A Pilgrimage from Genesis to Diaspora . . . and Back Again

Journeying to the ancestral beacon of Acadia

by

There is perhaps no better way to truly understand the Acadian story in Louisiana than by setting foot in Acadia, where the land, historic sites, and the people of the Maritimes tell a story of vitality spanning four centuries. 

Most of the modern Maritime Provinces are situated on the land once known as Acadie, the home of the French Acadian people, who, in the seventeenth century settled on the unceded Mi’kmaw territory known as Mi'kma'ki. 

The mythic destruction of Acadia at the hands of the English during the eighteenth century Grand Dérangement left little surviving material culture from before the diaspora, but there does remain an abundance of historical sources and genealogical research—in the Maritimes, Louisiana, and online—available to aid Acadian descendants in piecing together family trees, histories, or locations of former homesites in the Maritime Provinces. Parks, museums, and roadside markers provide a wealth of interpretation throughout Nova Scotia, particularly along the northern region below the Bay of Fundy, where the Acadian culture developed. 

Visiting these places in person, especially armed with the knowledge and context available in the expansive literature, fosters a deeper understanding of Acadie, from its genesis to its diaspora, while providing a new lens through which to read the Louisiana landscape at home.  

The Annapolis Basin 

The Annapolis Basin is considered the “Cradle of Acadie,” where the first trickle of French fur traders established permanent settlements at the cusp of the seventeenth century. The area was named Port-Royal in 1604, and the French built a trading post the following year; their survival through that harsh winter can mostly be attributed to the support of the Mi’kmaq. Soon after, a network of trade and military alliances cemented a relationship between the two communities that lasted over 150 years.  

The town of Annapolis Royal—founded as Port-Royal—is considered one of the oldest permanent European settlements in North America. This is where, over time, the Europeans set up the essentials of a colonial capital: the church, the mill, and the fort. While the town is now considered the “Cradle” of Acadie, it became the center of conflict between the French and English throughout the 17th century, passing between the two realms eight times before the English finally seized the fortress in 1710. That is today’s Fort Anne National Historic Site, the first Parks Canada historic site in the country. Interpretive displays and artifacts tell the history, with a particular focus on the perspectives of the main players: the Mi’kmaq, the French, the English, and the Acadians. The museum also has archives available to peruse with an appointment, complementing the wealth of genealogical information at the O’Dell House Museum, run by the Annapolis Heritage Society. The Mapannapolis project is also a great resource for research from afar. 

By the 1630s, the Acadian communities began expanding beyond the colonial town. The Melanson Settlement National Historic Site, an archaeological park and former Acadian settlement, is such an example. After Charles Melanson and Marie Dugas settled there in 1664, their kin turned the settlement into a bonafide village. Composed of houses and farm outbuildings for ten families, the settlement thrived for almost ninety years until the Grand Dérangement. They cultivated the land through dyking and the ingenious aboiteaux system, removing brackish water from marshlands to claim the fertile terre as their own. Though the livestock, gardens, and buildings no longer grace the terraced landscape, apple orchards nestled away in the woods act as living artifacts from the days of yore. 

Annapolis Valley & the Minas Basin 

As the Acadian population grew during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, families expanded down the Annapolis Valley into the Minas Basin. To traverse west on the scenic Evangeline Trail, from Annapolis Royal to Grand Pré, is to follow the Acadian story. It is along these corridors that the lives of the Acadians—both the prosperous and tumultuous aspects—are truly reflected on the landscape. The agriculture, produced on lands first drained by Acadians, creates a patchwork of vibrant chartreuse and earth-tones backlit by the darker hues of the North and South Mountains. Despite the hilly terrain—the livestock, Annapolis River, and its tributaries evoke imagery of the Bayou Teche. Much like in bayou country, locals get impatient—though not enraged—with sightseers on the scenic route. Luckily, public sideroads and pull-offs allow inquisitive drivers to safely pull over at places of interest. Consulting historic and contemporary maps beforehand also eases the search for Acadian homesites, or spontaneous exploring.   

 As soon as the Annapolis Valley ends, the Minas Basin begins. By 1701, this area became the hub of Acadian vitality, to which one observer noted the inhabitants were “of very independent character and accustomed to deciding things for themselves!” Indeed, 1,300 hectares of Grand-Pré’s cultural landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is here that the fictional Evangeline called home in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem. Today, the Grand-Pré NHS commemorates the Grand Pré settlement and the Grand Dérangement with a museum and stunning gardens. Evangeline’s statue prefaces the chapel erected in the approximate location of the 18th century church destroyed in 1755. Inside, memorials abound to honor the 10,000 Acadians forcibly deported from their homes. Outside, weeping willows creak and groan—though they only range from sixty to eighty years old, they are descendants of ancient willows planted there long ago by the original Acadian settlers.