Legacies of Settler Colonialism in Atlantic Canada and Beyond

How are we to make sense of the complex legacies of settler colonialism in contemporary Canada? What were the effects of Acadian settlement on indigenous peoples in eastern Canada, or Mi’kmaki, and in Louisiana? Highly relevant to current debates on historical memory, commemoration, and reconciliation with indigenous nations, these matters are addressed by a panel of university and community scholars who convened in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, on August 27-28, 2021, for a symposium organized by the Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies (St. Mary’s U.) in partnership with the North/South Observatory (U. Sainte-Anne) and the Institute of Acadian Studies (U. de Moncton). Featured talks by Dr. Rohini Bannerjee (St. Mary’s U.), Michael Dardar (United Houma Nation), Dr. Nicole Gilhuis (Pepperdine U.), Dr. Gregory Kennedy (U. de Moncton), Dr. Thomas Peace (Huron University College), and Dr. John Reid (Gorsebrook Research Institute, St. Mary’s U.). Chéticamp resident and heritage entrepreneur Scott Aucoin leads a guided walk to the ruins of a mill constructed in the late eighteenth century by Acadian founders who settled on Cape Breton after years of exile. The event was sponsored by the Royal Society of Canada through its Open Academy program.

The documentary series Acadiversité explores the history and culture of the Acadian diaspora. Acadiversité is a production of Studio N/S, an initiative by Université Sainte-Anne’s North/South Observatory, the research lab of the Canada Research Chair in Acadian and Transnational Studies (CRÉAcT – Dr. Clint Bruce). Each yearly season is comprised of four episodes, three in French and one in English, plus bonus material.

The symposium featured in this episode ties into the project Rethinking Acadia in the World (Repenser l’Acadie dans le monde: études comparées, études transnationales), directed by Clint Bruce and Gregory Kennedy.

• Script, narration, and production: Clint Bruce
• Theme song: “3 a.m. West End” by statusq (freepd.com)
• Music by Frédéric Chopin (“Cello Sonata in G Minor, Op. 65 - III. Largo,” Musopen.org), Sébastien Dol and Gilles Saulnier, Unisson, Kevin MacLeod (“Connecting Rainbows” and “Beat One,” freepd.com), and the United States Navy Band.
• Audio recording of a powwow held in Houma, Louisiana, was shared by Donny Verdin of the United Houma Nation.
• Other audio clips include reports from Voice of America, in the public domain, and recordings from FreeSound.org shared by users Alienistcog, Benboncan, Be-Steel, Emmaproductions, Geldart, Hazure, Kmcgraphics-com, Laurent, Malg0isx, Mitchellsounds, Naroon, Noted451 Trp, and Wildear 1, available through Creative Commons license.

Special thanks:

• We wish to acknowledge the support of the Canada Research Chairs, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Nova Scotia Research and Innovation Trust (NSRIT), and Université Sainte-Anne.
• Our partners in creating this episode are the Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies (St. Mary’s U.), the Institute of Acadian Studies (U. de Moncton), and the Royal Society of Canada.
• Gratitude is also owed to Dr. Karly Kehoe, Dr. Hilary Doda, Karmen d’Entremont, and Mykkaela Lutes.