>> male announcer: WELCOME TO TRAVELSCOPE, WITH JOSEPH ROSENDO, WHERE EACH WEEK, YOU JOIN US AS WE ACCEPT THE WORLD'S INVITATION TO VISIT.

>> Rosendo: TODAY ON TRAVELSCOPE, I HEAD TO NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA'S ACADIAN FESTIVAL TO MEET THE ACADIANS, DISCOVER THEIR HISTORY, AND LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL.

>> announcer: TRAVELSCOPE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES.

DK CITY, COUNTRY, AND DRIVING GUIDES FEATURE EVOCATIVE PHOTOS, 3-D MAPPING AND ILLUSTRATIONS FOR KEY SITES, AND TRAVEL ITINERARIES.

DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES: THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU WHAT OTHERS ONLY TELL YOU.

[upbeat folksy music] ♪ ♪ >> Rosendo: BIENVENU!

NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA, IS NOTED FOR ITS AMAZING BAY OF FUNDY TIDES, ONE OF THE NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD.

AND YET, IT'S ITS PEOPLE AND THEIR CULTURAL RICHNESS THAT KEEPS ME COMING BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR.

I'VE RETURNED FOR THE THIRD TIME TO CELEBRATE THE ACADIAN FESTIVAL.

SO JOIN ME AS WE LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER, LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL.

>> WHOO!

>> Rosendo: WONDERFUL!

THAT'S FABULOUS.

SO YOU GUYS HAVE COME ALL THIS WAY, SOME OF YOU FROM LOUISIANA, AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE FROM... >> MASSACHUSETTS.

>> Rosendo: MASSACHUSETTS.

IT'S GREAT THAT YOU CAME HERE FOR THE ACADIAN FESTIVAL.

NOW, WHY?

WHY COME ALL THIS WAY?

>> WELL, I HAVE A FRENCH CONNECTION.

MY GRAND PARENTS WERE FROM NOVA SCOTIA, AND I ENJOY PLAYING CAJUN MUSIC WITH THIS MILLER FAMILY HERE FROM LOUISIANA.

[lively Cajun music] ♪ ♪ >> I'M 81 YEARS OLD, AND I DROVE 2,500 MILES TO COME OVER HERE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

[lively Cajun music] ♪ ♪ >> Rosendo: TO UNDERSTAND THE ACADIANS, THEIR STORY, AND THE HISTORY BEHIND THEIR YEARLY CELEBRATIONS, I BEGAN MY JOURNEY IN MONCTON, THE POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL HEART OF FRENCH NEW BRUNSWICK.

THIS IS A MEMORIAL TO LE GRAND DERANGEMENT, THE GREAT UPHEAVAL, THE DEPORTATIONS OF THE ACADIANS IN THE MID 18TH CENTURY.

WE'RE GONNA LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT AS WE CONTINUE OUR PATHWAY THROUGH HISTORY AND INTO THE PRESENT AS PART OF OUR ACADIAN CELEBRATION.

I FIND THE OPENING CHAPTERS OF THE ACADIAN CHRONICLE IN THE TOWN OF MEMRAMCOOK, CALLED "THE CRADLE OF ACADIE," AT THE MONUMENT LEFEBVRE.

I'M WITH SOPHIE DOUCETTE HERE AT THE MONUMENT LEFEBVRE IN THE ACADIAN ODYSSEY MUSEUM.

AND THIS IS THE ARRIVAL ROOM.

SO FIRST THINGS FIRST, SOPHIE, WHEN DID THE PEOPLE GET HERE?

>> THE FIRST FAMILIES REALLY ONLY STARTED ARRIVING IN THE 1630s.

>> Rosendo: AND HOW DID THEY SURVIVE?

>> THEY WERE FARMERS.

THEY ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES ALONGSIDE THE RIVERS TO RECLAIM THE MARSHLANDS.

AND THEY ACTUALLY DEVELOPED A VERY UNIQUE SYSTEM, THE DIKES AND ABOITEAUX SYSTEM, WHICH KEPT THE SALT WATER OFF THEIR LANDS.

>> Rosendo: GENIUS.

I SEE THAT SOME OF THE OTHER PHOTOS SHOW THEM WITH THE NATIVE PEOPLE.

DID THEY HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM?

>> VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP.

THE ACADIANS DEVELOPED A VERY CLOSE BOND WITH THE FIRST NATIONS, THE MI'KMAQ PEOPLE FROM THE AREA.

>> Rosendo: SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY HAD A VERY GOOD LIFE HERE IN THIS LAND FOR OVER 100 YEARS.

WHAT HAPPENED?

>> WELL, WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT ACADIA WAS ACTUALLY CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO EMPIRES, THE FRENCH AND THE BRITISH, AND THE COLONY CHANGED HANDS SEVERAL TIMES, AND FINALLY IN 1713, ACADIA WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE BRITISH, RENAMED NOVA SCOTIA, AND ACADIANS WERE TO BECOME ENGLISH SUBJECTS, BUT THEY CAME TO CAUSE SOMEWHAT OF A PROBLEM, BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO SIGN THE TREATY OF ALLEGIANCE, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO REMAIN NEUTRAL.

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO TAKE UP ARMS AGAINST THE FRENCH OR THE MI'KMAQ.

FINALLY, IN JULY 1755, THE DECISION WAS TAKEN BY THE NOVA SCOTIA COUNCIL TO FINALLY DEPORT THEM.

>> Rosendo: AND SO THIS GROUP, IN 1755, WENT DOWN INTO THE STATES--WELL, THEY WEREN'T THE STATES THEN--AND SOME OF THEM ENDED UP IN LOUISIANA, AND SOME ARE CAJUNS.

AND THAT WONDERFUL POEM, EVANGELINE BY LONGFELLOW, TELLS THE STORY OF TRIALS AND TRIBULATION AND LOVE AND TRAGEDY IN ACADIA.

>> EXACTLY, EVANGELINE'S A FICTIONAL CHARACTER BUT REPRESENTS, SYMBOLICALLY, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ACADIANS IN 1755.

>> Rosendo: WHAT HAPPENED TO THEIR LANDS AND THEIR HOMES AND THEIR FAMILIES?

>> ALL THE BUILDINGS WERE USUALLY BURNT DOWN.

THE LANDS WERE OFFERED TO THE NEW ENGLAND PLANTERS.

>> Rosendo: DID THEY EVER COME BACK?

>> THEY DID.

IN 1763, WITH THE TREATY OF PARIS, ACADIANS WERE, AFTER THAT, PERMITTED TO COME BACK AND REESTABLISH THEMSELVES IN THE AREA.

THEY COULD NOT TAKE THE LANDS THAT THEY HAD HAD PRIOR TO THE DEPORTATION, BUT THEY WERE PERMITTED TO COME BACK.

>> Rosendo: SO THEY LOST THEIR LAND AND THEY LOST THEIR COUNTRY, BASICALLY, BECAUSE NOW THERE ARE ENGLISH SETTLERS THERE, AND NO DOUBT THEY HAD A LOWER STATUS IN SOCIETY, TOO, AND HAD TO SUFFER WITH ALL THOSE KINDS OF PROBLEMS.

BUT WHEN DID THIS REBIRTH OF THE ACADIANS TAKE PLACE?

>> WELL, IT TOOK ABOUT ANOTHER 100 YEARS BEFORE ACADIANS GOT TOGETHER AND REORGANIZED THEMSELVES INTO AN ACADIAN SOCIETY.

>> Rosendo: AND THAT HAPPENED RIGHT HERE.

>> EXACTLY, RIGHT HERE IN MEMRAMCOOK.

>> Rosendo: AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO SEE, IS THAT CELEBRATION OF THE ACADIANS HAVING SURVIVED ALL THESE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS.

SIGNS OF THE EARLY ACADIANS EXIST THROUGHOUT NEW BRUNSWICK.

ALONG THE PETITCODIAC RIVER, THESE 300-YEAR-OLD TIMBERS WERE ONCE PART OF THE ACADIAN DIKE SYSTEM, A TECHNOLOGY STILL IN USE TODAY.

WE'RE IN BOUDREAU VILLAGE AT THE BOUDREAU ABOITEAUX, AND IT MAY NOT LOOK LIKE IT NOW, BUT IN SEVERAL HOURS, THE WATER HERE WILL BE LAPPING AROUND MY FEET.

AND HERE AT THE BOUDREAU ABOITEAUX, WE SEE A MODERN-DAY EXAMPLE OF ACADIAN INGENUITY, THE ABILITY TO RECLAIM THE USELESS MARSHLAND FROM THE SEA.

THE WAY IT WORKED, THE DIKE WAS BUILT; THE ABOITEAUX WAS UNDERNEATH THE DIKE.

DURING THESE INCREDIBLE TIDES, THE SEA WOULD RETREAT, LAND WOULD BE DRAINED, THEN THE CLAPPER WOULD COME DOWN WHEN THE SEA CAME BACK, WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO THE LAND.

OVER THE COURSE OF MANY YEARS, THE RECLAIMED LAND WOULD BE FLUSHED FRESH AND BECOME VERY VALUABLE.

IT SUSTAINED THE ACADIANS FOR 150 YEARS AND BECAME VERY COVETED BY THE BRITISH, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT LED TO THE DEPORTATION OF THE ACADIANS IN 1755.

SEE WHAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT THESE CRAZY FUNDY TIDES?

FROM SHEDIAC TO BATHURST, THROUGHOUT THE ACADIAN PENINSULA, ACADIANS PROUDLY SHOW THEIR COLORS.

CARAQUET, CONSIDERED THE HEART OF ACADIE, ATTRACTS THE LARGEST CROWDS, HOSTS THE NOISIEST NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS, AND BOASTS THE MOST ENTHUSIASTIC DECORATIONS.

ALL THROUGHOUT ACADIAN COUNTRY, YOU'LL SEE THE YARDS AND THE HOUSES DECORATED, AND EVERYBODY HAS GOT A STORY TO TELL.

AND MR. LANDRY HERE, WHAT STORY ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL WITH THE DECORATIONS ON YOUR LAWN?

>> I'M TRYING TO SHOW THE PEOPLE THE OLD ACADIAN.

THEY WERE FISHERMEN.

>> Rosendo: FISHERMEN.

>> THEY WERE FARMERS.

AND THEY BELIEVED IN PEACE, RELIGION.

>> Rosendo: AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ACTUALLY KEPT THEIR LANGUAGE AND CULTURE ALIVE.

>> AND THE INDIAN, THEY HELP THE ACADIAN TO LIVE IN THE WILD.

>> Rosendo: WHAT DOES THE ACADIAN FESTIVAL MEAN TO YOU?

>> WELL, IT MEAN THAT WE GET TOGETHER.

IT'S FAMILY REUNION AND ALL THAT, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO SHOW THE PEOPLE THE WAY THAT THE ACADIAN LIVED, AND ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE ACADIAN PENINSULA.

>> Rosendo: AND WHAT'S INTERESTING TO ME IS, TINTAMARRE IS A WAY FOR THE ACADIANS TO SAY, "WE'RE STILL HERE."

>> YEAH, OH, YEAH, MAKE NOISE.

>> Rosendo: [laughs] MAKE NOISE.

>> WE LEARN ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU CAN PUT YOUR HAND ON.

>> Rosendo: I CAN'T WAIT.

WELL, MERCI BEAUCOUP.

BIENVENU, MONSIEUR.

>> Rosendo: I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE, AND I'VE BEEN AT TWO OF THESE FESTIVALS, IS, THIS YEAR PARTICULARLY, BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG GATHERING OF ACADIANS HERE IN CARAQUET AND ALL THROUGHOUT THE ACADIAN PENINSULA, PEOPLE HAVE THE NAMES OF THEIR FAMILIES PROUDLY DISPLAYED, AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE A WELCOME MAT.

IT'S LIKE SAYING, "HEY, IF YOU'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, DROP IN AND SAY HI."

YOU'RE ALL FAMILY.

WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE FAMILY?

>> HACHE.

>> Rosendo: HACHE, HACHE.

ARE YOU GONNA HAVE A BIG REUNION DURING THIS WEEK OF MANY HACHES COMING, FAMILY COMING?

>> MM-HMM.

>> LOTS.

>> Rosendo: HOW MANY?

>> OH, ABOUT 400.

>> Rosendo: 400?

ARE THEY ALL GONNA FIT IN THE HOUSE?

>> OH, NO, NOT HERE!

NOT HERE.

>> Rosendo: OH, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

THAT'S A PRETTY BIG LOBSTER.

>> YEAH, RIGHT.

>> Rosendo: WELL, I KNOW LOBSTER'S FAMOUS HERE ON THE ACADIAN PENINSULA.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THIS ACADIAN FESTIVAL--YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE SEEING TINTAMARRE ON FRIDAY.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS TO THE ACADIANS, THIS?

>> IT MEANS WE'RE STILL ALIVE.

>> Rosendo: UH-HUH.

>> THAT'S WHAT IT MEANS TO ME.

AND WE REALLY FIGHT HERE ALSO FOR THE FRENCH LANGUAGE.

>> Rosendo: YOU KNOW WHAT, I SEE SIGNS AS I GO AROUND, IT SAYS "FETONS."

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

>> THAT MEANS "LET'S GO HAVE A PARTY!"

[laughter] >> Rosendo: MERCI, MERCI.

ALL THIS TALK ABOUT LOBSTER HAS MADE ME HUNGRY, AND ON THE ACADIAN PENINSULA, THE NEAREST LOBSTER HOUSE IS NEVER TOO FAR AWAY.

I HEAR THERE'S GREAT LOBSTER HERE; COME ON.

THEY SAID IT WAS A LOBSTER RESTAURANT.

WAIT A MINUTE.

IT LOOKS LIKE A LOBSTER HOUSE.

IN FACT, IT'S CALLED THE LOBSTER TRAP.

AND THEY'VE TRAPPED ME.

COME ON, LET'S GO.

BONSOIR!

>> BONSOIR, WELCOME TO MY HOME.

>> Rosendo: THIS IS YOUR HOME?

>> YES, IT IS.

>> Rosendo: AND YOU ALSO SERVE LOBSTER HERE FOR PEOPLE?

>> YES, WE DO.

AND IT'S DELICIOUS.

>> Rosendo: WELL, LET'S GO HAVE IT.

>> COME ON OVER.

>> Rosendo: IN MADAME ROBICHAUD'S HOME, THERE'S MORE THAN LOBSTER TO SHARE-- MUSSELS, GOOD COMPANY, AND STORIES ABOUT THE BAD OLD DAYS WHEN LOBSTER WAS USED FOR FERTILIZER AND EATING IT WAS CONSIDERED LOW-CLASS.

>> OH, THEY THOUGHT YOU WERE FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS AND VERY POOR, AND YOU REALLY DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD TO EXCHANGE WITH THE CITY KIDS TO GET A BALONEY SANDWICH, 'CAUSE THAT WAS MUCH BETTER THAN A LOBSTER SANDWICH.

>> Rosendo: SO TIMES HAVE CHANGED FOR THE ACADIANS.

>> FOR THE BETTER, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.

>> Rosendo: WHOA!

OKAY!

LOOK AT THAT.

WOW.

THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A LOBSTER HOUSE.

IT TURNS OUT TO BE A LOBSTER HOME.

BUT WHAT I'VE DISCOVERED HERE IN ACADIE IS THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NAME, YOU'RE ALL FAMILY, AND YOU'RE ALL WELCOME AROUND THE TABLE, SO A VOTRE SANTE!

[all cheering] A VOTRE SANTE.

TO YOUR HEALTH, INDEED.

ACADIAN COMFORT FOOD.

HOW COULD ANYTHING THAT TASTES THIS GOOD BE BAD FOR YOU?

THE LONGER YOU'RE ON THE ACADIAN PENINSULA, THE MORE IT FEELS LIKE HOME.

AS IT'S GETTING CLOSER TO THE 15TH OF AUGUST, THE NATIONAL DAY, THE CROWDS HAVE GOTTEN LARGER HERE IN THE GRAINS DE FOLIE CAFE.

THAT'S THE CRAZY GRAIN CAFE, WHERE I HAVE STARTED EVERY MORNING WITH A CAFE AU LAIT SERVED AS IT SHOULD, IN A PROPER RAITOGN BOWL.

THERE'S ALWAYS TWO TO MY MORNING.

I'M OFF FOR MY SECOND.

TODAY THE ACADIANS PROSPER THROUGHOUT NEW BRUNSWICK, BUT IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES, ACADIAN LIFE WAS CENTERED IN THE RURAL COUNTRYSIDE.

AT THE NEARBY ACADIAN HISTORICAL VILLAGE, THE EARLY DAYS IN ACADIE ARE RE-CREATED.

IN 1763, AT THE END OF THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS, AND WITH THE TREATY OF PARIS, THE BRITISH GAVE THE EXILED ACADIANS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN TO ACADIE.

ONE STOP ON MY ACADIAN ODYSSEY IS RETURN TO THE ACADIAN HISTORIC VILLAGE, WHICH DEPICTS LIFE AFTER THE RESETTLEMENT.

IT'S WHERE YOU'RE SURE TO MEET THE BEGGAR, THE BAKER, AND THE BROOMSTICK MAKER.

[lively string music] >> I TOOK TWO MEASURES OF THE HAND, REMOVED THE BARK AND START PEELING UP THIS WAY WITH THE KNIFE, AND IT GIVES YOU THIS HERE, OKAY?

>> Rosendo: LOOK AT THAT.

>> SO YOU'RE FATTENING IT UP.

YOU'RE GIVING IT MORE VOLUME.

AND THEN ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS FINISH THE HANDLE ITSELF.

THAT'S THE EASY PART.

>> Rosendo: THE EASY PART.

>> YEAH, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THE AX, OKAY?

YOU'RE GONNA CHOP AWAY ALL THE EXTRA WOOD HERE, EQUAL TO THE HANDLE THAT'S HERE, AND THEN... YOU'RE GONNA TAKE YOUR DRAW KNIFE, FINISH THE HANDLE, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA CUT IT NICE AND SQUARE.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TIE IT TOGETHER.

EVERY FAMILY LEARNED TO MAKE THEIR OWN, AND EVENTUALLY IT'S A TRADE THAT WE COULD HAVE PASSED ON FROM FATHER TO SON.

>> Rosendo: IT'S AN EXCELLENT BROOM.

MAKES YOU CONTINUE TO MAKE THEM LIKE THIS.

>> YES.

[laughter] [festive folksy music] ♪ ♪ >> Rosendo: MARY DUGAS IS THE BAKER HERE AT THE ACADIAN HISTORIC VILLAGE, AND TALK TO ME ABOUT THE BREAD--VERY IMPORTANT STAPLE, OBVIOUSLY.

>> OH, YEAH, THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, AGAIN, 'CAUSE THEY WERE POOR, SO THEIR BREAD WAS GOOD FOR THEM.

IT'S A WHOLE WHEAT BREAD, BECAUSE THE WHITE FLOUR WOULD NOT EXIST BACK THEN IN 1852.

WE START WITH THE YEAST FIRST.

>> Rosendo: WITHOUT THE YEAST, WE CAN'T GET THE BREAD TO RISE.

>> EXACTLY.

>> Rosendo: THAT LOOKS LIKE SOME BROWN SUGAR.

>> BROWN SUGAR, BECAUSE THE WHITE SUGAR WILL NOT EXIST BACK THEN ALSO.

>> Rosendo: RIGHT, AND ACTUALLY, THIS SUGAR'S BETTER FOR YOU THAN WHITE SUGAR.

>> OH, YEAH, SURE.

>> Rosendo: WE WENT BACKWARDS IN NUTRITION.

NOW, WOULD THERE HAVE BEEN A BAKER HERE IN THE COMMUNITY?

>> NO, THEY WILL DO THEIR OWN BREAD FOR THE FAMILY.

BUT THEY WERE A BIG FAMILY BACK THEN, ABOUT 10 TO 12 PEOPLE IN A FAMILY, SO THEY WILL EAT A LOT OF BREAD.

>> "TOO MANY COOKS SPOIL THE BATTER," THEY SAID.

I THINK THAT'S THE-- JUST TWO.

MAYBE TWO IS NOT TOO MANY.

NOW, MARY HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE UNTIL I GET TO TASTE THE BREAD?

>> SIX HOURS FROM NOW.

>> Rosendo: SIX HOURS?

OKAY, AND YOU'RE GONNA GO START THE FIRE AND GET THAT GOING, AND I'LL SEE YOU AT THE END OF THE DAY.

>> NO PROBLEM.

>> Rosendo: SO DURING THE DEPORTATION, DID THEY HAVE TO LEAVE?

>> YES, THEY WERE DEPORTED.

THEY CAME BACK.

>> Rosendo: THEY CAME BACK.

>> SOME OF THEM MUST HAVE COME BACK, BECAUSE WE'RE HERE.

>> AND SOME OF THEM PROBABLY HID IN THE WOODS AND SURVIVED.

WE'RE SURVIVORS.

>> Rosendo: OOH, THAT LOOKS VERY GOOD.

NOTHING LIKE FRESH BREAD, HUH?

>> OH, IT'S VERY GOOD.

>> Rosendo: YOU EVEN HAVE SOME BISCUITS BACK IN THERE TOO.

SO EVERYTHING... >> THAT'S TO TASTE.

IT'S HOT.

>> Rosendo: GOOD.

>> I'M GONNA TAKE OUT THE LITTLE BUNS.

AND AFTER THAT, WE'RE GONNA GO IN THE HOUSE AND GONNA TASTE IT.

>> Rosendo: THAT'S REALLY THE BEST PART.

>> THAT'S THE BEST PART.

>> Rosendo: WELL, YOU KNOW THIS IS GOING TO TASTE WONDERFUL.

>> YES.

>> Rosendo: FRESH BREAD RIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN.

MM!

ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.

>> IT'S GOOD?

>> Rosendo: THAT'S FABULOUS.

THE LIFE MAY HAVE BEEN HARD, BUT THEY ATE WELL.

>> THEY ATE WELL.

>> Rosendo: I'M STARTING TO SEE THE THEME.

IT'S CONTINUED RIGHT INTO THE PRESENT.

>> OH, YEAH, EXACTLY.

DO THEY WANT TO TASTE THE BREAD TOO?

>> Rosendo: I THINK THEY PROBABLY DO.

"STRENGTH THROUGH UNITY" IS THE ACADIAN MOTTO.

DURING FESTIVAL TIME, VISITORS COME FROM NEAR AND FAR TO TRAVEL AROUND THE PROVINCE AND UNITE WITH THEIR ACADIAN FAMILIES.

BESIDES THE ACADIAN VILLAGE, ONE OF THE MUST-STOPS ON THEIR PILGRIMAGE IS TO THE CHURCH OF SAINTE-CECILE ON LAMEQUE ISLAND.

I'VE NOT FOUND A MORE UNLIKELY AND PERFECT EXAMPLE OF ACADIAN DEDICATION, PERSEVERANCE, AND JOIE DE VIVRE THAN THE CHURCH OF SAINTE-CECILE ON LAMEQUE ISLAND.

[woman singing] IN 1968 FATHER GERARD DOSTEAUX, WITH TWO ASSISTANTS AND A BOATLOAD OF SPRAY PAINT, CONVERTED HIS DULL, BROWN, SOMBER CHURCH INTERIOR INTO AN EXPLOSION OF COLOR AND LIGHT, WITH SOULS RISING TO A HEAVEN OF BRIGHTLY COLORED BALLOONS AND BIRTHDAY CAKE TO CANDLES THAT ARE FOREVER LIT, STARS THAT ARE ALWAYS SHINING, AND BELLS THAT ARE FOREVER RINGING OUT A JOYFUL TUNE.

HE CREATED A CELEBRATION OF GOD, MAN, LIFE, AND LOVE.

WHENEVER I COME HERE, I ALWAYS THINK, "THIS IS INDEED GOD'S HOUSE."

THAT'S WHY IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE STOPS ON THE ACADIAN PENINSULA.

DURING THE ACADIAN FESTIVAL, FAMILY GATHERINGS EVOLVED INTO LARGE REUNIONS, AND WHEN ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FAMILIES, THE ROBICHAUDS, GETS TOGETHER, THEY REDEFINE THE MEANING OF "LARGE."

THE ACADIAN FESTIVAL IS ABOUT FAMILY.

AND I'M WITH IVAN ROBICHAUD, WHO IS--WELL, YOU ORGANIZED THIS ROBICHAUD REUNION.

>> YES, I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THIS STEERING COMMITTEE.

>> Rosendo: FABULOUS.

NOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE FOR THE REUNION?

>> WELL, WE HAD OVER 1,300 PEOPLE REGISTER.

>> Rosendo: 1,300 PEOPLE!

>> YES, A LOT OF PEOPLE.

>> Rosendo: THE ROBICHAUD FAMILY, WHEN WERE YOU FIRST IN THE ACADIA?

>> ABOUT 1632.

MY ANCESTOR WAS DEPORTED BACK TO FRANCE, STAYED THERE FOR 20 YEARS, CAME BACK, AND FOUNDED SHIPPAGAN JUST A FEW MILES FROM HERE.

WE'RE ACADIANS.

ALTHOUGH WE DO NOT HAVE A COUNTRY, EVERY YEAR IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO MARK OUR OWN IDENTITY.

PEOPLE ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THEIR HISTORY.

>> Rosendo: WHY, HERE ARE SOME ROBICHAUDS FROM THE UNITED STATES.

TELL ME ABOUT THE TEXAS COMMUNITY.

>> THERE'S THE HEBERTS AND THE ROBICHAUDS, AND ALL THE CAJUN CULTURES IS IN THE PORT ARTHUR, ORANGE, MAURICEVILLE AREA, WHICH IS THE SOUTHEASTERN PART OF TEXAS.

>> Rosendo: TELL ME ABOUT THIS EVENT.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU AS A FAMILY TO BE ABLE TO COME HERE?

>> YOU CAN FEEL IT IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU'RE SO PROUD THAT YOUR CULTURE HAS GONE FROM THE 1700s UNTIL NOW, AND WHEN YOU GET WITH YOUR FAMILY AS SUCH, ESPECIALLY THE ROBICHAUDS, ALL KNOWING THAT EVENTUALLY YOU'RE RELATED SOME KIND OF WAY, IT REALLY IS VERY OVERPOWERING.

>> Rosendo: I COULD SEE IT.

>> YES, IT'S VERY PRIDEFUL.

>> IT MEANS A LOT.

>> Rosendo: AND IT'S CONTAGIOUS.

>> YES IT IS.

>> Rosendo: THANK YOU.

MERCI BEAUCOUP.

>> MERCI.

>> Rosendo: AT THE END OF THE DAY AT FESTIVAL TIME IN ACADIE, NO ONE AVOIDS CATCHING THE ACADIAN JOIE DE VIVRE, JOY OF LIFE.

IT'S AUGUST 15TH, THE ACADIANS' NATIONAL DAY, AND I JOIN THE CROWD GATHERING ON BOULEVARD ST-PIERRE IN CARAQUET.

OKAY, LET'S TALK TO SOME FOLKS.

[noisemaker honks] WHAT FAMILY IS THIS?

>> MAILLET.

>> MAILLET?

>> YEAH.

>> WHAT DOES TINTAMARRE MEAN TO YOU?

>> THE PEOPLE.

>> Rosendo: YEAH, AND?

>> IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS.

>> Rosendo: IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS.

[all talking] >> Rosendo: WHAT'S IT-- WHAT DID YOU SAY?

>> TO MAKE OUR ANCESTORS PROUD, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WHAT THEY DID WAS NOT IN VAIN.

SO WE MAKE ENOUGH NOISE TODAY THAT THEY'RE GONNA WAKE UP FROM THE GRAVE.

[laughter and noisemaking] >> Rosendo: WHAT IS THIS, A NOISEMAKING MACHINE?

>> NOISEMAKING MACHINE, YEAH.

>> Rosendo: YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE FLYING MACHINE.

THIS IS THE INCREDIBLE NOISEMAKING MACHINE.

[cans clattering] >> THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT THE CAJUN PEOPLE, WE SURVIVE!

YES!

YOW!

>> Rosendo: YOU GUYS CAME FROM LOUISIANA?

>> YEAH!

>> Rosendo: WELL, WHAT DID YOU BRING FROM LOUISIANA?

>> WELL, IN NEW ORLEANS, WE'D BE GETTING DRUNK RIGHT NOW.

HERE THEY HAVE A GOOD TIME SOBER.

>> Rosendo: THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.

WELL, WHAT DO THEY SAY IN LOUISIANA WHEN THEY WANT TO HAVE A GOOD TIME?

[together] LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER!

>> LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

>> Rosendo: THAT'S THE MAIN THING, FAMILY, FAMILY, FAMILY, AND IT'S THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR THAT YOU SEE PEOPLE ENGAGING IN.

[people cheering] OKAY, MAYBE THEY GET A LITTLE BIT EXUBERANT EVERY NOW AND THEN, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST--THINGS YOU WOULDN'T MIND YOUR MOM AND DAD SEEING YOU DO.

I LOVE THIS FESTIVAL.

HERE'S MR. ACADIAN PENINSULA-- WELL, MR. ACADIE, PERCY MALLET.

AND BEEN A LONG--GOOD FRIEND OF MINE FOR MANY YEARS AND THROUGH MANY OF THESE TINTAMARRES.

WHAT IS TINTAMARRE?

>> YES, IT STARTED IN 1955 TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT THE 200 YEARS OF THE DISPERSION, TO COMMEMORATE, MAKING SURE THAT IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.

>> Rosendo: RIGHT.

>> AND ONE OF THE EVENTS THAT THEY MAKE SURE WAS TO ASK THE PREACHERS IN EVERY ACADIAN COMMUNITIES, AT FIVE TO 6:00, OKAY, ON THE 15TH OF AUGUST, GO OUTSIDE AND MAKE NOISE TO TELL THE WORLD THAT WE'RE STILL ALIVE.

>> Rosendo: STILL HERE.

>> YES, AND WE'RE STILL EXISTING.

I REMEMBER I WAS A KID AT THE TIME, AND I WENT OUT WITH MY MOM AND DAD ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

WE HAD AN ACADIAN FLAG.

>> Rosendo: SO YOU'VE BEEN CELEBRATING SINCE THE FIRST-- >> THE FIRST TINTAMARRE.

THAT YEAR, THERE WAS ABOUT 250 PERSON, ALL DRESSED IN THE ACADIAN COLORS, MAKING NOISE.

>> Rosendo: HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE HERE TODAY?

>> WELL, THEY'RE EXPECTING BETWEEN 40,000 AND 50,000 PEOPLE.

>> OH, MY GOD.

>> AND I'M SEEING WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN TOWN SINCE EARLY THIS MORNING.

THERE'S GONNA BE 40,000 TO 50,000 PEOPLE MAKING NOISE AT 6:00 TONIGHT.

[noisemaker cacophony] >> Rosendo: THIS IS LIKE NEW YEARS EVE IN TIMES SQUARE.

THE BALL IS GETTING READY TO DROP, AND THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING, AND THE NOISE IS-- WE'RE ABOUT A MINUTE AWAY FROM 17:55, 5:55, IN HONOR OF THE YEAR OF THE DEPORTATION.

[noisemaker cacophony] WHEN THE BELL OF THE CHURCH WILL SOUND, AND THE PEOPLE WILL CELEBRATE... ONE MORE YEAR OF ACADIA.

[dramatic music] ♪ ♪ I NEVER HEARD THE BELLS RING, BUT I CAN SEE THEY'RE RINGING.

I STILL CAN'T HEAR THEM.

I'M NOT SURE IT MATTERS.

[noisemaker cacophony] [continuous noisemaking] THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME ON MY NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA, ACADIAN ODYSSEY.

ACADIE IS NOT A PIECE OF LAND NOR A NAME ON THE MAP.

ACADIE HAS NO BOUNDARIES OR BORDERS.

ACADIE IS A PLACE OF THE HEART AND THE MIND CREATED BY FAMILIES OUT OF SHARED EXPERIENCES AND LANGUAGE, FROM COMMON DREAMS AND HOPES.

BEING HERE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL ACADIAN NATIONAL DAY, WALKING DOWN THE STREETS OF CARAQUET WITH 40,000 PEOPLE DURING TINTAMARRE, THEIR WONDERFUL CELEBRATION OF PRIDE, COMMUNITY, AND IDENTITY, IT IS VERY CLEAR INDEED THAT, IN SPITE OF ALL THEIR TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS, ACADIE AND THE ACADIANS ARE ALIVE, WELL, AND STILL HERE.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, THIS IS JOSEPH ROSENDO, REMINDING YOU MORE THAN EVER BEFORE OF THE WORDS OF MARK TWAIN, "TRAVEL IS FATAL TO PREJUDICE, BIGOTRY, AND NARROW-MINDEDNESS."

AND TODAY IT'S ALSO FATAL TO CYNICISM, DOUBT, FEAR, AND WORRY.

HAPPY TRAVELING.

>> announcer: TRAVELSCOPE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES.

DK CITY, COUNTRY, AND DRIVING GUIDES FEATURE EVOCATIVE PHOTOS, 3-D MAPPING AND ILLUSTRATIONS FOR KEY SIGHTS, AND TRAVEL ITINERARIES.

DK EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDES: THE GUIDES THAT SHOW YOU WHAT OTHERS ONLY TELL YOU.

FOR A DVD OF TODAY'S SHOW OR ANY OF JOSEPH'S TRAVELSCOPE ADVENTURES, CALL: OR ORDER ONLINE AT: YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL US AT: OR WRITE US AT THE ADDRESS ON YOUR SCREEN.

>> Rosendo: NOW THAT YOU'VE PARTIED WITH NEW BRUNSWICK'S ACADIANS, LEARN MORE AT TRAVELSCOPE.NET, WHERE YOU CAN FOLLOW MY WORLDWIDE ADVENTURES THROUGH MY BLOG AND PODCAST.

KEEP IN TOUCH.

NEXT TIME ON TRAVELSCOPE, I DON MY JESTER'S CAP AND HEAD TO THE GERMAN STATE OF BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG FOR WINTER CARNIVAL, A NONSTOP PARTY THAT CELEBRATES MEDIEVAL TRADITIONS, LOCAL CULTURE, AND CHASES AWAY THE WINTER BLUES.

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