Cajuns are descended from the French colonists of Acadia, part of Nova Scotia, which was taken by the British in 1713. The Catholic Acadians , who had quietly fished, hunted and farmed for more than a century, refused to renounce their faith and swear allegiance to the English king, and in 1755 the British expelled them all, separating families and burning towns. About 2500 ended up in French Louisiana, where they were given land to set up small farming communities, enabling them to rebuild the culture they had left behind. Hunting, farming and trapping, they lived in relative isolation until the 1940s, when major roads were built, immigrants from other states poured in to work in the oil business, and Cajun music , popularized by local musicians such as accordionist Iry Lejeune, came to national attention. Since then, the history of the Cajuns has continued to be one of struggle. The whole region was hit hard by the oil slump; the erosion of coastal wetlands threatens the existence of towns like Houma and Morgan City; the silting up of the Atchafalaya Basin is having adverse effects on fishing and shrimping; and many coastal towns are in the firing line of the devastating hurricanes that hurtle up from the Gulf of Mexico.
However, the favorite Cajun phrase, lache pas la patate - "don't let go of the potato" - is an encouragement not to give up that suits this enduring culture to a tee. The popular image of the Cajuns as partying, fun-loving people is borne out at their many local dances, or fais-do-dos , held mostly at weekends. These singing, dancing celebrations, where everyone is welcome to trip a quick two-step, are good places to encounter this unique culture at close hand, and visitors will find plenty of opportunity to join one. After Roosevelt's administration decreed that all American children should speak English in schools, French was practically wiped out in Louisiana, and the local Creole patois of the older inhabitants, with its strong African influences, was kept alive primarily by music. Since the 1980s, CODOFIL (the council for development of French in Louisiana) has been devoted to preserving the region's indigenous language and culture.
Although Baton Rouge , the capital of Louisiana, is not actually in Cajun country, heading out this way from New Orleans, via the plantations on the banks of the Mississippi, makes a good approach.
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