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Acadie I Remember 1755: How Cajuns Came To Be
| Open Poetry #8 |
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Acadie I Remember 1755: How Cajuns Came To Be |
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Toddles Member
since 2000-07-24
Posts 396New Orleans, Louisiana |
Acadie I Remember (1755) How Cajuns Came To Be A Tale for Children (In honor of my maternal Great Grandparents Joseph Pierre LeBlanc & Lillia Thibodeaux LeBlanc. Who were very proud to be Cajun.) My youth was peaceful until the strangers came. They changed our lives forever, They changed Acadie's name. To Nova Scotia, which means New Scotland. Children listen to my story. To the truth so seldom told My name is Celeste Thibodeaux I had just turned seven years old Acadie I remember… My papa was a fisherman We were poor, but we were free Blessed with a rare happiness In our village by the sea. In our village of Grand Pre. The fishing fields of Acadie had plenty of fish and both old and New England wanted all that our paradise offered. Many hated us for being who we were, proud and simple, French and Catholic. I remember like it was yesterday… My mama and papa were talking about the British Soldiers. They were burning houses and they planned to make us leave. "But where are we supposed to go?" My mama screamed through her tears. My papa he was praying "Merciful God what will we do?" Leave our homeland? I did not understand. One morning I woke to the sound of gunfire and neighbors shouting. Colonel Charles Lawrence had instructed his men to round us up, to catch us all like animals and march us to the sea. The orders were quite clear "Swear allegiance to the British Crown and forsake your Catholic faith or be expelled!" The BIG words I kept hearing only confused me more… Expulsion, Relocation, Exile, Deportation. "Le Grand Dérangement." What a terrible time it was. Mama whispered to me " Have faith Celeste, we will survive." Acadie, I remember. We were marched down to the ocean Toward a vast unknown Passed our crops and livestock Old and young, weak and strong. Passed the burning barns and mills, Passed the markets and the square Pushed forth by English soldiers Driven onward in despair. Passed the churches that gave us faith We marched in anguish to the sea Pushed on by English soldiers We walked unwillingly. I recall the women sobbing as they held their infant children. We moved on in confusion. I dreaded every step. Pushed on by English soldiers Walking, weeping to the shore To the boats that were there waiting How it chilled me to the core They were loading us as cargo We poor Frenchmen filled with woe Stripped of our common dreams Where in the world would we go? Where could we go? Goodbye sweet Acadie Acadie I will remember. Goodbye to fields of childhood, goodbye to cousins and friends. I waved goodbye to my New France. Would I ever see her again? Too many became separated from their spouses and children. This added to their sadness. Life seemed unfair and cold. Our entire world had vanished. I was so young, but old enough to know we had been betrayed. I remember clearly how they herded us onto their ships, "Fear not" my papa told me "Acadie will live right here." He said, as he pointed to his heart. Stolen from our villages Our promised land behind us We had tasted pure injustice. Where would the future find us? Acadie, I remember! Has history forgotten? French neutrals as they called us, we were shut in dark ship hulls, So overcrowded we could hardly move, much less lie down. In darkness and in filth we drifted on the ocean, I remember I felt hungry for the first time in my life. Along the coast of New England, southward we drifted. Scattered here and there with no regard to family ties or friendships. Some went to Maine and Massachusetts, some to Connecticut and New York. Others to places like Pennsylvania and Maryland. Some were dumped in the Carolinas, emptied out like garbage. A few even ended up as far away as the Falkland Islands. I watched many die from small pox and typhoid fever. At each stop we French Catholics were unwelcome and despised. Sometimes forced to live as slaves or to beg for our next meal. In echoes of the distant past I can hear my mama Praying "My people are in trouble, Lord Jesus help us now!" My family, as it happened was put out in Savannah, Georgia. All we could do was wait. As REFUGEES, as Aliens, we were strangers in these colonies. The lost children of Acadie, uncertain of our fate. Some Englishmen thought of this Colonel Lawrence (Governor of Nova Scotia) as a noble sort of hero. We did not share that view! To us he was a tyrant; his victims were my people. Believe me when I tell you, there was darkness in his soul. At such a young age, I had seen so many die from diseases and from broken hearts. I looked into their eyes. I saw small glimmers of hope. It is true that many perished, but many still remained. Ten long, slow years passed in Savanna. Then one day in 1765, the year I turned 17, my Papa learned of a new land called Louisiana, where Acadians were settling near the Mississippi river. So we gathered our few belongings and we went to this new place It was far from the salt marshes of our sweet Acadie, the weather was quite different than what we were used to. But with our hopes renewed, we would begin again, along a bayou known as Teche in this Louisiana wetland. Here our language was respected and our religion freely practiced. Many soon found their lost families. Oh the joy of their reunions spread like music through the damp swamp air. Some however did not recover, never again to see the faces of their missing loved ones. Their families were not as fortunate as mine. Bound we are forever By a common history Bound by blood and spirit To a place called Acadie In spite of all our losses We again had liberty. And we live to tell a tale Of survival and of woe How Cajuns came to be So that all may one-day know. At last, the light was back in my mama's eyes and papa returned to fishing. This time in the freshwater marshes of Louisiana. So much had changed it seemed, yet so much was the same. Children listen to my story The sad tale of dear Acadie Though I was but a small child And now I'm more than eighty. I remember all the madness Yet in freedom I rejoice I still feel my mama's sadness I still hear my papa's voice… He said… "Young Celeste, my only child Remember our long journey And the truth of our story Pass along for years and years Don't forget where you come from Keep it safe within your heart And in darkness remain faithful Be strong no time for tears." Papa I remember, I remember our Acadie. Though we'd lost our precious village In the path that was behind us. Through our struggles we had gained These stories to remind us... We still had one another For the worst of days were gone Here in Louisiana … Our legacies live on! There was a perfect harmony Until the strangers came They changed our lives forever They changed Acadie's name My name is Celeste Thibodeaux I had just turned 7 years old Children listen to my story And the way it MUST be told. I remember my Acadie And our village by the sea. Has History forgotten How CAJUNS came to be? |
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| © Copyright 2000 Todd-Michael Phillips - All Rights Reserved | |||
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Toddles, I think we may be related. Lol...it may well be likely..."bizarre" happens to me all the time...thank you for this...I've heard it before, in 'cajun' french...this is one for my grandmaw... |
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Toddles Member
since 2000-07-24
Posts 396New Orleans, Louisiana |
Thanks Serenity: I orginally wrote this picture book for children in French (Parisian) and this is a recent English translation. Wouldn't that be cool if we were actually related LOL, there must be Poetry in our blood!!! |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
I've read this story before Todd. I live on the Saint John River and have researched much of the history of my area. We have many many Acadians in the Norhtern part of this province as you probably know. So your heiritage is spread over a vast area. I believe that Prince Edward Island was predominantly Acadian at one time. It's just another historical account of how man has tried to dominate man to his own injury. No one ever really wins when money, power and greed are at the basis of political motivation. One of the main reasons that I like reading the works of poets.....they are people of compassion, vision and truth..... |
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Toddles Member
since 2000-07-24
Posts 396New Orleans, Louisiana |
Thanks Ethome: My purpose in writing this was to educate children here in Louisiana about their history, I felt at the time that so many cultures have had their story told and I wanted to relate ours, as my Grandmother had told it to me for the young people here, It was orginally written in French to encourage preservation of the language here. When writing this I went to New Brunswick & Nova Scotia to do my research. My specific history was from the village of Grande Pre. My ultimate goal is for many Louisianians to embrace their French Heritage! As you can tell I am passionate about this subject. I appreciate your knowledge of the subject and your comments! [This message has been edited by Toddles (edited 07-30-2000).] |
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N2Wishin Junior Member
since 2000-07-27
Posts 38 |
All I can say is... WHAT A STORYTELLER! |
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Parker Member Elite
since 2000-01-06
Posts 3129ON |
Toddles, I am part French, and British, this poem, was done very well. Most of my family is located not to far from Grand pre. Its a shame what happened then in the past. Attitudes toward multi-cultures were not very accepting in Canada's past. Although the issue with Quebecer's today is not agains the British, but Englist Canada as a whole. Do not kid yourself, Quebecer's do not consider themself as Acadians, like the Acadians in the Maritime provinces. There still are alot of Acadians in Nova Scotia, it is a deverse culture. Acadians of today love Canada and a large number of Queberers love this country too. Politicians on the other hand would love to split up our great country, and that I am very passionet about and against. The French culture is alive and very well in Canada, and a part of us that we love and need. I would no more wish that Quebec split then to cut off my right arm. Acadians in the Maritimes are also alive and thriving, what happened 250 years ago is a shame that should never be forgotten, but it is not the attitude of today. Anyway great poem and story.... Parker |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
I was just passing through and reading some of the comments. I have to agree with Parker whole heartedly. The Quebec French do not consider themselves connected to Acadians at all. There is quite a cultural gap between the Acadian French and the Quebec French. Many Quebec French visitng the Maritimes have a hard time conversing with the Acadian French their language has diversified that much. I live in New Brunswick which is Canada's only official bilingual Province. As in any situation where two different cultures come together there are problems. Over the years we have worked on those problems together and we cohabit quite nicely. When you call a business or government office in New Brunswick you quite often recieve a greeting in both French and English. This has become commonplace and has brought our cultures together to mature and grow. It is not uncommon in New Brunswick to hear both languages being spoken in stores, restaurants, motels, bars, on the job, hospitals, gas stations, police forces, fire fighters etc. We play hockey, football, soccer, baseball and all types of sports together. I believe we have set the example for the entire world to observe, that hate and prejudice can be overcome in an organized manner and that two cultures can grow together in peace and happiness. Oh yes, we still have die hard problems of resentment surface from time to time but that even happens within a culture. Thay always amount to absolutely nothing. I live in a town where there are hundreds of families that are French English and the kids are a product of both cultures. Yet we maintain a totally French school system here so that such valuable cultural heiritages never die. It is the choice of the parents when sending their children to school which they want to use as a vehicle for educating their children. So I have to agree with Parker the French hating the British is definetly not an issue or the attitude here today. I don't write any of this to take away from your poem's story. The annals of mankind is full of such injustices. I found the poem to be beautful. Take care......ethome.. |
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Toddles Member
since 2000-07-24
Posts 396New Orleans, Louisiana |
Thank you for that nice reply & I respect your opinion. More importantly I was referring to Cajuns, who were the deported ones, the ones who would not bend to the ultimatums of the time. This is more for a group here in my home state called CODOFIL Council on Developement Of French In Louisiana, and to remind us Cajuns that we are not part of the general Anglo-American dream, but to encourage us to embrace our French ancestry & that not only English speaking peoples have rights and or the ability to control the perception of American History. Yes the past is the past, it's just a matter of knowing how ones own people came to be. As I said before...I appreciate & welcome the comments, opinions & diversity of debate! Merci!!!!! |
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Toddles Member
since 2000-07-24
Posts 396New Orleans, Louisiana |
Thank You Again: As I said, I can only speak of my own experiences in Montreal & Quebec City & the Rave reception this story has received. I am aware that they are not connected to Acadians, I am speaking of their interest in Cajuns. Louisiana receives more Canadian French Tourist than any other state in the union each year, although much different, I was merely expressing how much I feel welcomed as a writer by them. In fact my stories about Acadiana (South Louisiana) sell 10 times better there than in the Us! I love the exchange of ideas it is healthy and insightful!!! |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Sir, may I be among the many to thank you for sharing your unique gift of storytelling. You captured me thoroughly and in part: Oh the joy of their reunions spread like music through the damp swamp air I must have been a visitor in the Cajun countryland in another life... for I can hear the words echoing in the misty swamplands... We desperately need an icon of hands clapping, for mine surely are... thank you. Karilea ~~~ Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. Helen Keller ~~~ When you want to be loved, look within...KRJ |
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insect Senior Member
since 2000-04-22
Posts 1014 |
Nice work here. [This message has been edited by insect (edited 07-30-2000).] |
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Parker Member Elite
since 2000-01-06
Posts 3129ON |
Toddles, I just want to say, that my reaction was not to take away from your great work here. I just came back from a visit to Nova Scotia, and while I was down their, I was reading a short informational piece about the forced exile. I still remember that it pained me to think that it happened at all. Their are too many examples of these occurances in the world. Hopefully we've learned a little for the present and future. I really hope your Acadian works to well, and please keep sharing them with us here. Parker |
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Toddles Member
since 2000-07-24
Posts 396New Orleans, Louisiana |
Sunshine: Many thanks! (I'm actually at a loss for words) Sweet reply!!! Insect: Thanks for reading! Parker: I encourage your input and value your knowledge of the region. Thank you! [This message has been edited by Toddles (edited 07-30-2000).] |
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N2Wishin Junior Member
since 2000-07-27
Posts 38 |
very well written Todd, just want to say that again! |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Enjoyed reading this very informative writing...James |
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Toddles Member
since 2000-07-24
Posts 396New Orleans, Louisiana |
Thank You James! |
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