The photos shown in this issue of Résonance were taken by George Ducharme during the 2019 World Acadian Congress, an event held every five years since 1994 to bring together Acadians from all over the world. Arts Editor Erica Vermette reached out to George to get some context and insight on these photos and the event.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I live in Taunton, MA but grew up in Gardner, MA, and lived there until I left for college back in the early 1990s.  Gardner is known as “The Chair City” due to the number of furniture companies in the area, which were heavily reliant on immigrants from the eastern provinces of Canada, particularly New Brunswick and Quebec, to fuel the factories. My ancestors (both on my mother and father’s side) settled in Gardner to take advantage of the work and built thriving communities in the process.

I’ve long been an amateur photographer with an interest in lo-fi images, such as those I submitted to Résonance.  I like capturing fleeting moments with my Shake-It iPhone app, as for me it represents the creation of a memory and less a piece of art.  The more unusual the setting the more I am drawn to photograph and document it.

Can you tell us about the World Acadian Congress, and the 2019 event in particular?

My family and I traveled to Prince Edward Island for vacation and stumbled upon the World Acadian Congress by accident.  On the way to visit a local museum we (me in particular) were struck by the abundance of DIY signs celebrating Acadian heritage and culture on nearly every lawn we passed. Many were unique expressions of pride that were tied together only by the colors used. Later, I realized that the Congress is a two-week gathering, held every five years and was created to unite Acadians across North America. The 2019 gathering was expected to draw 100,000 participants to the island.

What do you remember about the three works pictured?

What I remember most about the images were their vibrant colors, playful designs, and the loud groans from my family as I kept stopping repeatedly when a new photographic opportunity presented itself. My family knows that when traveling with dad, frequent stops by the side of the road are a common occurrence.

What is your relationship to the term “Franco-American?"

Growing up in Gardner, the term Franco-American was all-encompassing, through the food, social, religious, and familial connections/traditions brought to the region years before.  I never thought much about the phrase when young, but now that I am half a century old I’ve come to realize that it represents a distinct culture that should be celebrated and shared.

For more information about the World Acadian Congress, please visit https://cma2024.ca/en/.