By: HEATHER BOGARD
Associate Editor
TONY MARKS
Editor
Rotarian Darin Bordelon welcomed Suzy Lemoine, outreach coordinator for the Evangeline Parish Library, as the guest speaker for the October 18, meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club. She discussed the upcoming annual Library Fest, which will be held Saturday, November 19, at the main branch of the library in Ville Platte. Lemoine discussed the authors, vendors, cooks and entertainment currently lined up for the event. She noted in addition to those already signed up to participate, more are being added to the roster for the event.
A few of the participants lined up for the event include author Veni Harlan with her book, “Evangeline Rediscovered,” vendor Kayra Guillory selling “Wrist Candy,” Adrienne Griffith selling “bath bombs and shower steamers by Lain,” Lorenzo Richard with Krewe Evangeline Coalition, cook Natasha Edwards “aka Saucin’ With Tashh,” author Janeva Wilson with her biography, and author Starla Jones with her many books.
Lemoine stated this is a free outdoor event allowing patrons to meet new authors and vendors, sample new food truck dishes and to buy Friends of the Library books. For a complete list of participants, visit evangelinelibrary.org.
During the meeting, Lemoine also introduced guest Dr. Elista Istre, an author and historian from Lafayette. This week, Dr. Istre portrayed Longfellow’s character Evangeline, our parish namesake, during presentations at each of the parish library branches. The program, titled “Evangeline: The Myth and the Maiden,” was based on her research about the history of Evangeline. Dr. Istre stated it was an honor to be in Evangeline Parish doing a presentation on the history of Longfellow’s Evangeline.
The first presentation was held Tuesday, October 18, at the main branch of the library in Ville Platte.
During the presentation, Dr. Istre stated her interest in the Evangeline saga began after reading Finding Evangeline by Carl Brasseaux.
“Evangeline is perhaps one of the prettiest names in existence as a literary figure,” said Dr. Istre. “She certainly personifies many characteristics of the ideal woman. For many, she exemplifies the quintessential Acadian woman.”
Dr. Istre explained Evangeline is portrayed as the lone heroine emerging from the tragedy of the Acadian exile. According to the doctor, French explorers began arriving along the Bay of Fundy in 1603. Peasant farmers then began settling the area, which became known as Acadie, in the 1630s. “By 1700,” she said, “the inhabitants were already referring to themselves as Cadien, or people of Acadie, making them the first group of people to identify with the New World rather than their European motherland.”
With the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, according to Dr. Istre, the British obtained Acadie, and the region was then renamed Nova Scotia, which is Latin for New Scotland. Problems soon arose between the Acadians and the British, and, in 1754, Major Charles Lawrence decided to deport the Acadians in what would be known as Le Grand Derangement.
As Dr. Istre explained, Acadian men from different villages were lured to a church in Grand Pré and were eventually detained before being transported. The women and children, who were waiting for the men of their villages to return, were also transported. The British then confiscated the homes and property and destroyed everything else.
Years later, according to Dr. Istre, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, a renowned author at the time, heard a story of the exile from a south Boston preacher. Longfellow called the story “the best illustration of faithfulness and the constancy of woman.”
Dr. Istre said, “According to the story, two lovers were separated on the eve of their wedding. The men were assembled in the village church where all, including the bridegroom, were seized and sent by ship to the New England states. True to her lover, the bride spent the rest of her life in search of her fiancé, whom she finally found on his deathbed. She died soon after overcome with the shock of seeing him after so many years of fruitless searching.”
She went on to say, “Longfellow penned his epic poem Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie. Although he greatly romanticized the historical events of the exile, Longfellow’s poetic version of the story was considered to be the quintessentual historical and literary interpretation of the Acadian tragedy for generations.”
Two local authors, according to Dr. Istre, wrote their own versions of the Evangeline story and “forged a permanent link between Evangeline and Louisiana.”
Sidonie de la Houssaye was a Creole woman who worked with the author George Washington Cable from New England. As Dr. Istre explained, she wrote Pouponne and Balthazar in 1888. “She gave the old story a new twist by adding local color and a happy ending,” said Dr. Istre.
De la Houssaye’s book, however, contained many Creole stereotypes toward the Cajun people. These stereoytypes, according to Dr. Istre, inspired Judge Felix Voorhies, of St. Martinville, to publish Acadian Reminiscences: The True Story of Evangeline. In that book, Cajuns are presented “in a far more favorable light,” Dr. Istre said.
The book was published in 1907 and contains reported first-hand accounts of the exile. It tells the story of Emmeline Labiche and Louis Arceneaux. The two lovers were reunited under the oak tree, but Louis had already pledged his love to another woman. Emmeline then lost her sanity because of the shock and spent her final days picking flowers along the Bayou Teche.
Dr. Istre also helps run the Louisiana Military Museum in Abbeville and stated the Second Annual Veteran Heritage Festival will be held November 11-12 at the museum. She said the event is free admission and open to the public.
In closing, Dr. Istre thanked the Rotary organization for the exchange program, noting she visited Germany in 2004 as a part of the Rotary’s exchange program. While there, Dr. Istre was able to visit many museums and castles and enjoyed her time there.
Also during the meeting, new member Lacey Hamilton introduced herself to her fellow club members. She was a teacher in Evangeline Parish for several years and was nominated for State Teacher of the Year in 2017. She is currently enrolled in law school at Southern University in Baton Rouge.
The next meeting will be held October 25, with Rotarian Bill Brunet presenting the program.
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