Cajuns are a distinct cultural group of Louisiana, originating as Acadian immigrants exciled from Canada, and settling in the bayous and prairies. Despite facing hardship and discrimination, Cajuns preserved their unique language, traditions, and way of life. Cajun culture is known for its strong sense of community, its resilience, and amazing music and food!
This is a video tour of the Cajun Document. It is a collection of beautiful photography by Douglas Baz and Charles H., who spent over six months (in 1973 and '74) in Acadia documenting the Cajun life. From the early days of French and Spanish colonial rule to the present day, black communities have played a vital role in shaping the social, economic, and cultural landscape of Louisiana.…show more content… One section of the book that offers a wide range of information but also displays problematic information, is chapter 21, Songs This chapter explores different types of songs and offers many examples, and is filled with overgeneralizations about the black people of Louisiana. There are two distinct genres that come from southern Louisiana-- Cajun music, and zydeco music. While there are many shared elements to these two styles, each culture takes pride in its distinct musical identity. Both are amazing examples of the ways that many cultures can contribute to creating something beautiful, but Cajun music specifically is a result of many different cultures. It began with colonial French Creoles and Acadians both singing Western French folk songs. Black Creoles introduced innovative rhythms and percussion techniques, and improvisational singing, which are all central sounds to the blues. Indigenous people added a distinct wailing, terraced singing style. In the 17th century the popularization of the violin made its way from France into southern Louisian, and in the 19th century German-Jewish merchants introduced diatonic accordians.…show more content… As A. Raynie Harlan and David P. Harlan explain in The Tie That Binds: Louisiana's Natural Riches, "Before the arrival of European colonists, Louisiana was as dynamic and untamed an environment as could be found anywhere in the United States. It is a land ruled by water, that relentless force of nature that is both creative and destructive. Mighty flowing rivers transported much of the continent's water to the sea freely, and the sea accepted the contribution freely. The rich black earth supported quantities of plants, trees, birds, reptiles, and mammals, while hundreds of fish and invertebrate species clotted the dark bayous and turbid waters. The natural richness of life on the land and in the waters was unfathomable and seemingly inexhaustible." The indigenous communities, who were originally mobile hunters, became more stationary because of the abundant resources of rivers, bayous, swamps, and marshes. Some groups were cultivating plants around 2000 BCE. The exact populations and regional groupings before European arrival is unknown, but we do know that during the first two decades of European colonization a significant amount (possibly over 50%) died because of new diseases. They faced steady marginalization and population decline, but they collectively remained the largest
