The Acadians of Nova Scotia: Past and Present

James Pritchard is a history professor at Queen’s University.

French-speaking Acadians form less than five percent of Nova Scotia’s
present population. Many no longer speak French, and their history
remains virtually unknown. The expulsion of the Acadians was not quite
complete in 1764 when some deportees were allowed to return on condition
that they settle only in the colony’s distant parts. During the next
five or six decades, the migrants slowly returned to several scattered
settlements. The authors contend that patterns that unfolded in Nova
Scotia during the latter part of the 18th century had a determining
influence on later Acadian development. Although each region evolved
differently and each became identifiable in speech habits and accents,
the French language bound all Acadians together. During the 20th
century, however, institutional pressures to assimilate have been
pervasive and relentless.

The book’s contents are arranged in three sections, roughly equal in
length. The first three chapters contain a concise history of Acadia to
1763. The authors have incorporated some results from recent
archaeological excavations carried out on pre-expulsion sites during the
early 1970s and 1980s. The second section provides interesting glimpses
into the history of seven quite distinct regions where Acadians have
lived since their return to Nova Scotia. The final section discusses the
choices and challenges facing the province’s Acadians today. The book
is chiefly a celebration of cultural resilience by the Acadian elite,
which has struggled against nearly overwhelming assimilationist
pressures to preserve the culture’s material objects, stories, and
songs.

This modest work ought to contribute to better understanding between
peoples in the province. The bibliography contains a useful guide to
further research and writing, and the text is written in a
straightforward, vigorous prose that should attract a wide audience.