A.J. LeBlanc introducing Judge Allen Babineaux;
Judge Babineaux thanking the Acadians for their invitation;
Judge Babineaux's grandfather educating himself;
Hearing the Story of Evangeline from his grandfather and going to the land of his ancestors;
1950s was his first trip to Canada, like a retreat;
Cajuns being put down;
Wanting to make people realize our culture we have down here;
Picking cotton at 50 cents, 100 lbs. 200 lbs, $1 a day;
"Destiny brought us here.";
Hundred-years War between England and France. Who was going to be the higher power. French and Indian Wars;
What is an Acadian?;
Louisianians;
Nova Scotia/Acadie was the first permanent colony other than Florida and other Spanish colonies;
French colony of Port Royal in 1603/1604. Jamestown, Virginia;
1603-1755, continual battle between England and France wanting to control Nova Scotia;
Mixture of English and French. No longer British, no longer French, but "Acadian";
Babineauxs in North America descend from a single couple, Nicolas Babineau(x) and Marguerite Granger;
10:22 (Pure) Democracy in the new world;
Beausoleil Broussard responsible for us being in Louisiana;
Describing Beausoleil like people that we know (dedication of Eddie Richard, audacity of Louvey Trahan, and face of Antoine 'A.J.' LeBlanc);
Guilbeau(x), all Babineau(x)'s have Guilbeau(x) blood. Louis Charles Babineaux married one of Joseph dit l'Officier's Babineau(x) many daughters. Babineau(x)'s here because of Grangers, Guilbeau(x);
Napoleon Bonaparte knew whoever owned the mouth of the Mississippi river (Louisiana Purchase) would be powerful;
Acadians claim the west bank of the Mississippi river to the Texas line;
Beausoleil led the first group of Acadians to Louisiana;
Acadians' history was not written by us, but by others who disliked us and opressed;
Judge Babineaux battled two cancers;
Reading Evangeline, Acadians were a 'defeated' people never to resuscitate again;
Fighting the last battle against the British. Guerilla warrior;
Joseph Guilbeau(x), Arceneauxs, Bernards, and Beausoleil's groups incarcerated in Halifax, but there were numerous prisons and concentration camps;
Group of 250 Acadians banded together. 7 prominent names including Arceneaux, Bernard, Guilbeau(x), Broussard. They settled around modern-day Broussard, New Iberia, and west of the Atchafalaya Basin;
Beausoleil Broussard died a few months after he arrived in Louisiana after months of fighting the British;
"First of all, to know who we are, we have to know where we came from and why we are here." and "We know why we're here, but the good Lord knows what he's doing. I think we're blessed to be living in this area of the United States of America." - Judge Babineaux;
Lots of work to do;
No longer a majority in America;
Continue bilingualism;
19:55 Judge Babineaux one of three American jurist to represent the U.S. at the German Marshal Fund of America's European Judges Conference in Lyons, France to be conducted in German and French:
Two of the three judges representing the U.S. came from Acadiana. Allen Babineaux from Carencro who was made fun of, Justice Summers from Abbeville whose mother was a LeBlanc, and a judge from New York ;
Like United Nations, instantaneous translations;
A Cajun representing the United States of America and proud speaking an accent;
Cajun accent "as American" as any other accent in the U.S.;
The fittest survived the hardships the Acadians endured, and the Cajuns are the survivors;
Always had the talent, but never the oppurtunity;
Kermick? Chiasson's grocery store on Moss St. and his (grand)kids coming to visit Mr. Allen and his wife;
Cajuns in the high ranks of the U.S. millitary and the mainstream of things as Americans (their grandparents couldn't speak English);
Speaking English like Americans (not British) and French like Cajuns (not Frenchmen);
French Immersion, Congrès Mondiale, and Franco-Fête;
Known for our joie de vivre and ambassadors/musicians like Zachary Richard, Beausoleil Broussard?;
California Cajuns;
Not limiting our ability to communicate in one language and never forgetting the French langauge;
30:11 At least 40% of the words in the English dictionary are French (camouflage);
Only heard English at school, never at home until the radio came about;
Is this culture worth saving/does it have a value?;
'Television culture' ruining America;
Fixing Allen Babineaux's telephone;
Liberty and Equality;
Tripod must have three equal legs in order to stand up straight and the glue that holds things together (liberty, equality, and fraternity);
Fairs and festivals;
Communicating and sharing feelings with others;
Judge from New Orleans concerned coming to Lafayette (the country);
Different culture than mainstream America;
Less prejudice and more cooperation than any other area of the U.S.;
CAFA;
Jimmy Domengeaux, Dudley LeBlanc, Roy Theriot;
Twinning Longueuil and Moncton, only between mayors and not people;
CAFA offers continuation between people;
Without youth and language, we have no hope/future;
This culture produced two cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church;
Names like Roy, Mathieu;
39:56 Infrastructure solid now because of CAFA;
60-70 different family reunions that are still functioning;
2003 - 200 year anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson doubling the size of the United States;
2004 - Acadie, Canada to the land of our ancestors;
Destiny brought us here, Louisiana the only state under the 'Civil Code.' Same in continental Europe, Central and South America and most of Afirca also under this code;
Becoming more involved in this advance;
Up until WWII, England was a dominant factor. Then the U.S. snuck in behind England after WWII because we spoke English;
Communication;
Promoting the Cajun culture;
La Société Historique Acadienne celebrating the first contact with Cajuns since Le Grand Dérangement;
Jean-Marie Fonteneau;
Les cadiens sont entêtés;
Crusades and infidels. The most stubborn, loyal people came from France where the Acadians were from (Southern/Western France);
Nonc Roger being hard-headed;
Fr. Yvonne LeBlanc's joke. Young priest giving his first sermon;
49:40 A.J. LeBlanc talking about his trip to Anchorage, Alaska. Western conference - west of the Mississippi river. Walking into the bar and having people know they're from Louisiana;
#1 question tourists have is why we're so happy. Enjoy tonight, get out tomorrow;
A.J. pure Acadian (LeBlanc + Bourdreaux + Robichaux + Hebert) and proud of it;
Judge Babineaux returns talking about saving the culture and language;
Grace before meals and the U.S. Pledge in French;
Cajun Acadian Flag pin and explanation. Flag of Acadiana;
A.J. LeBlanc was instrumental in instituting June 6th as Acadian(a) Day in Louisina;
Comments from attendee: history lesson this morning and people should be proud of dedicated board members;
Board members?: Betty Duchamp, Johnny Comeaux, Woody Hebert, and Ronnie Blanchard;
Johnny (not an officer) will read the report of tallying votes for president;
First meeting at the City Bar in Maurice;
Elected officers to be re-elected to same positions (A.J. LeBlanc, Eddie Richard, Allen Babineaux?);
Secretary will read the minutes from the May 6 board of directors meeting and accepting the minutes;
Adjourning the meeting;