Supporting the goals of "A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval", and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) for yielding me time, and I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for his eloquent comments today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 294, supporting the goals of ``A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval.'' This resolution recognizes the importance of the Acadian people to Louisiana and is intended to celebrate their contributions to my State of Louisiana and this country.

During the Acadian deportation of 1755, approximately 14,000 men, women and children were expelled from Nova Scotia. Some returned to France, but most wound up scattered throughout the American colonies. Many sailed through to the French colony of Louisiana, where, over the centuries, they have established their own unique French-Acadian or Cajun culture. It is now estimated that there are over 450,000 Acadian descendants in Louisiana alone.

Cajun means many things to many people. While not all Cajuns have Acadian ancestry, a shared heritage, the legacy of the expulsion, and the maintenance of a language and culture distinct from other Americans define the Cajuns as a distinct ethnic group.

Cajun French is a unique dialect of the French language. It is still spoken throughout the Acadiana region of Louisiana, although the number of people who speak Cajun has declined dramatically over the past 50 years. For many years it was considered a distortion of the French language; however, recently it was discovered that a number of Cajuns served as French interpreters for American forces in France during World War II, and their importance has been recognized.

It is difficult to summarize Cajun cuisine and music. I guess you could say we like them both hot and spicy. Gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffee can be found in restaurants throughout the country. Cajun music and its cousin zydeco influenced country music and early rock and roll. Their mark on American music can still be heard on popular radio today.

Cajuns have had an impact on virtually every aspect of American life. Just some examples I will give you, national recording artist Wayne Toups, who has traveled internationally; Super Bowl quarterback of the NFL's Carolina Panthers, Jake Delhomme; painter and creator of the world-famous ``Blue Dog,'' George Rodrigue; Grammy Award-winning artist Michael Doucet of the band Beausoleil; the 13th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps John Archer LeJeune; Cy Young Award winner and New York Yankee Ron Guidry; and last but not least, 12-term Congressman and former chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, our colleague Billy Tauzin. We all remember Billy. He was famous for his keen wit, but also his great jokes, his great Boudreau and Thibodeau jokes.

So from music to sports, from the military to the United States Congress, Cajuns have left their mark on American culture.

In an effort to preserve the Cajun language and culture, the Louisiana State Legislature created the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, or CODOFIL, in 1968. This organization is committed to the development, utilization and preservation of the French language as found in Louisiana for the cultural benefit of the State. It is to this end that Mr. Warren Perrin, a constituent of mine, has committed years of toil and time to make this day of commemoration a reality. The people of Acadiana and all of Louisiana are grateful to Mr. Perrin for his efforts to preserve and expand the Cajun heritage in Louisiana.

On December 9, 2003, Queen Elizabeth II set July 28 by royal proclamation as a Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval to recognize the struggles of these Cajuns who left Nova Scotia. In 2004, the Louisiana Legislature declared Acadian Heritage Week to be the third week in September and urged schools to teach children about their Acadian heritage, history and culture. And the story of the Acadian people should be commemorated and celebrated because of their impact upon American history and society.

This resolution would serve that end by supporting the goals of Acadian Heritage Week and ``A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval.'' I urge colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 294) supporting the goals of ``A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval'', and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 294, which was introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany).

This legislation tells the story of the Great Upheaval, which is an event that, while perhaps little known to many Americans, helped shape the culture and history of the State of Louisiana.

The Great Upheaval refers to the expulsion of the Acadian population of Nova Scotia by the British in the mid-18th century, which is the origins of these original French settlers of the land that is now the eastern Canadian province of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

The Treaty of Utrecht, signed by the British and French at the conclusion of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1713, ended a series of land trades between the world's powers by finally awarding to the British the region inhabited by the Acadians.

Consequently, by 1730, all Acadians were compelled to swear an oath that gave their allegiance to the British, but the oath further forced them to agree to bear arms against the French or Indians.

However, in 1794 when the French and Indian War broke out, the majority of Acadians refused and disregarded this commitment to fight the French. Consequently, the British deported these Acadians, more than 10,000 strong, who would not commit their loyalty to the British Crown.

The King of France encouraged the displaced French citizens to ultimately settle in Louisiana. These thousands of Acadians exiled from Nova Scotia 2\1/2\ centuries ago are the ancestors of many of today's French Acadian, or Cajun, citizens in Louisiana.

Largely due to the Great Upheaval, French influence is still very strong in south Louisiana. The third week of September is officially Acadian Heritage Week in Louisiana. In addition, in December 2003, Queen Elizabeth signed a royal proclamation that acknowledged the mistreatment of the Acadians and designated July 28 of every year a day to commemorate the Great Upheaval.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany), the author of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, the Great Upheaval, also known as the Great Expulsion, was the eviction of the Acadian population from Nova Scotia between 1755 and 1763.

In 1755, colonial authorities began a process of uprooting and deporting 10,000 men, women, and children who had settled on British land. British Lieutenant Governor Charles Lawrence and Massachusetts Governor William Shirley began by seizing colonists' firearms to prevent them from using force to resist.

Then they took a large number of men hostage in order to guarantee the docility of their families at the at the time of deportation. Approximately three-quarters of the total Acadian population was deported. Some were sent to England, others to France, and still others to the area that was to become Louisiana.

During the campaign against the Acadians, property was plundered, communities were torched, lands were seized, and thousands of Acadian lives were claimed.

Over several generations after the Great Upheaval, the presence of Acadians in Louisiana grew, and their descendants helped to form the nucleus of Louisiana's Cajun life and culture.

On December 9, 2003, Queen Elizabeth II issued a proclamation that acknowledged the suffering experienced by the Acadian people during the Great Upheaval and designated July 28 as ``A Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval.''

H. Res. 294 supports the goals of the proclamation. It also points out how our country has grown and developed and how many of the prejudices that at one time people held have begun, in a serious way, to have diminished. Anybody who has ever visited Louisiana or knows anything about Louisiana knows that the Acadian population is an integral part of the life, the culture, and of the development in the State of Louisiana. So I am proud to support this resolution. I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 59, H. Con. Res. 181, H. Res. 329, H. Res. 289, H. Res. 294, H.R. 2977, H.R. 2894, S. 775, S. 571, and H.R. 3339.