par Piccinin, HelgiLouisiana,a land of cultural mixing, was officially proclaimed a French territory and namedin honour of King Louis XIV by explorer Cavelier de Lasalle in 1682. Theterritory subsequently changed hands several times—ceded to Spain in the Treatyof Paris in 1763, recovered by France in 1800, then, three years later, sold byNapoleon to the United States—but these shifts of allegiance did not lead tothe disappearance of French in the area. They did, however, produce a specificcultural mélange due to successivemigrations of Acadians, Creoles, American Indians, Spaniards and Europeans ofdiverse origins. Up until the early 20th century, francophone language andculture remained predominant. In this article, videographer Helgi Piccininexplores the characteristic mix of cultural influence and colours that continuesto survive in francophone Louisiana.Article disponible en français : Francophones en Louisiane: depuis quand? (1682 à 1900)Cut the Music, Cue the HistoryLate in April...