LAFAYETTE, La. — The second annual Creole Culture Day kicked off over the weekend at Maison Freetown.
Bertha Arceneaux is a Lafayette local who grew up during a time when speaking the Creole language was looked down upon.
"I was raised on it by my grandmother and my dad and mom, but they would try to speak English but I still caught on the French, the Creole," says Arceneaux.
Arceneaux's son Milton co-founded Louisiana Creole Culture LLC, an organization dedicated to celebrating achievements and contributions of the Creole culture.
Arceneaux tells KATC that it's crucial to ensure the language is honored today simply because the past can't be changed.
"Our culture has been appropriated so much and it's important and imperative that we keep the culture alive," expressed Arceneaux. "My mom didn't even realize, she thought the teacher was being mean to her by saying she couldn't speak French, but she didn't even realize it's actually against the law to talk French."
His mother has a deep love for the language and hopes to see it spoken more.
"You should take advantage of what you have and it's a joy to speak it. Because I feel like it's a happy language and when you talk it, it makes you smile it makes you happy. I think today it would be wonderful to see more people speak the Creole but I think the younger people are catching on to it," she says.
One young vendor chooses to keep the culture alive by making sure their products have a heavy Creole influence.
"My great-great grandparents and grandparents all spoke French that's something I didn't have the privilege of," says LaFontaine. "You know a little bit from the songs but I don't fully understand it so if I could preserve as much as I can from the spiritual traditions from the herbal traditions I feel like that's the best way to preserve our history."
Knowing and practicing your native tongue is just about being your authentic self.
"So you can know who you are, you have to know yourself to be happy. You have to know yourself or otherwise, you won't be happy," Arceneaux says.
