By Juliana L'Heureux
 

Linda Prybylo is not Franco-American, but she learned a lot about the culture during the past two years as the library director in Topsham, Maine. Right now, she is assisting one Topsham native to finish a video project documenting his family's Franco-American history through three generations with roots dating to 1620 in Quebec. 

Prybylo obtained $2,000 from the New Century Arts & Heritage Grant to help Don Bernier, 31, a Topsham native now living in Lowell, MA to finish a video entitled "Album", about his father's Franco-American family. 

Bernier works at a television station in Lowell. He grew up on Oak Street and graduated from Mt. Ararat High School in Topsham. During a graduate school internship about 10 years ago, Bernier met a folklorist who taught him the importance of oral family histories. As a result, he began to document his grandfather's life, who was born in 1913, and other family members who spoke to him about relatives who migrated to the Brunswick and Topsham areas from Quebec in the middle 1800s. His grandfather died only one week after Bernier interviewed him, a circumstance that increased his determination to interview as many other family members as possible. 

As the family interview project grew, Debbie Smith at the Prejebscot Historical Society in Topsham soon convinced Bernier to create a documentary with wider appeal. The financial help from the library grant will allow Bernier to complete the project this October when a premiere viewing will be held for the community at a local theater. "We are delighted with Don's project because the video will be a part of our library's history collection," says Prybylo.. 

His family taught Bernier some surprising information. "I learned how modest the French-Canadians are," he says. "They do not understand why we are interested in them or why we want to know what foods they like to eat? Also, I was impressed by how poor they were. Although they were poor, they never asked for anything. They never received any handouts. People helped one another out and somehow they had enough food even though they were poor. It was pretty amazing to me," he says. 

"I learned how quickly people forget their family stories until someone thinks to write them down", says Bernier.

In the soon to be completed video, Bernier pieces together interviews from the Bernier, Marquis, McCarthy, West and other families plus individuals to create a personal history of their lives in the Brunswick/Topsham region of Mid Coast Maine. Pryblo's assistance helped him to include hundreds of images of Maine life from the 18th century to present day in the video. 

"Libraries recognize the value of preserving information not only with books but also through other media, including documentary films," says Prybylo. 

In the absence of professional help, oral histories are, nevertheless, extremely easy to create and provide a rare opportunity to record the detail of day to day living in any community. Franco-Americans should audiotape, videotape or write journals about their family histories. Eventually, any place in Maine can organize a collection of oral histories to create a documentary similar to Bernier's. 

Bernier's film will be available to the public through the Topsham Library after the fall premiere. 

Juliana L'Heureux copyright 2001