The Village Historique Acadien: A living journey into the past
We experienced how difficult it is to capture the history of a people or ethnic group in words, books, and in our minds at the Village Historique Acadien Caraquet in New Brunswick. Until our visit to this museum village, we had taken the easy route: most history books and guidebooks state that the Acadians were expelled from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by the British in 1755.
Maybe there's a short note about those who had hidden in the woods to avoid deportation. Or those who only ventured out of the hinterland over time, when they realized that no further expulsions threatened. In no case have I found any evidence of how these scattered Acadian communities eked out a living in an unfriendly environment.
Who are the Acadians? – Insights into a forgotten culture
On our journey in the footsteps of the Acadians by New Brunswick We learned for the first time about the Acadian renaissance. This was largely thanks to politicians like Louis J. Robichaud, the first Acadian premier of New Brunswick. Under him and his successor, the Acadians gradually gained the same rights and opportunities as their English-speaking neighbors in the province. French universities were founded, the health care system was reformed, and equal rights for the Acadians were promoted.
This is how you experience the life of the Acadians up close
Until then, there were no French-speaking universities where they could acquire higher education. As a result, they led a fairly simple life. Because of the lack of education, they were forced to make a living as self-sufficient. In their villages they grew the things they needed for everyday life. Money was in short supply, as their professional opportunities often only consisted of hiring out as servants to their British neighbors. The laundress Sagouine in Antonine Maillet's book has a very real background.
In the Village Historique Acadien Caraquet we experience the Renaissance of the Acadians
At the Village Historique Acadien Caraquet in northern New Brunswick, we had the opportunity to gain insight into the lives of the Acadians who escaped deportation. We also saw what life was like for their descendants in the decades and centuries following the expulsion. Here, we gain a better understanding of what it meant to be born and live as an Acadian in the 19th and 20th centuries. A village of original Acadian houses has been rebuilt there, revealing what this life was like.
In the second half of the 18th century, they were forced to seek their livelihood as outlaws secretly in the deep forests of New Brunswick. They remained quiet for many years. Finally, cautiously and hesitantly at first, and later more and more openly, they reclaimed their place on the ruins of old Acadia. Their original lands no longer belonged to them. Nevertheless, they sought new settlements in remote corners of the country that seemed unattractive to their new masters. Thus, step by step, they created a vibrant Acadia that, while lacking official status, declared its existence with increasing confidence.
Authentic encounters: conversations with the museum’s “residents”
This phase of resettlement took place in the 18th and 19th centuries and is brought to life in the Acadien Historical Village of Caraquet. In the older houses of the museum village, we see how simple and austere life was during those difficult times. Nevertheless, the weaver, the blacksmith, and the village innkeeper demonstrate how proud the people of this region are of those times. It demonstrates the courage and perseverance their ancestors possessed to preserve their identity, their language, and their customs and traditions despite all adversities.
In the 20th-century houses and streets, we quickly realize that modernity is now also making inroads into the Acadian communities. Progress and new technologies are evident everywhere. The furnishings in the homes are also becoming more sophisticated and luxurious. Suddenly, there are rugs on the floors, mirrors on the walls, sewing machines in the corner, and kitchen stoves appear larger.
From Expulsion to Rebirth: The Story of the Acadian Renaissance
While there were barely fifteen thousand people hiding in the forests at the time of the deportations, today there are more than two million. They live in the Atlantic provinces, but also in the regions to which they were deported or fled. In Louisiana today there are more than one million Cajuns, descendants of the former exiles from Acadia. They can be found in all Canadian provinces, especially in Quebec, the Falkland Islands, France and New England. Most of them, however, can be found in their old homeland – in the Atlantic provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Here they have chosen their own flag and their own national anthem. They have their own institutions and now have the same rights as all other inhabitants of these three provinces. In New Brunswick their language is also the official language alongside English, making New Brunswick the only officially bilingual province in Canada.
Conclusion: A must for cultural travelers in Eastern Canada
Nowhere on our trip did we get to know and understand the Acadian Renaissance better than in the Village Historique Acadien. If you want to see this, you should plan plenty of time on your trip – ideally a whole day – because the village is very extensive and large. People are waiting for you in the houses to explain and experience everyday life at that time. We watch a spinner spinning wool from the village sheep into thick strands. In the next house, the woman of the house is just fetching freshly baked Buchteln (buntles) from the wood-fired oven. A horse-drawn carriage delivers freshly chopped wood in front of the house. The village pub still serves homemade liquor. The tavern also serves simple food, as was common in Acadian homes during those times. Take your time and immerse yourself in the life of the Acadians in the Village Historique Acadien Caraquet!
More information about cycling in the Leipzig Region as well as more interesting routes:
Acadian Museum in Caraquet
NB 11, Rivière du Nord,
Caraquet, NB
Canada
Travel Arrangements:
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
Getting to Village Historique Acadien Caraquet:
Air Canada, Condor and Icelandair fly from Germany to various airports in eastern Canada.
Car Rentals:
Cheap car hire - book quickly and easily!
Hotels near Village Historique Acadien Caraquet:
Hotels on the Acadian peninsula* (advertisement) you can book, for example, through our partner booking.com.
More things to know
- Acadia on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia
- Upper Canada Village Ontario, Canada
- Ontario's beginnings in the Upper Canada Village
- Eastern Canada round trip to savor
- Beautiful beaches in eastern Canada
Source: own on-site research. We would like to thank Tourism New Brunswick and the Village Historique Acadien Caraquet for their kind support of this trip. However, our opinions remain, as always, our own.
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos © Copyright MonikaFuchs and TravelWorldOnline
