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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 76
BY REPRESENTATIVE ORTEGO
COMMENDATIONS: Commemorates the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the Acadian
people in Louisiana
A RESOLUTION1
To commemorate the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of Acadians in2
Louisiana and to recognize the unique contributions of the Acadian people to the3
culture and flavor of Louisiana.4
WHEREAS, some four hundred years ago, small bands of men and women left their5
hometowns in France and sailed to what would become Canada to settle in an area they6
called Acadia, which is now known as Nova Scotia; and7
WHEREAS, these early settlers were hardworking, peace-loving people who8
remained neutral during the many feuds between the French and British forces over9
Canadian lands; but in 1755, without approval from the British government, men who10
refused to sign a loyalty oath to England were forced to separate from their families and11
were arrested, and their farms, barns, churches, shops, crops, and the livestock that made up12
the Acadian colonies were burned to the ground or confiscated, followed by a mass13
expulsion of the Acadians; and14
WHEREAS, some of the expelled Acadians returned to England and France, only15
to suffer imprisonment or to live as outcasts; some settled in the colonies of New England16
and blended with the established communities; in the Carolina colonies, some Acadian17
parents had their children taken away from them while they were forced to work on18
plantations; still others were deported to Haiti, Newfoundland, Argentina, and Uruguay; yet19
after ten years of wandering from place to place and finding no home, a group of twenty-one20
Acadians journeyed from Georgia to Mobile, Alabama, from where they eventually reached21 HLS 14RS-664 ORIGINAL
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the Mississippi River to travel to New Orleans, finally settling along the West Bank in April1
of 1764 in what came to be called the Acadian Coast; and2
WHEREAS, undaunted by the unfamiliar climate of Louisiana or a lack of monetary3
resources, these determined early settlers encouraged their kin to make the trek to Louisiana4
and over the next two decades, more than three thousand Acadians joined the adventurous5
folk already here; and6
WHEREAS, Acadians settled the mosquito-infested areas along Bayou Teche,7
performed hard labor that other settlers would not attempt, were rejected by the resident8
Frenchmen in Louisiana because of their strange-sounding Acadian dialect, overcame9
attempts by established Louisiana residents to force them to speak English, and perpetuated10
their unique heritage by marrying within their communities; and11
WHEREAS, the persistence of those brave Acadian settlers transformed regions of12
Louisiana into special places that, to outsiders, appeared as worlds unto themselves, and the13
unmatched spirit of the first Acadians remains alive in their descendants to this day; and14
WHEREAS, the progeny of the first Acadians, now called Cajuns, have spread from15
the original enforced settlements along the West Bank of the Mississippi River to populate16
regions from Lake Charles to Houma, almost the entire length and breadth of Louisiana, and17
their number now surpasses seven hundred thousand; and18
WHEREAS, anthropologists at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will19
undertake an archaeology project in 2014 along Bayou Teche near Loreauville in Iberia20
Parish in search of some of the earliest settlements of the Acadian exiles, seeking artifacts21
from Acadian folk hero Joseph "Beausoleil" Broussard and his followers, who arrived in22
1765 but most of whom appeared to have died within months of their arrival; and23
WHEREAS, "Acadie à La Louisiane" (Acadia To Louisiana) by Bruce Daigrepont24
is a masterful example of Cajun music and retells the tragedy of the forced exodus from25
Acadia to the triumph of the Acadians' settlement in Louisiana; and26
WHEREAS, the Cajun culture has in recent years burst onto the food and arts scene27
as evidenced by the increasing popularity across the United States of Cajun cuisine, led by28
chefs such as Paul Prudhomme and John Folse, Cajun music, led by Grammy award winners29 HLS 14RS-664 ORIGINAL
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such as Beausoleil and Courtbouillon, and Cajun visual arts, led by artists such as George1
Rodrigue; and2
WHEREAS, the unparalleled flair and flavor of the Cajun people give Louisiana3
much sought-after qualities that cannot be found elsewhere in the world, and it is fitting to4
commemorate the two hundred fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of the first Acadians to the5
bayous in New Acadia: a people and culture that have contributed to the greatness that is6
Louisiana.7
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the8
Legislature of Louisiana does hereby recognize and acclaim the two hundred fiftieth9
anniversary of the arrival of the Acadian people to the state; does hereby commend the10
hearty spirit demonstrated by the early settlers in overcoming innumerable odds to become11
the genesis of a unique culture; and does hereby express the congratulatory sentiments of all12
of the residents of the great state of Louisiana on the occasion of the celebration of two13
hundred fifty years of Acadians in Louisiana.14
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted15
to the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana.16
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Ortego HR No. 76
Commemorates the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the Acadian people in Louisiana.