CREOLE CULTURAL NEWS FLASH: Qui cest ca? (Whos that?) Who Are You-Culturally-Speaking? Do You Know Who You Are? Are You Sure? by John laFleur II, copyright 2014 Is someone Creole or Cajun because of their unique and singular ethnic origins? Inherent to this question, of course, is the Anglo-American bi-caste racial presumption of being either WHITE OR BLACK, and/or its Lafayette-regional ethno-cultural stereotype of Cajun or Creole -as black or white, of course. But, such simplistic stereotypes and categories are just not true, historically or in present-day reality. For example, we need only ask individuals who claim to be cajun or creole upon the historically false basis of race the origin of their families. For example, in venerable old St. Martinville, there exists the Acadian Memorial Museum, alongside its African cultural counterpart. This cultural and historical museum has at least one of the most beneficial monuments for all to see and read, in order to find out if their families-black or white-have truly Acadian or Creole French origins. The surnames are all there. And, here begins the fun. We KNOW, without doubt, due to ships passenger lists, Church records of baptisms and courthouse records of the Spanish & French colonial period who actually was from true Acadian origins and who, or which families actually were creole or native-born of first families; regardless of their ethnic origins, because creole in Louisiana courthouse records is consistently used as it has been across the French colonial empire back to the 1600s; as a generic term for native-born in contrast to foreign-born distinguishing children from parents born outside of la louisiane. The wall of names validates what all well-informed people know; that many who call themselves Cajun-implying an Acadian French origin and arrival in Louisiana after 1765-are usually, NOT of Acadian French origin. And, conversely, some who think and identify as Creole because they are black ARE of Acadian descent. Are they any less Cajun because of the color of their skin? Many of the people who identify as Cajun do so because to identity as Creole (they assume) mean to identify racially-as black. In other words, these white francophones believe or associate creole with blacks only; and conversely, these same people (as well as, many blacks), also assume and presume, that cajun means white only. That is how Lafayette has marketed the culture-in two unequal halves of black or white. Clearly, the misrepresentation of these cultural labels as racial for now four decades through the localized television media, CODOFILs State-sponsored presentations of this racial-cultural scripting and stereotyping, along with some very unconcerned or dishonest academic leaders, continue to reinforce this wrong and non-historical perception which has re-defined Creole far beyond its original and well-documented historical meaning and definition. What would prompt such an enduring misrepresentation of Louisianas diverse ethno-history, people and culture? Many people of color and blacks now identify as being African-American according to the Anglo-American racial/social order and expectation. Some Louisiana Creoles of Color and black Creoles, too also now conform to this stereotype, and have surrendered their unique Creole identity, culture and heritage to an artificial template of African -forgetting, if they even know at all, that their fathers were usually not African, but white Europeans or Frenchmen. Others see themselves as Haitian, not realizing that Haiti did not exist as such at the time of the so-called Haitian influx. Saint-Domingues immigrants were largely WHITE Creole and their mixed-race Creole children along with some Saint-Domingue-born, or creole slaves. The shared culture of this large group of so-called Haitians was already a French Creole culture combining the big 3 elements of French Creole historical origins (French-Europeans, Indians & Africans), which the Transatlantic Slave Trade brought together; and which groups-TOGETHER-created a unique people and culture, quite similar to that of Louisiana, whose unique Choctaw pidgin, they and the Acadian descendants, were to thoroughly assimilate as they each assumed their new and indigenous Louisiana Creole cultural identities. And, unfortunately, in their mistaken, but understandable zeal for identity they forget that the truly African part of the culture of Louisiana began long before any Haitian influx-in Bienvilles day, shortly after the founding of Mobile, not New Orleans. True African slaves were to be part of the foundation fabric of colonial Louisianas early national cultural fabric, long before the Saint-Domingue refugees ever arrived. Voodoo and red beans, are NOT unique to Haiti and were in Louisiana before New Orleans was ever dreamed of, and well-known in Cuba and across the Caribbean Creole world. So much for Haitian culture in Louisiana- notwithstanding, its popularly marked resurrection in New Orleans which fosters the black part of the Louisiana cultural Siamese twin while Lafayette fosters its special white half of this ugly racial-cultural Siamese twin. And, so the drums beat in la louisiane. Equally, the naïve white francophone community has surrendered its rich and pre-Acadian cultural identity and heritage to become Cajun -a true tautology, or jeu-de-mot which maintains a unique (and certifiably white), Louisiana Creole cultural heritage and traditions, while ignorantly giving credit to a late-arriving group of Acadian French peasants whose original homeland and culture of Acadie, remains largely unfamiliar with Louisianas linguistic, culinary and social traditions-apart from television and intercultural exchanges so promoted through CODOFIL and the University of Lafayette, and its diverse Acadian-obsessed cultural organizations-all under the cloak of francophone cultural associations. And, not surprisingly, Acadian culture doesnt exist in Louisiana, with the slight exception of an Acadian dish known as fricot still, but now rarely prepared in Lafourche Parish. So much for Acadian-based culture. And, so goes the fiddle. Its an easy, and tempting intellectual trap to over emphasize anyone group to the in-significance of the others; only taken TOGETHER can there be a/our unique multi-ethnic LOUISIANA-based Creole culture. Free people of color are no more African than they are French or fully Indian. Yet, we ARE a unique ethnic embroidery of each of these. And, although some whince in horror at the thought, the children of the Acadians also fully embraced their new Louisiana identity and CULTURALLY, became creole too. Many still identify as such to this very day, in defiance of Lafayettes cultural magisterium and much to her displeasure! The inherent danger in any suggested or implied racializing is that we end up playing to the race-based Anglo-American perception of them and us -black OR white-Cajun or Creole cultural stereotypes; and then, we surrender our unique multi-ethnic identity-which has always defied and mocked this cultural Siamese twin in a juvenile mentality of cheering for our favorite teams-racially-speaking. Then, we too, have in effect said, F... history! and are thus reduced to the puppets of the master. Before 1968s official Cajunization cultural relabeling and division/bifurcation of Louisianas shared multi-ethnic creole culture, there was no such thing as cajun culture-food, French, music or anything else-it was ALL creole culture-as was Louisiana The Creole State. As Ive often said, and will never tire from saying it, Acadiana and the oft-trumpeted Acadian-based culture of the French-speaking triangle remains our old country creole culture-its food, languages, social customs and musical traditions-as proven in both the existence of pre-Acadian French Creole cultures of Illinois, Missouri and the Great Lakes, to Louisianas non-Acadian settlement regions such as Avoyelles, Evangeline, Natchitoches, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, and many other parishes which absorbed the poor Acadians, if they had any significant numbers of this small group, ever at all; notwithstanding, Evangeline Parishs political, sociological and commercialized cajun identity. And, the documentary proof remains in the earliest documents of our linguistic traditions, food culture and social traditions from Andre Penicaut to Lefcadio Hearn to courthouse succession and Catholic Church records. The fact of our existence-as Creoles-of every color and diversity-metis, Creole, Indian, Cajun-all sharing the common language mentioned by Captain Jean-Bernard Bossu who traveled with Bienville in his visit to the Indians, our non-Acadian food ways and social traditions all attest resoundingly to a unique Louisiana-based creole culture which is not new to any of us; even if it is now perceived as Cajun to the rest of the unsuspecting world. As a native-born Creole and Acadian descendant of Evangeline-St. Landry Parish and its region, I can fully attest to the unabashed and dishonest, commercial fairytale and mythic cajun identity of this region among my own well-informed relatives-of whom precious few Acadians-turned Creole-such as my ancestor Francois Pitre, was to settle early on as he chose to separate himself from the true Acadian coastal settlement region or colony of the Acadians south of Lafayette toward Morgan City, New Iberia and Lafourche Parish. Careful THOUGHT must be given in order to accurately articulate and reflect the truth of who we are, beyond race-based stereotypes. And, for many this is not possible; for others, acceptance of this stereotype is convenient. But, for those of us with integrity and who are educated, proud members of a unique historical, cultural legacy and heritage, the truth carefully and intelligently expressed must be the final word with no apologies. For us, there is no question of Qui cest ca? We already know. Photo credits go to curator/historian/scholar Brian Costello of Pointe Coupee Parish, New Roads Historical Archives, whose initiative courted the generosity of Pointe Coupean Creole families for use of their splendid historical photographs, all of which document our diversity. Merci cher ami et frère Creole Brian Costello et tous les cheres familles de la Pointe Coupee!
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 17:06:41 +0000