Acadian Cultural Unit
Project themes
HISTORY & CURRENT CULTURE
- CODOFIL & Action Cadienne (what is it, what does it do, new initiatives, etc.)
- The Acadian community of New Brunswick (one of the biggest Acadian communities today)
- Acadiana (the 22-parish zone of Louisiana that exists today, maps, info, how it came about, etc.)
- Mardi Gras (origins & traditions as it relates to Acadian & Cajun roots, including the Cajun Courir du Mardi Gras)
- Festival International de Louisiane (what is it, who, what, where, when, etc.)
MUSIC
- Cajun music (including the diatonic Cajun accordion & Zydeco style; plan on incorporating music samples)
FOOD
- Cajun cuisine (origins/influences, ingredients, style of cooking, recipes, etc… maybe bring in samples for the class?)
HISTORY
- Role/importance of Cajuns in World War II (photos, historical artifacts, etc.)
- Le grand dérangement (history we may not have discussed yet, visuals/maps especially as they relate to where everyone was sent and how the population was scattered throughout, commemorations in today’s society?)
LITERATURE/POETRY
- Acadian Poetry (anthology available to view, choose & present a poem or two as they relate to Acadian history & identity)
CULTURE & IDENTITY
- Acadian vs. Cajun vs. Creole (explanation of differences & similarities; how does it also relate to one’s identity, how does it affect language, are there different flags to identify these groups, etc.)
