Did you know the Acadians have their very own flag? Well, they do, and the following article explains how it came to be and what the symbols on it represent...
Acadian Flag
Thomas J. Arceneaux designed
the Louisiana Acadian Flag to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Acadian
exile into Louisiana and to remind us of other important influences on
Acadians. Arceneaux, a native of Carencro, La., is a life-long supporter of English-French
bilingual education in Louisiana Schools and was a charter member of the
Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL). He is the former
Dean of Agriculture (1941-1973) at the University of Southwestern Louisiana in
Lafayette and was one of the early leaders of the Louisiana French renaissance
movement that revived interest and pride in the French-Acadian heritage.
Description of the Acadian
flag:
Three silver fleurs de lis
on a blue field represent the French origin of the Acadians. The fleurs de lis
is a symbol of the kings of France.
When the Acadians arrived in
Louisiana, it was under Spanish rule. Since the Acadians prospered in Louisiana
after years of exile, a portion of the flag pays homage to Spain with a gold
tower on a red field representing the Old Arms of Castille, a prosperous
European Spanish kingdom.
The gold star on a white
field represents "Our Lady of the Assumption", Patroness of the
Acadians. When the first settlers departed France for the New World, the Virgin
Mary was highly revered. It was a period of great devotion to the Virgin. The
King of France, Louis XIII, and Pope Pius XI declared the Virgin Mary the
patroness of the kingdom, (Patronne de Royaume) and Patroness Saint of all the
Acadians in Canada, Louisiana and elsewhere. On August 15, 1638, France and her
colonies were consecrated to Mary under the title "Our Lady of the
Assumption".
The star also symbolizes the
active participation of the Acadians in the American Revolution as soldiers
under Spanish Governor Galvez. Shortly after the arrival of the displaced
Acadians in the Spanish territory of Louisiana, the American colonies started
their struggle for independence. Spain decided to champion the cause of the 13
American colonies in their revolution against the same English nation that had
so cruelly exiled the Acadians. The Acadians chose to serve under Galvez, the
Governor of Spanish Louisiana, and they actively participated in the battles of
Manchac, Baton Rouge, Mobile and Pensacola, which were all very important and
decisive victories that contributed to the successful conclusion of the
American Revolution.
Since the Acadians were
citizens of Spain at the time of the American Revolution, their star could not
appear on the first American flag. Thus, the gold star on the Louisiana Acadian
Flag serves as a reminder of Louisiana's participation in the American
Revolution and the significant contributions of the Louisiana Acadians during
the struggle for the beginning of a new nation.
6 comments:
great info on the 'cajun' flag. Thanks for sharing.
You're a marvel, Rita. I love learning about Louisiana and the Cajuns.
Wow, I think you do as much research as I do for my time travel novels! Good job, Rita - it's like part of that flag came from Quebec too! Cheers, my Cajun Big Sis!
Rita, that is SO interesting. I admit, when I first looked at the flag without the explanation, my mind boggled. Boy scouts with a castle? Hardly. Thank you for that.
Thanks for stopping by ladies.
The Acadiana Museum in Lafayette, Louisiana has graciously agreed to send me some Acadian flag pins and brochures for me to use at a school visit.
Thanks for sharing, Rita. Love learning more about cajuns, especially since I didn't know anything but the spice and that it had something to do with the south.
Funny, whenever I see the word 'Acadian', it reminds of where my dad is from in Greece - Arkadia. :)
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