Cajun Stuff

I guess that it makes sense to ask what is a Cajun before we can really talk about the history. In this section we will attempt to accomplish a bit of both. We will explain what a Cajun is, and go through the early history of the people in the process. When we get to the end, maybe both of us can learn a thing or two about Cajun history.

The people that we call "Cajuns" today originally came from France. Way back in 1504 there were French fishing ships that were working the waters around Nova Scotia (Canada). Then in 1605 the French set up a permanent colony and trading post at what is now known as Ainnapolis Royal, Nova Scotia and what was then called Port Royal. These original settlers of one of the earliest North American settlements became known as Acadians. Why did these original "Cajuns" leave France for Nova Scotia? No one can say for sure. Our best bet is that they simply wanted a fresh start. Imagine being told that you could start a new life in a wilderness that is full of furs and potential. That was likely enough motivation to encourage these early settlers. It does not appear that they left France because of any religious persecutions.

In 1610 the king of France (King Henry IV) was assassinated. England decided that they were not going to recognize the French claims to the land in Nova Scotia. This was the beginning of a long battle between England and France to determine who owned this region of the New World. In 1613 a British military expedition from Virginia destroyed Port Royal, and our Cajun ancestors had to hide in the wilderness and live among the Indians in the region. In 1632 England decided to give Nova Scotia back to France. All was going well for the Acadians until 1713 when France decided to give Nova Scotia back to England for some unknown reason. The English quickly moved into Acadiana and began taking their lands by force and persecution. The English also tried to get our Cajun ancestors to bear arms against France and to renounce the Catholic faith, but they refused to do so. Many Acadians left Acadiana at this time to move to Louisiana.

From October 8th to the 27th of 1755 the British began the process of deporting our Cajun ancestors from Nova Scotia. They were secretly rounded up, placed onto ships, and sent to the 13 original British colonies in North America (the U.S.). As many as 5,000 Acadians were kicked out of Acadiana in this manner. Over the next few years, more of our Cajun ancestors were rounded up from Canada and kicked out of the country. Some were even shipped to England and held as prisoners.

The original colonies outlawed Catholicism. Since these early Cajuns were Catholics, broke, and spoke a different language, they were not treated well. Most of them were not allowed to exit their ships, and some of them snuck off of the ships to live with the Indians in the new colonies. While there are many individual stories of struggle and triumphs, most of the deported Acadians eventually ended up in Louisiana. As many as 1,000 of them died along the way. Another factor that led to our ancestors moving to Louisiana was that in 1763 France gave up their claims to all lands that were east of the Mississippi River. To stay out of the lands owned by the British, the Cajuns moved to the western side of Louisiana (French Louisiana). By the end of 1763, over 2,000 Acadians were scattered along port cities in French Louisiana. At the same time, over 1,700 Acadians were still living in Nova Scotia (prisons and hiding), but most of them eventually ended up in Louisiana as well.

When the Cajuns arrived in French Louisiana, most of the good land was already taken. Adding to their problems, they were told to get out of New Orleans. Their solution was to move to lands that were not occupied, and that were more difficult to settle. They eventually claimed lands of their own, and their numbers climbed to over 4,000 by 1790 and over 10,000 by 1810. Since the Acadians were being persecuted and sold into slavery in the 13 original colonies, those that could escape and travel to Louisiana did so during this period.

The regions of Louisiana that these settlers moved into became known as the Acadiana Parishes. There are 22 Acadiana Parishes in Louisiana today: Acadia, Ascensions, Assumption, Avoyelles, Calcasieu, Cameron, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Point Coupee, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. James, St. John The Baptist, St. Charles, St. Mary, Terrebone, Vermillion, West Baton Rouge. While many Cajuns did eventually settle in areas that are east of the Mississippi such as Baton Rouge and New Orleans, remember that those regions were not settled by the Cajuns until later because the English controlled the territory and persecuted the Acadians because of their Catholic faith and their Cajun language.

Eventually, the term "Acadian" was shortened to "Cajun" after they settles in Louisiana. To this day, Cajuns are what makes Louisiana unique to the rest of our country, and to the world. Now you know what a Cajun is.

In this section we will discover the Acadian history by asking what is Acadiana, what is Acadia, and who are the Acadians? While the terminology is not important, the cultural and historical significance behind the terms is.

Acadiana is the 22 parishes in South Louisiana that were settled by the Acadians. Acadiana makes up about 1/3 of Louisiana, and it is the region that is also called "Cajun Country". The origin of the term only dates back to the 1960's when a television station in Lafayette, Louisiana began using it to describe their broadcast area. The word stuck, and it has been called that every since. In 1974 the Louisiana state legislature even adopted an official flag of Acadiana. In the 2000 census, the total population of Acadiana was set at 1,352,646. Its largest city is Lafayette. On September 26, 2005 Hurricane Rita severely damaged the western region of Acadiana, but most of it has recovered remarkably well since then.

Acadia is the region in present day Canada and the extreme northeast section of the modern day U.S. that was settled by the French. Most of these settlers moved to Louisiana after the expulsion by the British, and are now known as Cajuns. Most of Acadia was located in what is known as Nova Scotia, and Cajun reunions regularly congregate to this area today to observe their ancestors' homeland.

Simply put, the Acadians are the people that settled Acadia. Most of them came from France. After the Great Expulsion by the British, most Acadians (those that survived and escaped) settled in French Louisiana.

What is the culture of any group? How can one identify one culture from another? I'm not sure about other ones, but I know for a fact that Cajun culture can be defined by the food, music, language, and religion. Everywhere in Acadiana, these qualities are obvious and standard from one family to the next. They are the pieces that make up the whole puzzle. Cajun culture would not be the same without any one of them.

Cajun Food

We have already talked about a lot of great recipes in other sections, so we will keep those where they belong. This section is to explain how important the food is to the Acadians. Large gatherings with great Cajun food is a given in South Louisiana. The men will usually do the cooking, which may take half a day to complete. The gathering revolves around the meal, from the beginning to the end. The food is the focal point, the excuse we use to get together for some fun. We love our food. It's almost always spicy. It's made with a lot of care and tradition, using recipes that have been handed down for generations. There can be no doubt that Cajun food is a huge part of the culture, and most recently is has become a piece of Acadiana that is being loved around the world.

Cajun Music

We love our Cajun music almost as much as we love our food. Most of the songs are sung in Cajun French, which helps us remember our history. While we have also spoken about the great Cajun music in other pages, we also want to use this section to explain how much it means to our culture. In short, it's huge. It's hard to listen to any traditional song without a smile spreading across your face. The music is instilled in us from birth, and we can all remember good times in our lives that were tied in one way or another to a particular song. Without Cajun music, I'm not sure what our culture would be like.

Language

Of all of the facets that make up our Cajun culture, our language may be the tie that binds all Acadians together more than anything else. As we discussed in other pages, our language is Cajun French. While not every Acadian is able to speak it today (a sad trend that is reversing over the last few years), we all feel a drawing towards it. Everyone knows at least a few Cajun words in South Louisiana. Our language makes us unique in the United States, and helps us to hold close to each other. The Cajun language of the Acadians is a very significant piece of her culture.

Religion

What religion are Cajuns? The overwhelming majority of Acadians are Roman Catholics. In fact, I would be willing to bet that at least 95% of us are Catholics. You can not travel very far within Acadiana without seeing a large church. Our communities revolve around our religion. Most of us can not imagine our lives without our Catholic faith. the reason for this is simple. When our ancestors left France for Acadia, they brought their strong ties to the Catholic religion with them. That religion has not lessened over the many years, and there can be no doubt that our Cajun culture could not be the same without it.

Everybody loves a good book. Right? Well we should. That is one thing that makes Cajun books so interesting to me. They really do draw you in. The stories are written with a lot of culture and flair, and the dialogue is the best. Most Acadian books focus on families, food, and music. Hey, that is what's important to most Acadians! Here are a few great books that you may want to check out. You can also take a peek at our store for ordering information. No matter where you end up buying them from, these would be great additions to add. They are all great!