The flag of
Acadiana
Acadiana ( French and Louisiana French: ''L'Acadiane''), also known as the Cajun Country (Louisiana French: ''Le Pays Cadjin'', es, País Cajún), is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that has historically contained mu ...
(french: link=yes, Drapeau de l'Acadie) represents the
Acadian
The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...
(
Cajun
The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana.
While Cajuns are usually described as ...
) ethnic region of southern
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. It consists of two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red (bottom) bearing three white ''
fleurs de lis'' and a gold castle, respectively, and a white
isosceles triangle
In geometry, an isosceles triangle () is a triangle that has two sides of equal length. Sometimes it is specified as having ''exactly'' two sides of equal length, and sometimes as having ''at least'' two sides of equal length, the latter versio ...
at the hoist, within which is a gold
five-pointed star
A five-pointed star (☆), geometrically an equilateral concave decagon, is a common ideogram in modern culture.
Comparatively rare in classical heraldry, it was notably introduced for the flag of the United States in the Flag Act of 1777 and s ...
. It was designed in 1965 and officially adopted July 5, 1974. The flag is referred to as the Acadiana flag or Cajun flag.
History
The flag was designed in 1965 by Dr. Thomas J. Arceneaux of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (present day
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus University of Louisiana System and the s ...
),
who derived it from the Southwestern Louisiana Institute seal. He was an early proponent of the Louisiana French Renaissance Movement, a movement designed to renew interest and pride in the French-Acadian heritage, language, and culture of Louisiana. On July 5, 1974, the
State Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution No. 143 adopting Dr. Arceneaux's design as the official flag of Acadiana.
Symbolism
The various symbols on the flag were each chosen to represent a special aspect of Cajun culture and history. The golden star surrounded by a field of white serves as a symbol of Acadian
exile
Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...
s in
America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and alludes to their
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
heritage. The ''fleurs de lis'' set against a background of blue represent the
French ancestry of the Cajuns. The golden castle set upon a field of red represents
Spanish colonial rule of Louisiana, the rule during which the exiled Acadians arrived.
See also
*
List of flags by design
This is a list of flags, arranged by design, serving as a navigational aid for identifying a given flag.
Solid
Examples:
Charged
While most charge (heraldry), charged flags are duotone or multicolor, they are referred to by their solid primary ...
*
Flag of Acadia
The flag of Acadia is a symbolic flag representing the Acadian community of Canada. It was adopted on 15 August 1884, at the Second Acadian National Convention held in Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, by nearly 5,000 Acadian delegates from a ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Acadiana, Flag Of
1974 establishments in Louisiana
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
Ethnic flags
Flags introduced in 1965
Flags of Louisiana
Louisiana culture