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Finding Aids to Individual Collections in the Archive of Folk Culture
THE MAINE ACADIAN CULTURAL SURVEY
AFC 1991/029
Library of Congress
American Folklife Center
March 1996
SUMMARY
The Maine Acadian Cultural Survey Project Collection consists
of audio- and video-recordings, photographs, manuscript materials,
publications, ephemera, and accompanying documentation related
to the American Folklife Center's 1991 Maine Acadian Cultural Survey.
In cooperation with the North Atlantic Regional Office of the National
Park Service, the Center conducted an eight-week field research
project to document folklife in the Upper Saint John River Valley.
The project yielded a collection of 8.5 linear feet of materials.
Reference copies of some audio and video tapes are available. Five
researchers conducted the fieldwork, interviewing residents of
the area and documenting aspects of traditional culture in context.
The field data of the project were used as the basis for a 199-page
report, _The Maine Acadian Cultural Survey_, that concerns, in
part, recommendations for the development of a Maine Acadian Cultural
Center.
Access and Reproduction: Listening and viewing access to the collection
is unrestricted. Duplication of the recorded materials may be governed
by copyright and other restrictions.
Key Subjects: Acadia National Park (Me.); Acadians; Acadians--
New Brunswick; Acadians--Nova Scotia; Acadians in literature; agroforestry;
architecture, domestic-Maine; Cajun French dialect; carpentry;
Catholic teachers; colonization; cookery, American; ethnicity;
festivals--United States; folk songs; Fundy, Bay of; lumber; manners
and customs; oral history; oral tradition; Prince Edward Island;
reunion--history; Saint John River Valley; sawmill workers; smuggling;
step dance; storytelling; textile industry; traditional farming--United
States; traditional music and dance; United States -- Boundaries
-- Canada; waltz; weaving.
Physical Description: Location Numbers:
Print Materials
102 folders
157 ephemera
Audio Recordings
7 7-inch reels MAP-DW-R001 to MAP-DW-R007
32 audiocassettes MAP-RB-A001 to MAP-RB-A016,
MAP-RB-A017, MAP-LO-A001 to
MAP-LO-A014, MAP-DW-A001
Graphic Materials
2,700 negative images MAP-RB-B001 to MAP-RB-B005
97 contact sheets MAP-HM-B001 to MAP-HM-B021
80 prints MAP-LO-B001 to MAP-LO-B003
MAP-DW-B001 to MAP-DW-B069
2,381 color slides MAP-RB-C001-1 to MAP-RB-C012-20;
MAP-HM-C001-1 to MAP-HM-C021-5;
MAP-LO-C001-1 to MAP-LO-C004-8;
MAP-DW-C001-1 to MAP-DW-C085-11
Moving Images
6 videocassettes
(incl. 1 dup.) MAP-LO-V001 to MAP-LO-V005
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SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The Maine Acadian Cultural Survey Project was conducted in 1991
as a joint project of the American Folklife Center and the North
Atlantic Regional Office of the National Park Service. In 1990
the U.S. Congress passed the Maine Acadian Culture Preservation
Act (P.L.101-543), mandating that a study of Acadian culture in
Maine be conducted for the purpose of providing data to be used
in planning an Acadian Cultural Center in Maine. As a result of
this act, the Park Service invited the Center to join them in
undertaking such a study. The Maine Acadian Cultural Survey
Project is the fifth major collaborative project between the Park
Service and the Center, and the design and execution of the
project were largely based on knowledge gained through earlier
projects.
Under the terms of the cooperative agreement between the Park
Service and the Center, the Center developed and administered a
study of Acadian culture in Maine, produced a draft report with
findings of the study and recommendations for future research and
cultural programming, and provided the Park Service with a
reference copy of the field data.
Eight weeks of field research in the St. John Valley yielded an
ethnographic collection consisting of 5,081 photographic images,
3,600 pages of print materials, fieldnotes, manuscripts and
catalogs, 42 computer discs, 40 hours of audio recordings, 50
pages of sketches, and an assortment of ephemeral material.
These data were used to compile a 199-page report, titled _The
Maine Acadian Cultural Survey_, that was sumbitted to the
National Park Service. The report contains the findings of the
survey of Acadian culture in Maine as well as recommendations for
the development of a Maine Acadian Cultural Center. Following a
review by National Park Service officials, the report will be
published by the Park Service and submitted to Congress. It is
expected that the report will be used as a planning document by
the Maine Acadian Culture Preservation Commission.
The ethnographic collection of the project has been added to the
Archive of Folk Culture, Library of Congress. A reference copy
of the collection was donated to the Archive acadiennes at the
University of Maine at Fort Kent, where it is readily available
to the residents of the study area.
The project also proved to be a successful vehicle for creating
or strengthening ties between the Center and cultural agencies
and individual researchers in Maine. Project personnel worked
closely with the Archives acadiennes, the Maine Arts Commission,
the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, the Northeast
Archives of Folklore and Oral History, and the University of
Maine at Fort Kent. In addition, researchers had considerable
contact with a large number of local historical societies and
other cultural organizations based in the study area.
MAINE ACADIAN CULTURAL SURVEY
AFC: 1991/029
COLLECTION INVENTORY AND DESCRIPTION
by David A. Taylor, Kathryn D. Ellis, and Nora Yeh
SERIES I: PRINT MATERIALS
Folder
Number Description
PRELIMINARIES
1 Collection Inventory. 8 pp.
2 Cooperative Agreement: agreement between American
Folklife Center and National Park Service. Draft of
agreement and signed final agreement, with related
correspondence. 27 pp.
3 Maine Acadian Culture Preservation Commission. Various
documents. 52 pp.
4 P.L. 101-543, The Maine Acadian Culture Preservation Act:
drafts of the act; testimony for and against; legislative
history. 186 pp. and two copies of enacted bill.
ADMINISTRATION
5 Acadian scholars: potential contacts. Prepared by David
Taylor. 13 pp.
6 American Folklife Center Board of Trustees: May 7, 1991,
memo from David Taylor about survey of Acadian cultural
resources in Maine. 2 pp.
7 Ancelet, Barry Jean (University of Southwestern
Louisiana): January 29, 1991, letter from David Taylor.
1 p.
8 Belous, Robert (National Park Service): January 30,
1991, letter from David Taylor. 1 p.
9 Bibliographies concerning Acadians in North America. 75
pp.
10 Biographical Data Form. Blank copies. 3 pp.
11 Brassieur, C. Ray (University of Missouri): letters to
and from; publications. 22 pp. and two publications.
12 Budget and timetable for field survey. 34 pp.
13 Calendar of Annual Events in the Upper Saint John Valley.
Compiled by Lisa Ornstein and Julie Bayley. 36 pp.
14 Certificate of appreciation: blank copies of certificate
sent to project informants. 12 pp.
15 Consent forms: master copies of three types. 3 pp.
16 Consent forms: forms signed by informants. 33 pp.
17 Contacts: list of individuals and institutions with
information about Acadians in Maine. Compiled by Camila
Bryce-Laporte. 8 pp.
18 Correspondence, miscellaneous. 11 pp.
19 Documentation guide for project fieldworkers. Prepared
by David Taylor. 42 pp.
20 Dubay, Guy (Madawaska, Maine): letter from David Taylor.
1 p.
21 Dumont, Richard (University of Maine at Fort Kent):
letters from Alan Jabbour. 2 pp.
22 Equipment: list of documentation equipment used during
field survey. 3 pp.
23 Expenses: preliminary accounting of expenses. Invoices,
purchase orders, and other documents. 133 pp.
24 Final Evaluation: assessment of the Maine Acadian
Cultural Survey Project, by David Taylor. Report and
executive summary for AFC Board of Trustees. 28 pp.
25 Hand-outs: hand-outs, in French and English, about the
field survey. 14 pp.
26 Hart, Judy (National Park Service): letters from David
Taylor. 2 pp.
27 Human Resources List: contacts in the St. John Valley,
arranged by categories. Prepared by Lisa Ornstein. 14
pp.
28 Income: documents concerning transfer of funds from the
National Park Service to the Library of Congress. 3 pp.
29 Informants, letters from: letters from project
informants to David Taylor. 8 pp.
30 Informants, letters to: thank you letters to informants
from David Taylor. 94 pp.
31 Ives, Edward D. 2 pp.
32 Jabbour, Alan: memos from David Taylor; letter to Bruce
Jacobson; letter from Bruce Jacobson. 32 pp.
33 Jacobson, Bruce (National Park Service): letters to and
from Bruce Jacobson. 66 pp.
34 Kominski, John (Library of Congress): memos and other
documents from Alan Jabbour concerning cooperative
agreement with NPS. 7 pp.
35 LeBlanc, Bernard (University of Moncton): letters from
David Taylor; letters to David Taylor; other documents.
35 pp.
36 Mailing list: project mailing list. 9 pp.
37 Maine Arts Commission: letters to Maine Arts Commission
from David Taylor; documents from the Commission
concerning Acadians in Maine. 5 pp. and booklet.
38 Map of Upper St. John Valley. Prepared by National Park
Service. 5 copies.
39 Marshall, Howard (University of Missouri): letters to
and from; other documents. 43 pp. and newsletter.
40 Martin, John L. (Maine House of Representatives):
letters to and from. 19 pp.
41 Master Contact List, arranged in alphabetical order.
Prepared by Lisa Ornstein. 27 pp.
42 Missouri, University of: draft of contract with American
Folklife Center. 8 pp.
43 Mitchell, George (Senator): letter from Juris Ubans;
letters to Steve Hart (Mitchell's legislative assistant)
from David Taylor. 6 pp.
44 Ornstein, Lisa (Acadian Archives): letters to and from;
other documents. 75 pp.
45 Peskin, Sarah (National Park Service): letters to and
from. 39 pp.
46 Potential informants in the Upper St. John Valley. 26
pp.
47 Publicity: press releases and articles about the survey
project. 45 pp. and five copies of _Folklife Center
News_.
48 Resource guide: memo, by Camila Bryce-Laporte,
concerning the contents of a resource guide she prepared
for project fieldworkers; table of contents for resource
guide. 9 pp.
49 Slide show: text of slide-illustrated program about the
Acadian Cultural Survey. Prepared by David Taylor. 23
pp.
50 Trip reports: reports on trips to the Upper St. John
Valley, Augusta, and Boston, by David Taylor. 26 pp.
51 University of Maine at Fort Kent, meeting on June 5,
1991, backgrounds of participants. Prepared by Lisa
Ornstein. 3 pp.
52 Whitman, David. 6 pp.
DOCUMENTARY MATERIALS
Audiotapes and Audiocassettes
53 Audio tape inventory: annotated list of field tapes
recorded during the survey. Prepared by Camila Bryce-
Laporte. 6 pp.
54 Audio tape logs, by Ray Brassieur. MAP-RB-A001 through
MAP-RB-A016. 76 pp.
55 Audio tape logs, by Lisa Ornstein. MAP-LO-A001 through
MAP-LO-A014. 84 pp.
56 Audio tape logs, by David Whitman. MAP-DW-R001 through
MAP-DW-R007. 14 pp.; MAP-DW-A001. 3pp.
Biographical Data Forms
57 Biographical Data Forms: completed forms. 19 pp.
Fieldnotes and Drawings
58 Field drawings, by Ray Brassieur: copies of drawings,
mainly of furniture and architectural features. 37 pp.
59 Field drawings, by Howard Marshall: copies of drawings
of architectural features. 30 pp.
60 Fieldnotes, by Ray Brassieur. 72 pp.
61 Fieldnotes, by Howard Marshall. 101 pp.
62 Fieldnotes, by Lisa Ornstein. 35 pp.
63 Fieldnotes, by David Whitman. 43 pp.
Photographs
64 Black-and-white photo logs, Ray Brassieur. MAP-RB-B001
through MAP-RB-B005. 6 pp.
65 Black-and-white photo logs, Howard Marshall. MAP-HM-B001
through MAP-HM-B021. 25 pp.
66 Black-and-white photo logs, Lisa Ornstein. MAP-LO-B001
through MAP-LO-B002. 5 pp. (Missing log for MAP-LO-B003;
may not exist).
67 Black-and-white photo logs, David Whitman. MAP-DW-B001
through MAP-DW-B069. 104 pp. (Photos MAP-DW-B060 through
MAP-DW-B069 exist as only positives; negatives are
missing).
68 Contact sheets, duplicates. 3 duplicate contact sheets.
Color Slides
69 Color-slide logs, Ray Brassieur. MAP-RB-C001 through
MAP-RB-C012. 13 pp.
70 Color-slide logs, Howard Marshall. MAP-HM-C001 through
MAP-C021. 22 pp.
71 Color-slide logs, Lisa Ornstein. MAP-LO-C001 through
MAP-LO-C002. 2 pp.
72 Color-slide logs, David Whitman, MAP-DW-C001 through
MAP-DW-C085. 109 pp.
Resource Survey
73 Resource survey: questionnaire survey of cultural
institutions with holdings pertaining to Acadian history
and culture. Compiled by Camila Bryce-Laporte. 40 pp.
EPHEMERA
74 Acadian Cultural Committee, Madawaska: proposal for
establishing a cultural center in Madawaska, Maine. 120
pp.
75 Acadian Village: booklet about the Acadian Village, Van
Buren, Maine. 2 copies.
76 Beckwith, Cynthia. "Our Lady of Lille." _Echoes_,
Spring 1989, pp. 27-29. [Article about Notre Dame du
Mont-Carmel Church in Lille, Maine] 4 pp.
77 Eagle Lake, Maine: data about Eagle Lake. 4 pp.
78 Family reunion booklets: four booklets.
Box 6 Flag: Acadia flag: 6-3/4"x10" nylon flag on 15" plastic
staff. _Reunion Families' Favorite Recipes_; 172 pp.
Both stored in archival box number 6.
79 Fort Fairfield, Maine. "Update of Town History for
Comprehensive Plan 1991." 15 pp.
80 Freeberg, Ernie. "Voice of the Valley." _Down East_,
Nov. 1989. [Article about Acadian singer Ida Roy] 4 pp.
81 Giguere, Madeleine. "Language Maintenance-Speaking
French at Home." Conference paper, n.d. 33 pp.
82 Konrad, Victor A., and Michael Chaney. "Madawaska Twin
Barn." _Journal of Cultural Geography_ 3, no. 1
(Fall/Winter 1982): 64-75. 7 pp.
83 McDonald, Sheila. "The War After the War: Fort Kent
Blockhouse, 1839-1842. _Maine State Historical Society
Quarterly_ 29, nos. 3 & 4 (Winter-Spring 1990). 13 pp.
84 _Madawaska Centennial, 1869-1969_. [Madawaska, Me.]:
N.p., [1969]. Excerpts. 28 pp.
85 Madawaska Historical Society. _Madawaska Historical
Society Newletter_ 2, no. 10 (Feb. 1989).
86 Madawaska, Maine: data about Madawaska. 7 pp. and two
copies of booklet.
87 Michaud, A.J. _An Acadian Heritage from the St. John
River Valley_ (Madawaska, Me.: Valley Publishing Co., n.
d.). Excerpts. 13 pp.
88 Newspaper articles: various articles from the _St. John
Valley Times_, _Bangor Daily News_, and other newspapers
concerning the Acadian Festival and other events that
occurred during the period of the field survey. 137 pp.
89 _Paper Talks Magazine_: seven issues (1981, 1982, 1985,
1986, 1987, 1989, 1990).
90 Programs: various programs from events in the St. John
Valley, summer 1991.
91 St. Bruno Parish. _St. Bruno Parish, Van Buren, Maine,
Sesquicentennial 1838-1988_. (N.p.: N.p., [1988]).
92 Soleil Press. _Works by and About Franco-Americans_.
Catalog 1990-91.
93 Van Buren, Maine: miscellaneous articles about Van
Buren. 29 pp. and two booklets.
94 Newspaper clippings. 5 pp.
95 Published recordings notes. 5 pp.
96 Foundresses: The Little Franciscans of Mary. Local
history for children. 52 pp.
97 Fort Kent Centennial 1869-1969. 160 pp. + 4 pp. covers.
98 Fort Kent Historical Society 1989 Calendar. 28 pp.
99 Manuscript: Fort Kent. Loose-leaf manuscript and draft
of a book on the history and life at Fort Kent by the
First National Bank. 38 pp.
REPORT
100 Brassieur, C. Ray, coord. "The Maine Acadian Cultural
Survey." 199 pp. [Draft report submitted to the
National Park Service by the American Folklife Center]
101 North Atlantic Region, National Park Service. Acadian
Culture in Maine (Boston: National Park Service, 1992).
2 copies. [Draft report based on the American Folklife
Center's report "The Maine Acadian Cultural Survey."]
North Atlantic Region, National Park Service. Acadian
Culture in Maine, Revised Edition. (Draft copy for
review, December 1993). 2 copies.
102 North Atlantic Region, National Park Service.
_Implementing the Maine Acadian Culture Preservation Act:
Draft Conceptual Framework/Environmental Assessment_.
Revised Edition to _Acadian Culture in Maine_. June
1994.
RESOURCE GUIDE
"Maine Acadian Resource Guide": compilation of various
articles and other materials about the history, culture,
and economy of the Upper Saint John Valley. Prepared by
Camila Bryce-Laporte. Stored in two loose-leaf binders.
COMPUTER DISCS
Box 21 24 3-and-a-half-inch discs in 4 containers.
18 floppy discs in 2 containers.
SERIES II: SOUND RECORDINGS
AUDIO TAPES
Recordists: Ray Brassieur, David Whitman.
Accession numbers: MAP-DW-R001 through MAP-DW-R007.
Total reel-to-reel tapes: 7 7-inch reels.
CASSETTE TAPES
Recordists: Ray Brassieur, Lisa Ornstein, David Whitman.
Accession numbers:
MAP-RB-A001 through MAP-RB-A016
MAP-RB-A017: COUSINS SIROIS/DUPLESSIS COUSINS FETONS LES
SIROIS-THE SIROIS REUNION; a home studio
audiocassette.
MAP-LO-A001 through MAP-LO-A014
MAP-DW-A001
Total cassette tapes: 32 (C-60).
SERIES III: GRAPHIC IMAGES
PHOTOGRAPHS: Black-and-White Photographs
Photographers: Julie Bayley, Ray Brassieur, Howard
Marshall, Lisa Ornstein, David Whitman.
Accession numbers:
MAP-RB-B001 through MAP-RB-B005
MAP-HM-B001 through MAP-HM-B021
MAP-LO-B001 through MAP-LO-B003
MAP-DW-B001 through MAP-DW-B069
Negatives: negatives for all black-and-white images,
marked with the above accession numbers, in a loose-leaf
binder. Aerial photographs were taken by JB.
Contact sheets: total of 97 contact sheets, comprising
approximately 2,700 images, in a loose-leaf binder. (3
duplicate contact sheets are in folder number 68.)
Prints: 8x10 black-and-white prints from field
collection. 80 prints in a loose-leaf binder.
COLOR SLIDES
Photographers: Ray Brassieur, Howard Marshall, Lisa
Ornstein, David Whitman.
Accession numbers:
MAP-RB-C001-1 through MAP-RB-C012-20 (MAP-RB-C009-20
is vacant);
MAP-HM-C001-1 through MAP-HM-C021-5;
MAP-LO-C001-1 through MAP-LO-C004-8 (MAP-LO-C002-8
through MAP-LO-C002-20 are vacant);
MAP-DW-C001-1 through MAP-DW-C085-11 (MAP-DW-C027-18
through MAP-DW-C027-20, MAP-DW-C084-15 through MAP-
DW-C084-20 are vacant).
Total slides: 2,381.
SERIES IV: MOVING IMAGES
VIDEOTAPES
MAP-LO-V001 through MAP-LO-V004. 4 videotapes from the
Fort Kent Historical Society.
MAP-LO-V005. One videotape copy of the July 16, 1990,
30-minute production of the _Chronicle_ television show,
titled "The Main Streets and Back Roads of New England,"
showing the Upper St. John Valley and its history of the
Acadian people and a look at their present-day
descendents; discusses the struggle to keep their
traditions alive.
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