[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 102 (Monday, July 25, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H6392-H6393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
A DAY OF COMMEMORATION OF THE GREAT UPHEAVAL
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 294) supporting the goals of ``A Day of
Commemoration of the Great Upheaval'', and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 294
Whereas on March 3, 1699, France established the French
colony of Louisiana, and this event was commemorated in 1999
as FrancoFete 99 and the Congres Mondial Acadien-Louisiane
1999;
Whereas on December 9, 2003, a royal proclamation was
signed in Canada in which Queen Elizabeth II acknowledged for
the first time the wrongs committed in the name of the
English Crown during the Acadian deportation of 1755;
Whereas this royal proclamation sets July 28th of every
year, beginning in 2005, as ``A Day of Commemoration of the
Great Upheaval'';
Whereas the 10,000 men, women, and children exiled from
Nova Scotia two and a half centuries ago are the ancestors of
many of south Louisiana's French-Acadian or Cajun people;
Whereas in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased the
Louisiana territory from France, and the French Napoleonic
Civil Code was adopted as the basis of Louisiana's civil law
system which continues to the present;
Whereas in 1968, the Louisiana Legislature created the
Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL)
and mandated that the agency promote French for economic,
educational, and touristic purposes;
Whereas since its creation, CODOFIL has recruited teachers
from the international community to come to Louisiana to
teach French in Louisiana schools;
Whereas there are 30 French immersion schools in Louisiana,
and Louisiana leads the Nation in bilingual education;
Whereas Louisiana is officially bilingual pursuant to
section 51 of title 1, Louisiana Revised Statutes, which
states ``Any act or contract made or executed in the French
language is as legal and binding upon the parties as if it
had been made or executed in the English language'';
Whereas in 2004, the Louisiana Legislature declared Acadian
Heritage Week to be the third week in September and urged
schools in Louisiana to teach children about their Acadian
history, culture, and heritage; and
Whereas in 2005, the world will memorialize the 250th
anniversary of the Acadian deportation and observe a day of
remembrance of the suffering of the Acadian people as a
result of their deportation by the British Crown (as
memorialized in Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Proclamation dated
December 9, 2003): Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the goals of Acadian Heritage Week; and
(2) supports the goals of ``A Day of Commemoration of the
Great Upheaval'', as established by Queen Elizabeth II's
Royal Proclamation, signed on December 9, 2003, in which the
sufferings of the Acadian people were acknowledged.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Issa) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa).
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 294, which was
introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
Boustany).
This legislation tells the story of the Great Upheaval, which is an
event that, while perhaps little known to many Americans, helped shape
the culture and history of the State of Louisiana.
The Great Upheaval refers to the expulsion of the Acadian population
of Nova Scotia by the British in the mid-18th century, which is the
origins of these original French settlers of the land that is now the
eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince
Edward Island.
The Treaty of Utrecht, signed by the British and French at the
conclusion of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713, ended a series
of land trades between the world's powers by finally awarding to the
British the region inhabited by the Acadians.
Consequently, by 1730, all Acadians were compelled to swear an oath
that gave their allegiance to the British, but the oath further forced
them to agree to bear arms against the French or Indians.
However, in 1794 when the French and Indian War broke out, the
majority of Acadians refused and disregarded this commitment to fight
the French. Consequently, the British deported these Acadians, more
than 10,000 strong, who would not commit their loyalty to the British
Crown.
The King of France encouraged the displaced French citizens to
ultimately settle in Louisiana. These thousands of Acadians exiled from
Nova Scotia 2\1/2\ centuries ago are the ancestors of many of today's
French Acadian, or Cajun, citizens in Louisiana.
Largely due to the Great Upheaval, French influence is still very
strong in south Louisiana. The third week of September is officially
Acadian Heritage Week in Louisiana. In addition, in December 2003,
Queen Elizabeth signed a royal proclamation that acknowledged the
mistreatment of the Acadians and designated July 28 of every year a day
to commemorate the Great Upheaval.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
might consume.
Mr. Speaker, the Great Upheaval, also known as the Great Expulsion,
was the eviction of the Acadian population from Nova Scotia between
1755 and 1763.
In 1755, colonial authorities began a process of uprooting and
deporting 10,000 men, women, and children who had settled on British
land. British Lieutenant Governor Charles Lawrence and Massachusetts
Governor William Shirley began by seizing colonists' firearms to
prevent them from using force to resist.
[[Page H6393]]
Then they took a large number of men hostage in order to guarantee
the docility of their families at the at the time of deportation.
Approximately three-quarters of the total Acadian population was
deported. Some were sent to England, others to France, and still others
to the area that was to become Louisiana.
During the campaign against the Acadians, property was plundered,
communities were torched, lands were seized, and thousands of Acadian
lives were claimed.
{time} 1445
Over several generations after the Great Upheaval, the presence of
Acadians in Louisiana grew, and their descendants helped to form the
nucleus of Louisiana's Cajun life and culture.
On December 9, 2003, Queen Elizabeth II issued a proclamation that
acknowledged the suffering experienced by the Acadian people during the
Great Upheaval and designated July 28 as ``A Day of Commemoration of
the Great Upheaval.''
H. Res. 294 supports the goals of the proclamation. It also points
out how our country has grown and developed and how many of the
prejudices that at one time people held have begun, in a serious way,
to have diminished. Anybody who has ever visited Louisiana or knows
anything about Louisiana knows that the Acadian population is an
integral part of the life, the culture, and of the development in the
State of Louisiana. So I am proud to support this resolution. I urge
its passage.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany), the author of the bill.
Mr. BOUSTANY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr.
Issa) for yielding me time, and I thank the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Davis) for his eloquent comments today.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 294, supporting the
goals of ``A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval.'' This
resolution recognizes the importance of the Acadian people to Louisiana
and is intended to celebrate their contributions to my State of
Louisiana and this country.
During the Acadian deportation of 1755, approximately 14,000 men,
women and children were expelled from Nova Scotia. Some returned to
France, but most wound up scattered throughout the American colonies.
Many sailed through to the French colony of Louisiana, where, over the
centuries, they have established their own unique French-Acadian or
Cajun culture. It is now estimated that there are over 450,000 Acadian
descendants in Louisiana alone.
Cajun means many things to many people. While not all Cajuns have
Acadian ancestry, a shared heritage, the legacy of the expulsion, and
the maintenance of a language and culture distinct from other Americans
define the Cajuns as a distinct ethnic group.
Cajun French is a unique dialect of the French language. It is still
spoken throughout the Acadiana region of Louisiana, although the number
of people who speak Cajun has declined dramatically over the past 50
years. For many years it was considered a distortion of the French
language; however, recently it was discovered that a number of Cajuns
served as French interpreters for American forces in France during
World War II, and their importance has been recognized.
It is difficult to summarize Cajun cuisine and music. I guess you
could say we like them both hot and spicy. Gumbo, jambalaya, and
etouffee can be found in restaurants throughout the country. Cajun
music and its cousin zydeco influenced country music and early rock and
roll. Their mark on American music can still be heard on popular radio
today.
Cajuns have had an impact on virtually every aspect of American life.
Just some examples I will give you, national recording artist Wayne
Toups, who has traveled internationally; Super Bowl quarterback of the
NFL's Carolina Panthers, Jake Delhomme; painter and creator of the
world-famous ``Blue Dog,'' George Rodrigue; Grammy Award-winning artist
Michael Doucet of the band Beausoleil; the 13th Commandant of the
United States Marine Corps John Archer LeJeune; Cy Young Award winner
and New York Yankee Ron Guidry; and last but not least, 12-term
Congressman and former chairman of the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, our colleague Billy Tauzin. We all remember Billy. He was
famous for his keen wit, but also his great jokes, his great Boudreau
and Thibodeau jokes.
So from music to sports, from the military to the United States
Congress, Cajuns have left their mark on American culture.
In an effort to preserve the Cajun language and culture, the
Louisiana State Legislature created the Council for the Development of
French in Louisiana, or CODOFIL, in 1968. This organization is
committed to the development, utilization and preservation of the
French language as found in Louisiana for the cultural benefit of the
State. It is to this end that Mr. Warren Perrin, a constituent of mine,
has committed years of toil and time to make this day of commemoration
a reality. The people of Acadiana and all of Louisiana are grateful to
Mr. Perrin for his efforts to preserve and expand the Cajun heritage in
Louisiana.
On December 9, 2003, Queen Elizabeth II set July 28 by royal
proclamation as a Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval to
recognize the struggles of these Cajuns who left Nova Scotia. In 2004,
the Louisiana Legislature declared Acadian Heritage Week to be the
third week in September and urged schools to teach children about their
Acadian heritage, history and culture. And the story of the Acadian
people should be commemorated and celebrated because of their impact
upon American history and society.
This resolution would serve that end by supporting the goals of
Acadian Heritage Week and ``A Day of Commemoration of the Great
Upheaval.'' I urge colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this
resolution.
Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Kolbe). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 294.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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