By now, you may be wondering (ho,hum) why I am writing about Mi'kmaqs, Acadians and my Dad. Believe me - it will all become clear in the next installment of "Genealogy".
So, for those of you who are quite literally at the edges of your seats and need a Canadian history fix, I will delay no more.
- 1605 - Acadia (Nova Scotia) was settled by the French. Marriages between the French and the native M'ik M'aq indians were common.
- 1642 - Pierre Lejeune, (my paternal ancestor), arrived from France and settled in Acadia where it is documented that he married "a MikMaq woman" (she was not given the courtesy of a name) - and so the LeJeune family tree began.
- 1755 - The Great Expulsion: A terrifying and tragic experience where thousands of French settlers were suddenly expelled from Acadia under the direction of the British troops. Families were violently separated and forced onto various ships set sail to places unknown. Many Acadians were never to reunite with their loved ones again.
- Many 'LeJeune' families that were forced onto the British ships eventually settled in Lafayette, Louisiana.
- With the assistance and protection of the native M'ik M'aq's, some families were able to stay intact. Fortunately, my ancestors travelled with the Mi'kmaqs to the island of Newfoundland, eventually settling in what would become known as the town of St George's.
- Catholic Jesuits encouraged the new settlers to anglicize their family names in order to escape further potential persecution by the British... "LeJeune" became "Young", "Benoit" became "Bennett", "LeBlanc" became "White" etc.
- 1995: 250 years after The Great Expulsion, Acadian descendants, including Ted Young (my Dad) began embracing their Indian heritage.
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