in the 18th century, the Acadian French that is still spoken today includes characteristics of French from the 16th and 17th centuries that today have disappeared from the French spoken in Quebec and France.
Chiac: In New Brunswick, people who are highly bilingual speak in chiac (also spelled chiak or chiaque). This is a specific type of discursive switching between Acadian French and English. While this discursive code of chiac is unique to the region, it is not considered a dialect as such. Chiac is spoken mainly in the south eastern part of New Brunswick in the area of Shediac, Moncton. Memramcook and Dieppe. The word chiac comes from the name Shediac.
Join us at the oldest Acadian Festival in the world!
Deportation Cross at Horton Landing, NS commemorating the Acadians who were forced from their homes. Image from Trip Advisor
Grande Pré , Trip Advisor image
Text Resources
Text Resources
Fiddles & Spoons: Journey of an Acadian Mouse written by Lila Hope-Simpson
ABC Acadie: An Acadian Alphabet by Mary Alice Downie. Available from Indigo books.
Evangeline And The Acadians by Robert Tallant. Available from Indigo books.
Dear Canada: Banished From Our Home: The Acadian Diary of Angélique Richard by Sharon Stewart. Available from Indigo books.
Grand-Pré: Heart of Acadie by A.J.B. Johnston and W.P. Kerr. Nimbus Publishing.
The Landscapes of Grand Pré: Images, maps, past and present/les paysages de Grand Pré: images et cartes du passé et d’aujourd’hui Published by the Grand Pré Trails Society.
The Melanson Story: Acadian Family, Acadian Times by Margaret C. Melanson. Toronto. 2014.
Port-Royal Habitation: The Story of the French and Mi’kmaq at Port-Royal 1604-1613 by W.P. Kerr. Nimbus Publishing. 2005.
Brief History of Acadia by René Babineau.
The Beginning of Acadia 1602-1616 by Lucien Campeau. Trans. By William P. Lonc and George F. Topp. Gontran Trottier publisher.
France and Acadie: Acadian Awakenings, by William D. Gerrior. 2003.
Sods, Soil, and Spades: The Acadians at Grand Pré and Their Dykeland Legacy by J. Sherman Bleakney. McGill-Queen’s University Press. 2004.
The Acadians of Nova Scotia Past and Present by Sally Ross and Alphonse Deveau. Nimbus Publishing, 1992.
Community Resources
Community Resources
Below are links to historical sites and museums on Acadian history and culture located in NS.
Historical Acadian Village/ Le Village Historique Acadien de la Nouvelle Écosse in Lower West Pubnico
Port-Royal National Historic Site near Annapolis Royal
Melanson Settlement National Historic Site-near Port-Royal
L'Acadie de Chezzetcook historic site
Musée des Acadiens des Pubnicos et Centre de recherche / Acadian Museum and research centre- West Pubnico
Ships Take Acadians Into Exile, by Claude T. Picard
Migrations and Return, by Claude T. Picard
This is a painting by Claude Picard of St-Basile, New Brunswick, Canada depicting the burning of Acadian homes by the English during the deportation.
Report abuse