I put French-Cajun because it might be easier to understand that. Evangeline Parish is considered one of the most Cajun parishes. I mean, how much more Cajun can one possibly be than Mamou? But Evangeline Parish has no Acadian heritage or history. Because they're Creole, I mean, French-Cajun. That applies to the "white" French people of course. Black or multiracial French people are Creole. That's how it works around here. That's fine and dandy but for God's sake please don't play a sad tune on a violin and lament about our Acadian people being exiled and a new Acadie founded in Mamou or Ville Platte. That's absurd. Talk about French soldiers, fur trappers from Quebec, French prisoners being sent because not too many people wanted to go to colonial Louisiana, etc. I still get a kick when I see superficial tourist writings describing Creoles (white) as being all rich and going to the opera and all Cajuns walking around barefoot and catching alligators and laughing at the fancy pants Creoles (white). Take New Orleans for example. Was every single Creole (white) in New Orleans back in the day rich, educated and going to the opera? What about the Creole who worked in the ports, drank a lot of beer and would rather fight in a bar than go to the damn opera? He would then, I guess, be a Cajun. And that way of thinking is why Evangeline Parish is very Cajun. It has nothing to do with the Acadians. It has to do with white cowboy French Creoles being too rough and rugged to be considered Creole. Mamou is one of the most Cajun towns in Louisiana. But Mamou is French-Cajun, not Acadian-Cajun. Don't believe me? Read what Cajun activist and great Mamou man Revon Reed wrote in newspapers back in the 80's.
Anyway, I came across this book in the library and think it's great:
Working The Field: Accounts from French Louisiana. edited by Jacques Henry and Sara Le Menestrel.
People talk about their experiences in studying French Louisiana. It's sociologists, anthropologists and folklorists talking. Barry Ancelet himself has a chapter included. I liked all of it. I especially like Cecyle Trepanier and Dean Louder's chapter talking about their Quebec perspective on us here in Louisiana. It covers a lot of stuff but includes the idea of Cajun equals Acadian when that's not really true. Maybe in Abbeville. But in Ville Platte? No. Besides all the label nonsense, it talks about actual real stuff like Mardi Gras, treaters and music. Check it out.