Creole Heritage Celebration

NATCHITOCHES – The 20th Annual Creole Heritage Celebration will be held Oct. 10-11 in the Friedman Student Union at Northwestern State University. The event will celebrate the genealogy, nurse history and archaeology of the Creole culture inside and outside Louisiana.

Registration is $20 per person in advance and $25 on site. The fee includes a complete registration package: program book­let, stomach admission to all sessions and activities, including the Creole People’s Awards Ceremony, the zydeco concert and dance and the French Table discussion hosted by the Cane River Creole National Historical Park.

Sessions will center on the main cultures that compose Creole: French, American Indian, African American and Spanish and archaeology, genealogy, kinship, history, language, music and food associated with the traditions that make up the Creole culture.

Topics will include: Creole Archaeology, American Indian Connec­tions and Life on the Creole Frontier.

Elizabeth Shown Mills, co-author of “The Forgotten People” and author of “Isle of Canes” will give a presentation. Copies of her new book will be available for sale and signing following the presentation.

The editor-in-chief of Kreol Magazine, Georgina Dhillon, is sched­uled to attend. This international magazine is dedicated to promot­ing the Creole culture across Creole-speaking countries and be­yond. More information on the magazine is available at kreolmagazine.com.

A silent auction will be held with proceeds to benefit the Creole Heritage Center. Exhibits from the Creole Heritage Center, Williamson Mu­seum, National Park Service, and other groups will be on display.

The Creole Store will be open with com­memorative t-shirts, caps, aprons and flags. Also available will be publications of interest, films and novelty items.

The Creole Heritage Celebration leads into the weekend of the annual St. Augustine Church Fair on Oct. 11-13 and the Natchitoches Fall Pilgrimage Tour of Homes on Oct. 12-13. For more information, contact the Louisiana Creole Heritage Center at (318) 357-6685 or richmonds@nsula.edu.