On March 16, the Legislature’s Education and Cultural Affairs Committee will hear public testimony on LD 422: An Act To Include the Study of Franco-American History in the System of Learning Results. It is sponsored by Auburn Rep. Brian Bolduc.
A similar proposal that will be heard the same day, LD 357, supports teaching Acadian history and is sponsored by Sen. Troy Jackson of Aroostook County. They both are good because Franco-American and Acadian are essentially the same.
Every now and then a piece of legislation comes forward that appears superfluous because we all assume that the practice already must be in place. It is shocking to discover that our schools aren’t teaching the importance of French influence in Maine.
From Biddeford to Fort Kent, the French language is heard and Franco-American customs employed. Tourtiere pies, the traditional meat pies that have been a staple of holiday celebrations, are sold in our grocery stores.
The first permanent Colonial settlements in the territory we now call Maine were French and according to University of Southern Maine professor Barry Rodrigue, as many as 50 percent of today’s Mainers have French ancestry.
The French colonists fought side by side with the indigenous people of Maine against the British, who dominate our history books but do not dominate our cultural legacy.
The figures available from the 2005 Yearbook of American and Canadian Churches state that the largest single religious denomination in the United States is the Catholic religion, which was first brought to the region now known as the United States by the French.
Our only national park is named after the French settlement here, Acadia — and not for any Anglo equivalent — which isn’t a surprise considering there isn’t an Anglo equivalent. Yet, most Maine schoolchildren never learn the origin of the word Acadia or its historical significance.
Just in case you don’t know where that word comes from either, let me tell you.
Turns out Smith College professor William Ganong — you may recognize the name because of the yummy Canadian chocolates — published a map in 1909 that was produced in 1524 by explorer Giovanni Verrazano. Italian-born Verrazano made the map for French King Francois I who financed his explorations. It is conjectured that Verrazano named the northeastern region of what he found on the North American continent after a look-alike region in Greece. Acadie was known for its stark beauty and friendly, hardworking people. Just knowing this small piece of information about the origin of the name allows us to conjecture what Verrazano’s relationship was like with the natives he encountered here.
You likely know that the Pilgrims made it to Plymouth in 1620, but did you have any idea that the French were exploring hundreds of miles to the north almost a century earlier?
The beauty of LD 422 is that it supplements Maine’s already good learning standards. It isn’t about not teaching Anglo-American history; it’s about augmenting what we have now with a necessary focus on the French impact in our regional development.
What can we learn from Franco-American history? Take this sample quiz.
What famous explorer charted many Maine rivers?
Here’s a hint: There’s a lake named after him that is contained by New York, Vermont and the Canadian province of Quebec.
Gen. George Washington gained prominence during the French and Indian War. Name one French general.
Which Acadian cities are named for the French officers Washington met on the battlefield?
The French and Indian War also is called the Seven Years War. What’s another nickname for it?
OK, I’ll give you this one because it highlights my point; It’s called The Forgotten War.
The Legislature has the opportunity to make our state’s history curricula more accurately reflect the true cultural and historical essence of Maine by remembering the important role played by the French here and elsewhere.
The 2000 U.S. Census cites the French as the largest ethnic group in Maine, outnumbering even the British. If you’re one of them it’s time to have your origins and legacy taught in Maine schools. And if you aren’t one, then you can learn the value of a group whose heritage is different from your own.
Pat LaMarche of Yarmouth is the author of “Left Out In America: The State of Homelessness in the United States.” She may be reached at PatLaMarche@hotmail.com.