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Maine Acadians share beliefs and experiences tying them to a river, the
land, their families, and to their common religion, languages, and history.
The land borders the St. John River, flowing between the United States and
Canada, and extends away from the river to the "back settlements."
Here people speak Valley French, a mixture that includes old French, Quebecois,
and English terms sometimes mixed within a sentence.
Maine Acadians' French ancestors settled during the 1600s in what is now
the Maritime Provinces, Quebec, and Maine. Both France and England claimed
this territory. In 1755 the English government deported thousands of French
neutrals from present-day Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, then known
as Acadia. Spurred by the Acadians' refusal to strengthen their pledge of
allegiance to the British Crown, the authorities shipped most of them to
British colonies. Some fled to Quebec. Others, today's Cajuns, sought a
new start in Louisiana. The majority maintained their Acadian identity.
During the 1780s Acadians settled Malecite homelands in the Saint John Valley,
and here they were joined by settlers from the St. Lawrence River valley.
The National Park Service aids local efforts at cultural conservation
in the Saint John Valley via the Maine Acadian Heritage Council, an association
of historical societies, cultural clubs, towns, and museums that work
together to perpetuate Maine Acadian culture.
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