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Our tour of Vermilionville, in Lafayette, Louisiana, ends with a cat. A snoozy, friendly cat, who elicits
delighted photo snaps.
But this is the ending, First, the beginning.
Upon arrival to Vermilionville, our group is introduced to tour guide, Kevin.
Kevin leads us through Vermilionville, a living history village museum. The purpose is to preserve
Louisiana history and the culture of its people.
I’m a fan of learning. A lightning bolt of joy runs through my body, when I learn something new.
In the first house we tour, we learn how Native Americans, communicate, using beads.
We’re taught about the daily lives of individuals. About the boats they made, the fibers spun, and where
they slept.
Curious knowledge acquired. In a time without photos, to remember a loved one passed, people used
to save hair, to display under glass. Remember Nana, when you pass her preserved hair, hanging on the
wall. I fell down a fascinating information hole, learning about hair preservation practices.
My favorite building in Vermilionville, is the one-room schoolhouse. Kevin shares accounts of what
Acadian children endured, as attempts were made to abuse the French language and culture out of
them. Later, those who rebelled, and retained their French language and knew English, were asked to
become interpreters for the military.
Kevin’s stories of cultural oppression are grievous. Some are first accounts, passed down to him, by
family members. He plays a Cajun Accordion, and sings in French, a song of lament.
During our visit, Kevin also tells, wonderful, narrative, jokes. Many locals tell us jokes in Lafayette. It’s a
good example of the continuous balance between laughter and tears.
You can easily spend a day exploring Vermilionville. There is a restaurant and live music on the
weekends.
When visiting Lafayette, visiting Vermilionville is a must.
The history museum, is lovingly preserved. The
experience is immersive. You feel the deep desire of the staff, to protect the memories of the past, and
continue teaching the lessons learned, to future generations.
More Fun Things to do in Lafayette
Lafayette History and Culture Tour
Stay in Lafayette
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Suzanne Fluhr
atHopefully, the dominant culture folks have learned/are learning that children easily become perfectly bilingual when their native tongue isn’t forcefully erased.