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ATTEND CONGRES MONDIEL ACADIEN - Martha Royter, right, and Katherine Stagg were among the group from Acadia Parish who attended the Congres Mondiel Acadien held in New Brunswick, Canada, in preparation for next year’s Louisiana Grand Reviel Acadian.

Acadiana well represented at Congres Mondiel Acadien 2019

Acadiana, Louisiana prepares for Grand Reviel Acadian

CANADA - In August of 2019, Francophone people from around the globe gathered in New Brunswick, Canada, to celebrate their language, heritage, and cultures at the Congres Mondiel Acadien.
Over twenty Cajuns from Acadia Parish attend the event, bringing with them reflections of their life in South Louisiana and representations of their history.
The Acadia Parish group hoped to inspire Francophone family and friends from around the world to visit south Louisiana.
There is no better way to tell the story of south Louisiana than to share it in person, bringing a Louisiana experience to Canada to feed their souls with unique experiences.
Teams divided and conquered to make sure as many people as possible had a chance to experience the “joie di vie” of Cajun life. All were also invited to visit Louisiana October 3-11 of 2020 for Grand Reviel Acadian (Great Acadian Awakening).
Stories of boucherie and Mardi Gras were featured in a video by Cadiens Toujours of Mermenteau Cove. Viola Fontenot, originally of Church Point, shared some insight into what it was like being a sharecropper’s daughter during a panel discussion on how women affected family life for sharecropping families in Acadia Parish.
Les Jeunes Cadjns band, led by Mama Redell Miller and Ken Lyon, entertained countless crowds as they performed several concerts in the region, as well as leading Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser in a grand entrance for the opening of the Extreme Frontier at the Louisiana Pavilion.
Bruneaux Miller of Bruneaux’s Cajun Seasonings, along with his son Blake of Iota, made sure the guests were well fed by preparing traditional Cajun foods like pork and sausage jambalaya, gumbo, meatball stew and seafood jambalaya.
Miller recounts, “They would be walking by and the smell would stop them in their tracks.”
The biggest question was “Is it Spicy?” They walked away with plates of Cajun cooking after assurances that it wasn’t too spicy.
When not helping at his father’s food stall, Blake also shared his accordion and fiddle talents at special performances, including a performance with other musicians, including Phillippe Billeaudeaux of Lafayette and Daniel LeBlanc of Baie St. Marie, Nova Scotia.
Some of the special guests included Zachary Richard, Jordan Thibodeaux and Wayne Toups.
Katherine Stagg sang songs in French she learned as a young girl from an album recorded in 1965 by Sister Edith, a Sister of Mount Carmel in Rayne.
Acadia Parish volunteers shared stories of Acadia Parish through printed media, film trailers and video presentations at the Louisiana pavilion.
Gene and Martha Royer of Rayne and Harold and Diane Fonte of Church Point were instrumental in inviting hundreds of visitors to visit Louisiana.
In addition, children who visited the Louisiana Pavilion were able to make Mardi Gras masks and learn about the traditions of Mardi Gras. There was also a Mardi Gras dance performance in traditional Mardi Gras costumes where some of the Canadian girls were dressed as Mardi Gras attire. Their hearts were captured by the kindness and acceptance of our Cajun volunteers.
To find out how you or your group can be part of Grand Revielle 2020, visit Louisiana-acadie.com. Families are also encouraged to start planning family reunions to welcome family visitors from Canada and other Francophone places.

Acadia Parish Today

Crowley Post-Signal
602 N. Parkerson Ave, Crowley, LA 70526
Phone: 337-783-3450
Fax: 337-788-0949

Rayne-Acadian Tribune
108 North Adams, Rayne, LA 70578
Phone: 337-334-3186
Fax: 337-334-8474

Church Point News
c/o The Eunice News, 465 Aymond St., Eunice, LA 70535
Phone: 337-457-3061