Festival celebrates Franco-American heritage
JAY – For a day, a farm field was transformed into a scene of celebration of Franco-American heritage.
It was apparent by the hundreds of people who turned out the area has deep-rooted French-Canadian and Franco-American ancestry.
Lively fiddle music rose from the makeshift stage at Saturday’s celebration and on occasion dancers jigged to the rhythm. Sweet smells of crepes and other French cuisine wafted through the air. The field was the scene of a resurgence of a sometimes forgotten history.
Some people were seated on lawn chairs under canopies while others either spread out blankets on the grass or stood. Some even made themselves comfortable setting their chairs up front, close to the music.
Organizer Adele St. Pierre was at ease as she introduced performers in both French and English. She was among friends, family and people who had a culture in common.
The petite Jay native, now of Portland, has renewed her interest in her heritage. One of 11 children of Constance and Al St. Pierre, she stopped talking the language while growing up.
Adele said she realized in college that she was losing her heritage and decided to reverse the trend.
She asked her parents if she could hold the Terre Pis Ciel Festival on their land. She reached out to people in the community and they responded.
“It has exceeded my expectations,” St. Pierre said.
Sherri Couture of Jay was sitting with her daughter, Casidee Couture, 8, close to the stage. Her husband, Rick, had gone off to speak to friends. Sherri said she wished her children knew more about their French heritage and was glad that festival was a step toward that.
“We like listening to people talking in French but I wish I understood more,” Couture said.
Desiree Castonguay, 13, of Jay doesn’t speak French but her “memere” does. Castonguay says she can understand some of the language.
Laurianne Castonguay of Canton speaks French all the time except when there are English speaking people around her. She hoped the festival would continue next year.
Crystal Thorne, a Jay High School alumnus, was optimistic about the festival and turnout. The theater major said she was glad to see the heritage and arts celebrated.
Theresa Timberlake of Livermore comes from a large family, and says a lot of words in French when speaking to her children. She said she’d like to start pushing the language a little more with her children.
She finds her Franco-American language comes in handy as a nurse at St. Mary’s hospital in Lewiston. When Somalis come to the hospital, she said, she often doesn’t need a translator because some of the dialogue is the same.
Off to the side of the field, Jeanelle and Andre Demers of Auburn were preparing their performance with dance coach Cindy Larock, who coaches members of Les Pieds Rigolants. The young dancers perform la gigue, a traditional percussive dance style of French Canada, at a number of venues throughout Maine and Quebec.
Janelle started taking lessons a few years ago because she was interested in multi-cultural dancing.
“It’s something different; it’s not something I would normally do or my any of my friends would do,” she said before the trio moved toward the stage.
Comments are no longer available on this story