Finding Acadie Inside Ourselves: More Than A Distant Neighbor

Genealogy is a great thing. We get a window into generations gone by, make exciting discoveries, and help explain the legacy that we pass down. One of those things we may discover is that, while we tend to focus heavily on our Quebec Roots, there are Acadian Roots as well. Let’s take a moment to reflect on that. 

In a pure numbers game, the reality is that most people of French Canadian descent have (what are today) Quebec Roots. We look at Quebec as the homeland, identify with the Fleur de Lys and maybe even look further across the Atlantic to where we came from in France. In doing so, we tend to skip over that “other” settlement in New France. Again, the numbers game is probably as much at fault as anything, but we tend to see Acadia as that distant neighbor with a unique history. We use words like “cousin” in a figurative way, and really only pay attention around “their” heritage month. I’m not saying we don’t respect Acadie, we simply don’t relate to it as we do Quebec. But should we? I’ll argue that yes, we should. And the reason is that if we make those genealogical discoveries, words like “cousin” become a lot more literal and the Acadian Story becomes more personal.

Like the majority of New England Francos, my ancestors came to the US from Quebec. I’ve heard the family stories, as well as done the genealogy. I have birth and marriage records from up and down both sides of the St Lawrence. Mixed in with those records, however, are the occasional names and records going back to the (present day) Maritimes. I came across one of those names early on. My Paternal Great Grandmother was a Landry; her line took me through over 250 years of births and marriages back to Antoine Landry of Port Royal ~1660. The next discovery was on my Maternal side when I came across a  marriage to Marie Elizabeth Doiron of Pisiguit (Nova Scotia) Acadie. Since then I’ve been tracing a few other marriages in the Gaspesie Region- I have a pretty good guess that they’ll take me to present day Nova Scotia or New Brunswick before getting back to France.  

Chances are, your lineage is similar. So what does that mean? First- We probably shouldn’t consider ourselves Acadian, but rather that we have Acadian Heritage. I feel that considering ourselves Acadian based on a few 3 and 4 x great grandparents would be a disservice to those with a much stronger lineage. Next:  if it IS part of us, we need to lean in and learn more about it. Most of us have spent years focusing on Quebec and it’s diaspora to the Northeast. We probably wont get that in depth, but we need to know more than a cursory level “Acadia 101.” 

Now the risqué part: What does it not mean?  These can be sensitive topics, but I’m going there. I’m suggesting many of us may have a heritage which is unique, numerically & geographically limited, and contains a certain tragedy. By today’s social standards, all of these things can be considered “cool” or “exotic,” and therefor “desired.” With that in mind, it doesn’t mean we HAVE to find this ancestry. Let’s not repeat the Native or First Nations myth that still permeates our Franco American Family Stories; you all know that one I’m talking about. If Acadian Lineage is there- it’s there, if it’s not- it’s not. Also (assuming it’s there), let’s learn the whole story. Having this lineage doesn't mean focusing only on the tragic part referenced above. The deportations are a chapter in Acadian history. Acadia existed for about 150 years before that chapter and has existed for around 250 years since. With that timeframe comes lineage, history, geography, music, food, culture and traditions. Finding Acadian ancestors is a chance to open a new chapter in ourselves, not an opportunity to claim a new found victimhood.  

Finally, regardless of what we find (or don’t find) let’s be sure to enjoy the process. Just as we picked areas of Quebec history and culture to focus on, we’ll most likely find those Acadian interests as well. So get involved with a genealogy organization, open up a few books and maps, listen to some new music and try some new recipes. We’ll probably enjoy the process and learnings; especially if they involve a  “cousin” and not a “neighbor.”