Acadian World Congress
Encyclopedia
The Acadian World Congress, or Le Congrès Mondial Acadien, is a festival of Acadian
and Cajun
culture and history, held every five years. It is also informally known as the Acadian Reunion. The creator of the Acadian World Congress was André Boudreau (1945 - 2005).http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2005/11/24/nb-boudreau-obit-20051124.html
The first congress was held in Moncton, New Brunswick
in 1994, and the second was held in south Louisiana July 31-August 15, 1999. The 1999 event featured the reunions of over 80 Acadian families, three major concerts (Houma, Oak Alley Plantation, and Lafayette Cajundome), as well as academic conferences centered on economics, culture, women's issues, genealogy and genetics. The President and executive director of the 1999 event was Brian Gabriel Comeaux of Lafayette, LA.
The third congress, in 2004, was held jointly by several Nova Scotia
communities in the ancestral Acadie
region and celebrated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first French-speaking settlers in Canada. As in the previous gatherings, musical festivals and theatrical productions displayed Acadian culture, and academics debated the meaning of Acadia in the 21st century. Debates included the best ways of preserving Acadian culture in an overwhelmingly English area, and what exactly an Acadian is in 2004. Some Acadians in the Maritimes
do not recognize more recent immigrants as true Acadians. There was also a debate about whether the descendants of Acadians, who do not speak French, qualify (see Chiac language
).
The 2009 Acadian World Congress was held in the Acadian Peninsula
.
2014 Acadian World Congress
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
and Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
culture and history, held every five years. It is also informally known as the Acadian Reunion. The creator of the Acadian World Congress was André Boudreau (1945 - 2005).http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2005/11/24/nb-boudreau-obit-20051124.html
The first congress was held in Moncton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
in 1994, and the second was held in south Louisiana July 31-August 15, 1999. The 1999 event featured the reunions of over 80 Acadian families, three major concerts (Houma, Oak Alley Plantation, and Lafayette Cajundome), as well as academic conferences centered on economics, culture, women's issues, genealogy and genetics. The President and executive director of the 1999 event was Brian Gabriel Comeaux of Lafayette, LA.
The third congress, in 2004, was held jointly by several Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
communities in the ancestral Acadie
Acadie
Acadie may refer to:* the French word for Acadia* Acadie , the debut album by record producer and singer-songwriter Daniel Lanois* Acadie—Bathurst, a federal electoral district in New Brunswick, Canada...
region and celebrated the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first French-speaking settlers in Canada. As in the previous gatherings, musical festivals and theatrical productions displayed Acadian culture, and academics debated the meaning of Acadia in the 21st century. Debates included the best ways of preserving Acadian culture in an overwhelmingly English area, and what exactly an Acadian is in 2004. Some Acadians in the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
do not recognize more recent immigrants as true Acadians. There was also a debate about whether the descendants of Acadians, who do not speak French, qualify (see Chiac language
Chiac language
Chiac is a contact language consisting of Acadian French heavily mixed and structured with English. It is spoken as the native and dominant language of most Acadians in southeast New Brunswick, especially among youth, near Moncton, Dieppe, Memramcook and Shediac...
).
The 2009 Acadian World Congress was held in the Acadian Peninsula
Acadian Peninsula
The Acadian Peninsula is situated in the northeastern corner of New Brunswick, Canada, encompassing portions of Gloucester and Northumberland Counties. It derives its name from the large Acadian population located there...
.
2014 Acadian World Congress