As all current and former residents of Louisiana and parts of the Gulf Coast know, February means one thing: Mardi Gras. I’m partial to the traditional celebrations in small communities such as Church Point and Mamou, but everyone has their favorites. I am not gonna try to convince you that my favorites are better than those in other parts of the state. I enjoy this time more than most because it is a showcase of our culture.
Of course, I am not saying that Mardi Gras is the be all, end all look into Cajun and Creole culture. Luckily, that’s not the case, but could you imagine if that’s all we had? That would be quite a sad time, especially for us that have grown up seeing and knowing that there is more to our culture. Unfortunately, I think that could be a real danger in some of our larger communities in the future.
I say that as someone who misses a chance he never had. Who misses a part of life that he never lived. I would love to have grown up fluent in Cajun as well as English. And don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to blame my parents or extended family for my being functionally monolingual. I’m well aware of the history of Cajun as the primary language down here and how that reflected on the way children were raised. This article is not my pity party (I’ll be sending out private invitations for that). All I am saying is that I’m sure I am not the only one who feels like something is slipping away. But is there anything that can be done to make significant changes?
Absolutely! We are lucky that we are growing up in a time where anyone can take the time and learn a new language. We can spend time focusing on cultural aspects that may be at risk of dying out due to apathy or lack of teachers. We have resources to help people learn to speak Cajun, or play Cajun and Zydeco music. We have so many events throughout the year that bring into perspective something that has shaped our culture and livelihoods throughout the years. Examples of such events would consist of almost (if not every) festival that is hosted each year all over the state. Really, if you cannot find some way to enrich yourself or celebrate our culture, then you are not trying at all.
Let’s also not forget all the other cultures present in our area. Again, it’s a part of life that makes us so unique. I wouldn’t want to eliminate other cultures for the sake of bringing the Cajun and Creole cultures to the forefront. Ignoring other cultures is an ignorant and dangerous move which would jeopardize those cultures. All should be celebrated, and lived through current members of those cultures!
The responsibility of keeping cultures alive falls to the members of the culture who are alive. Participating, teaching, sharing, living the culture is what gives life to the culture. I encourage anyone reading this to take a look into your culture, figure out what you can do to keep it alive, and do it. So if you see or hear me speaking or singing poor Cajun French, please help me out, it sure would be appreciated. Merci, mon amis!
Bayou Observant 