Grand Dérangement study guide Grand Dérangement Grand Dérangement is a French Acadian music group from Saint Marie Bay, (Baie Sainte Marie), Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a mix of French traditional music, Celtic, rock and Louisiana rhythms.the group started in 1998, they have recorded five CD. There are four musicians in the group as well as two step dancers who dance the Acadian style step-dancing.
This award winning group is ambitious in targeting an audience and has succeeded in acquiring an acclaimed international reputation. The group acts as an Acadian ambassador and its popularity in Europe and the United States is on the rise. Their latest CD 'Live' celebrated the 10 th year anniversary. It was recorded at a live performance in their home town on the 15 th of august 2006. Members of Grand Dérangement include: Daniel LeBlanc- fiddle and vocals Briand Melanson- drums and lead vocals Jean-Pascal Comeau- bass and vocals Charles Robicheau- guitar Danielle LeBlanc- step dancer Suzanne Comeau- step dancer Story of the Acadians The name Acadia referred originally to the French colonies, now part of south-eastern Quebec, eastern Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. It is said that the name came form the Greek 'Arcadia' meaning 'rural contentment'. It was thought to be named by Verrazano who sailed near the Maritimes in 1524. The name 'Acadian' was given to the settlers who came from France and lived there. The first expedition of settlers sent to Acadia came from France. They were led by Pierre Du Gua, Sieur de Monts, who was granted the monopoly from king of France to trade fur with the natives. With two ships, they left France in the spring of 1604 and landed on Ste. Croix Island off the north shore of the Bay of Fundy. Because of a harsh winter,
half of the men died of scurvy. They decided to find a better place to live so the moved in 1605 to a place called Annapolis Basin and founded Port Royal that year. They were greeted by native, who befriended them and thought them how to survive. More French settlers started to arrive and the population grew to more then 10 000. During the 1600s Acadia passed back and forth between England and France several times. During an English period in the 1620s, James I, a Scottish king, granted the land to a fellow Scot, William Alexander, who named it New Scotland or now Nova Scotia. The Grand Dérangement The Acadians became stuck in the middle of many French -British territorial disputes. Before the Seven Years War (1756-1763), which the British defeated the French and a coalition of Indian allies, the British began to fear a revolt in the Acadian people. They required an oath of allegiance to the British Crown, including the promise to bear arms in defence of England. Refusal of this allegiance would eventually lead to the Acadian Expulsion or the Grand Dérangement. From 1755 to 1762, over 8000 Acadians were deported to New England, to southern colonies, (Virginia, The Carolinas, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Europe. The deportation was a tragic event.
www.acadian.org
Louisiana At the end of the Seven Years War, the Treaty of Paris in 1763 gave the Acadians 18 months to leave the English colonies. The Acadians wanted to go back to Nova Scotia, but were denied by the British. The French denied relocation to Louisiana, which was later given to Spain. The Acadians eventually made their way to Santo Domingo in 1764 and in 1765 arrived in New Orleans. The Spanish allowed the Acadians to relocate in St. Martinsville in April of 1765. In 1766 another flood for Acadians landed in Louisiana, and in 1785 those Acadians who were sent to England during the war and relocated in Poitou France afterwards arrived and settled along the Bayou Lafourche area. The Acadians in Louisiana eventually intermixed with other ethnic groups, particularly with French, Spanish, German, Anglo-American and black Creole settlers. This crosscultured pollination created a new ethnic group called the Cajuns. The English pronunciation of Acadian explains the root of Cajun, (Acadian-Acadjunn-Cajun) Present day Acadians Today there are approximately 400 000 Acadian descents in the Atlantic provinces, (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, and Newfoundland), and an estimated 1 000 000 to 1 500 000 worldwide. The Acadian culture is very much alive and well. The music, festivals, food and pride are very predominant in the Acadians communities. 2004 marked the 400 th anniversary of the Acadians. The Congrès Mondial Acadien, a two week festival in Nova Scotia, was the event to celebrate this. Every year the Acadians celebrate Acadia the 15 th of august. The American writer Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes in his epic poem, Evangeline -A Tale of Acadie, the story of the Evangeline and Gabriel, two lovers who were separated during the Grand Dérangement in 1755. They became the Romeo and Juliet of Acadia. Ideas for Classroom study: 1. Study the history of the Acadians and the reasons why they came to Acadia. 2. Study the geography of the 1600s of Acadia and compare the geography of today. 3. Listen to some Acadian music and Cajun music and see what makes them similar, different.
Flag of Acadia Blue= Sea- sky- Loyalty Red=Blood and courage White=Lily- Present peace Yellow star=virgin Mary, Stella Maris Cajun Flag of Louisiana Golden star on white field= ethnic pride, Roman Catholic heritage Fleur de lis on the blue field= the Acadians French ancestry Golden castle on the red field= Louisiana s period of Spanish colonial rule, during which the Acadians arrived in Louisiana Interesting website links: www.grandderangement.com www.plages.net - Variety of Acadian music www.louisianamusicfactory.com - Variety of Cajun music www.acadian-cajun.com - Acadian-Cajun genalogy and history www.acadian.org -Acadian culture www.cajunculture.com -Cajun culture