The History of French in Louisiana

The story of French-speaking Louisiana is often reduced to a single group – the Acadians/Cajuns. Yet even before the arrival of the Acadians, French and Creole-speaking Louisiana was composed of a mosaic of populations including Native Americans, Europeans, and Africans. This presentation explores the evolution of language politics in Louisiana, the deconstruction of French and Creole linguistic identities, and recent efforts to revitalize these Louisiana heritage languages not only in classrooms, but also through social, professional and economic initiatives.

Joseph Dunn has been working in the tourism and cultural sector in Louisiana for 25 years. His professional experiences as director of CODOFIL and with the French Consulate General in New Orleans, among others, have given him an in-depth understanding of the social, political and economic issues involved in revitalizing Louisiana’s French and Creole heritage languages. Joseph is involved in a number of projects focusing on the development and enhancement of Louisiana’s French-Creole-speaking communities. He is a Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite (France), a member of the Ordre des Francophones d’Amérique (Québec) and was recently appointed Honorary Consul of Canada in New Orleans.