STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-FOUR
_____
JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING JUNE 28, 2024 AS MAINE
ACADIAN DAY
WHEREAS, in 1604, French settlers established the first European settlement in Maine
on Saint Croix Island, and these settlers, known as Acadians, were adaptable and resilient,
turning hardy wilderness into fertile farmland using nutrients from the sea; and
WHEREAS, Acadians endured great hardships during their settling in the Acadian region,
including their expulsion between 1755 and 1764, when more than 10,000 men, women and
children were forcefully deported from the region at the hands of the British governors of Nova
Scotia and Massachusetts to southern colonies and British prisons, with some escaping and
becoming refugees; and
WHEREAS, in 2003, a Royal Proclamation was signed in Canada that acknowledged the
wrongdoings committed in the name of the English Crown during the Acadian deportation
between 1755 and 1764 and established June 28th of every year as "a day of commemoration
of the Great Upheaval"; and
WHEREAS, Acadians settled in the Madawaska region decades before Maine achieved
statehood; and
WHEREAS, today more than 1/3 of the population of the State is of French descent,
mostly of Quebecois and Acadian origin; and
WHEREAS, Franco-Americans and those of Acadian heritage have contributed greatly
to the history and cultural heritage of the State; and
WHEREAS, French, and by extension Acadian, culture is celebrated throughout the State
with events such as Franco-American Day; and
WHEREAS, residents who are fluent in both French and English are of great cultural and
economic importance to the State; and
WHEREAS, French is the primary language for thousands of Maine residents, and a 2nd
language for thousands more; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED: That We, the Members of the One Hundred and Thirty-first Legislature now
assembled in the Second Regular Session, on behalf of the people we represent, take this
opportunity to recognize June 28, 2024 as Maine Acadian Day in honor of the Acadian culture
that holds great significance in the Saint John Valley and throughout the State.
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