By Paula Currie Raymond

Article to also be featured in upcoming issue of Le Forum, for more information, contact Lisa Michaud, Editor
 

   On Wednesday October 31, a group of four very French, very eclectic, and very real people met on the grounds of Colby College in Waterville, Maine to present a piece of Franco-American history, culture, literature, and to demonstrate through their work, how they are keeping it alive today as well as into the future.
 Monsieur Raymond Pelletier, a University of Maine Professor, spoke first. Using an interactive approach he invited us to participate with him. He said we must be a part of the process. He believes "You can own the material if you can interact with it."  Monsieur Pelletier  involved the audience by asking questions. . . " Are we immigrants?" "Where is our place?" He referred to the French as the "lost souls" and reminded us that any other nationality could tell us where his/her roots were. We, as a people, are never truly certain. Before he left the podium we were re-united with our past in a very pleasant and humorous fashion.

  Madame Susan Pinette, who teaches Introduction to Franco-American Studies at the University of Maine, was the next presenter. She referred to several books written by Franco-Americans.  Frank Kerouac, Allen Berube, and Rhea Cote-Robbins were some of the authors she quoted giving credibility to the fact that there are Franco-American writers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Madame Pinette said that stories increase the love for the world and that we should "listen to gossip and spread it as far as you can." She she finished her contribution to the lecture by asking the audience, "What is Franco-American?"

 Rhea Cote-Robbins, author of Wednesday's Child and founder/director of the Franco-American Women's Institute (FAWI), spoke about writing. . . her writing. She spoke of her personal journey through her writings developing her work from her experiences of living the life of a Franco-American "Down the Plains" i.e. the "The South End". She spoke of collectivity among the people there. How the neighborhood celebrated the successes of one of "their own". When one succeeded they all succeeded. Madame Robbins recalled her home-life as a place where one was not only allowed to daydream but was expected to. Rhea believes there is a story in all of us and encouraged us to write. "Writing is like magic," she said. "You throw the words off your fingertips and they land on the paper."  Her words created a visual for us. Very warm very real.

 Monsieur Gregoire Chabot, playwright and director of the French Theater Group, Les Gens d'a cote, was the most animated of the four presenters. His enthusiasm and expressive verbiage with the French language brought warm smiles and memories for many. He suggested that the approach to maintaining the French language, culture, and heritage must be one of creativity and not preservation.  He insisted we take action. "Creativity does something. Preservation does not. Creativity is inclusionary. Preservation is exclusionary.  Creativity has plenty to share. Preservation has very little to share." In the end Monsieur Chabot was emphatic, "Give yourself permission to be who you are."  "Partage avec ta présence. Et ta voix."

 Four academically diverse people coming together on one page with the same theme. . . keeping the French culture, language, and heritage alive. Through their work and their travels they rejuvenate in others the passion to follow their lead. As a single body they remind the audience that it is through remembering our history, our writing, our creativity and facilitating that we grow. It is not only a right to have a voice but a responsibility to do so as well. In the end it was left up to the listener to decide. As the writer of this article. . . I shall do the same. . .