This feature documentary pays homage to the special character of an enduring people: the Acadians. Two hundred years after Expulsion of the Acadians by the British (1755–1764), Acadian culture is still very much alive. But why do Acadians—whose ancestors founded the first colony in North America—have to keep making a racket to tell the world they're still here?
Ages 15 to 16
Diversity - Identity
History - Canada under British Rule (1764-1867)
An excellent opportunity for exploring the consequences of the British colonial era on Canada’s various peoples. History students can be asked to answer the following questions: What were the consequences of the Expulsion of the Acadians on their identity? Do you think that a people needs to draw attention to itself to ensure its rights are respected? How did the popularity of Longfellow’s poem “Evangeline” provoke Acadians’ “amnesia”? Students could extend the activity by comparing the Québécois and Acadien searches for identity using the theme of survival as a common thread.