Archaeological Dimensions of the Acadian Diaspora

Summary

The deportation and diaspora of more than 6000 Acadians beginning in 1755 led to progressive regroupings of survivors in Europe, North America, French Guiana, the Falkland Islands, and Haiti. Only after 1785 was a sizeable community established in Louisiana. This middle passage had a formative effect on diasporic Acadians, especially those born during transit. Random separations and destinations resulted in dendritic, rather than converging family histories. Creolization occurred at every step well before destination settlements such as Louisiana were reached, defying the notion of a simple transplantation of Canadian Acadian culture. An archaeology of the Acadian diaspora is proposed that includes a multitude of projects each focusing on the trajectory of individual Acadian family groups over three generations. The need to understand land use, architecture, and food is essential, invoking archaeological study of diaspora sites occupied by the same individuals and families. The case study of the Naquin family of Cobequid is presented.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeologies of Acadia: From Homeland to Diaspora   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-49,11