Flag of Acadiana

The flag of the ethnic Acadian (Cajun) region (in Louisiana, United States) was designed in 1965 by Thomas J. Arceneaux.[1] Arceneaux was the dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He derived the flag from the University seal. Arceneaux was an early leader of the Louisiana French Renaissance Movement, a movement intended to renew interest and pride in the French-Acadian heritage, language, and culture of Louisiana.[2]

Not to be confused with flag of Acadia.
Official flag of Acadiana

On July 5, 1974, the Louisiana State Legislature officially adopted Arceneaux's design as the official Acadiana flag through House Concurrent Resolution 143.[3]

Description

The three silver fleurs-de-lis on the blue field represent the French heritage of Acadiana. The fleurs-de-lis is a symbol of the kings of France.

Louisiana was still under Spanish rule when the Acadians were sent there. Since the Acadians thrived in Louisiana, a portion of the flag pays tribute to Spain. The gold castle on a red field is the coat of arms of Castile, one of the kingdoms that merged to become modern Spain.

The gold star on the white field symbolizes Our Lady of the Assumption, the patron saint of Acadiana (the star also symbolizes the active participation of the Cajuns in the American Revolution, as soldiers under General Bernardo de Gálvez, Spanish governor of Louisiana).[4]

Usage

The flag can be seen in various uses in the Acadiana region. Some local governments fly the flag of Acadiana with their respective local colors and the American flag. Many residents of Acadiana fly the flag on their homes or businesses. To many, it is seen as a unifying image of the historic and present socioeconomic ties that bind the region. Lafayette also uses it as its city flag.

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See also

References
  1. "The Acadiana Flag".
  2. "The Louisiana Acadian Flag: - Acadiana Profile - April - May 2011 - Lafayette, LA". www.myneworleans.com. Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  3. Bernard, Shane K. The Cajuns: Americanization of a People. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 167.
  4. "Acadiana Flag". CRW Flags.com. Retrieved 6 December 2006.
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