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Updated:
Oct. 17, 2006
Webmaster: LGTrahan@cox.net
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Creole Culture |
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| It has been handed
down through the years that Creoles are both BLACK and FRENCH in
heritage. Creoles are among a rich cultural heritage of
people. For many centuries, the word Creole has had as many as 30
known definitions. It is a fact that the word Creole had its
origin in Africa, citing the countries of Senegal and Mali. In
these areas, it is believed that in the 11th century is when Creolism
began. In search of new lands, ideas, riches, knowledge and to
dispute the philosophers and historians, men became daring
explorers. It is through their discoveries that these varying
cultures co-existed in harmony to form the cradle of Creolism. It
is documented in the annals of history that Creoles of Senegal, whether
as freemen or as slaves, traveled directly from Senegal and Mali to
Louisiana.
The flag of Louisiana Creoles was designed by Pete Bergeron in 1987 and adopted by C.R.E.O.L.E., Inc. a Lafayette based African-American heritage preservation group. The Flag of Louisiana Creoles represents the cultural melting pot that is the Louisiana Creoles. The first flag was hand stitched by Bergeron's sister, Delores Kay Conque of Carencro, La. By adopting the Creole flag, C.R.E.O.L.E., Inc. upholds its mission statement, "to identify, preserve and promote the numerous aspects of the Creole culture in southwest Louisiana. Today there are Creole populations in New Orleans, St. James Parish, Isle Brevelle, Cane River, Opelousas, Lafayette and other Louisiana towns. The Creole flag celebrates the mixed lineage, culture and religion of these Louisiana Creoles. The upper left section, a white fleur de lis on a blue field, represents Louisiana's French heritage. On the lower left and upper right sections, West African heritage is represented by the Mali Republic National tricolor flag (green, yellow and red) and the Senegal Republic National flag (green, yellow and red). Spanish Colonial heritage is depicted by the Tower of Castile (gold tower on a red field) on the lower left section. A white cross dividing the four symbols represents the Christian faith accepted by the Muslim and Islamic from Senegal and Mali in Louisiana. Some of above reprinted from "Lafayette Travel Bureau" Web Site. |
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