WHEREAS,  Acadia refers to the area of early French settlement in colonial times in what is now Maine and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, including our neighbor, New Brunswick, and this area retains its ancient and proud French heritage and language; and

WHEREAS,  Maine Acadian culture can be found everywhere in the St. John Valley in Aroostook County: it can be seen in the predominance of French given names and place-names; in the architecture of houses, churches, potato houses and twin barns; in the cultivation of potatoes and buckwheat; and in local arts; and

WHEREAS,  Maine Acadian can be tasted in traditional foods and heard in casual conversations and stage performances and read about in books; and

WHEREAS,  the cultural identity of Maine Acadians is directly tied to retaining strong connections to family, religion and the land; and

WHEREAS,  despite significant changes in social and economic life, Maine Acadian family names, religious affiliation and connection to the land remain potent markers of cultural identity; and

WHEREAS,  the characteristic features of Maine Acadian cultural identity are rooted in the shared values, ideas and practices passed on from one generation to the next; and

WHEREAS,  Maine Acadians have historically used the French language to transmit cultural knowledge, particularly oral traditions, and today French is learned as a first or second language throughout the State of Maine, including in other Franco-American communities; and

WHEREAS,  clubs and organizations to promote Acadian and French culture and language in the State have sprung up in past years, including many at the local level and the Francophone Caucus at the Maine State House in Augusta; and

WHEREAS,  throughout Maine history, Maine Acadians have held prominent positions in all of State Government, including the legislative and judicial branches and at all local levels of government; and

WHEREAS,  the French language and other expressive traditions further contribute to the distinctiveness of Maine Acadian culture within the United States and the culture of Acadians in neighboring New Brunswick, and these ties bind the two nations closer together; now, therefore, be it