Collection:LPB

Genre: Documentary

Place Covered: St. Martinville, St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, Rayne, Acadia Parish, Louisiana, Henderson, St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, Lafayette, Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, Jennings, Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1994-08-20

Duration: 00:57:10

Subjects: Arts | Festivals Acadiens | Folse, John D. | Cajun culture | Courir de Mardi Gras | Cajun humor | ATCHAFALAYA BASIN | CRAWFISH | French language | Council for the Development of French in Louisiana | Cooking, Cajun | Cajun dance | Cajun music | Vermilionville

Contributors:

• Folse, John Host
• Jammes, Jean-Marie Interviewee
• Ancelet, Barry Interviewee
• Manuel, Georgie Interviewee
• Petitjean, Dave Interviewee
• Robin, Harold Interviewee
• Melder, Jace Interviewee
• Broussard, Earlene Interviewee
• LaFleur, Amanda Interviewee
• Sonnier, Floyd Interviewee
• Dafford, Robert Interviewee
• Pavy, Francis Interviewee
• Brown, Si Interviewee
• Romero, Lennis Interviewee
• Doucet, Michael Interviewee
• Clark, Gladys Interviewee
• Authement, Elmo Interviewee
• Fontenot, Bill Interviewee

In this program from August 20, 1994, Chef John Folse explores the history, culture, and cuisine of the Cajuns in Louisiana. This program includes: a visit to the Evangeline statue and St. Martin de Tours Catholic Church in St. Martinville; an interview with folklorist Barry Ancelet on the history of the Cajun people; a look at the traditions of the Courir de Mardi Gras, or Cajun Mardi Gras; a visit to the frog murals in Rayne; an interview with Cajun storyteller Dave Petitjean at McGee’s Landing in Henderson; an Atchafalaya swamp tour with tour guide Harold Robin; Chef Folse eating a dish of alligator etouffee at McGee’s Atchafalaya Café; a look at crawfishing and crawfish boils; interviews with Earlene Broussard, the director of CODOFIL, and Amanda LaFleur, a French teacher, on CODOFIL’s work in preserving the French language in Louisiana; interviews with Cajun artists Floyd Sonnier, Robert Dafford, and Francis Pavy; an interview with Si Brown, the president of Bruce Foods, on Cajun entrepreneurs; a look at the common ingredients used in Cajun cuisine at Mulate’s Restaurant in Lafayette; an interview with Lennis Romero on the tradition of the “fais do do,” or Cajun dance party; an interview with fiddler Michael Doucet on Cajun music; a visit to Festivals Acadiens in Lafayette; an interview with Gladys Clark on the traditional Cajun textile arts; a visit to Vermilionville in Lafayette, a living history museum with a traditional Cajun village; an interview with Bill Fontenot, the Curator of Natural Sciences at the Lafayette Natural History Museum, on common Cajun medicinal herbs and plants; a visit to La Travaille, the Duson Family cabin; and a visit to the Boudin King Restaurant in Jennings.