Creoles in Louisiana

There are many different definitions of the word Creole, but most authorities agree Creoles are a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural group who lived in Louisiana prior to 1807. Creole Culture is predominantly a mixture of French, Spanish, Native American, and Afro-American traits.

One of the best known of the twenty-eight rural Creole communities is located fifteen miles south of Natchitoches on Cane River Lake, once the bed of Red River. Many Natchitoches Parish Creoles proudly trace their lineage to the white Frenchman Claude Pierre Metoyer and the slave woman, Marie Therese Coin Coin. A recent study of Creole traditions conducted by anthropologist H.F. Gregory and Creole artist Joseph Moran for the National Parks Service has uncovered strong architectural, craft, French language, music, religious, family, and culinary traditions which are passionately celebrated at Catholic religious rituals, church fairs, and family gatherings. Several years ago, community leaders instituted an annual Creole Heritage Day at the church hall located next to St. Augustine Catholic Church, Melrose, Louisiana. For more information on Creoles, sample the Creole Homepage.

Creole Folk Artists:

Carving

Al J. Muller - Wood Carver and Decoy Maker

Foodways

Lionel J. Key, Jr. - Filé Maker

Household Crafts

Lair Laetter LaCour - Doll and Quilt Maker

Barbara A. Trevigne - Doll Maker and Storyteller

Mardi Gras Celebrations

René J. Pierre - Paper Mache Mardi Gras Float Model Maker

Music

Morris Ardoin - Zydeco Musician

Raymond Latour - Zydeco Musician

Allan "Al Gator" Metoyer - Rock and Roll Musician

Walter "Creole" Polite - Zydeco Musician

Nathan Williams - Zydeco Musician

Religious Traditions

Peter M. Cousin, Sr. - All Saints Day Tradition

Storytelling, Humor, and Oral History

Isabel D. Arceneaux - Storyteller and Oral Historian

Barbara A. Trevigne - Doll Maker and Storyteller

Textiles

Julie Mae Allison - Old Fashioned Sun Bonnet Maker

Lair Laetter LaCour - Doll and Quilt Maker

Barbara A. Trevigne - Doll Maker and Storyteller

Traditional Medicines and Healing Practices

Rebecca Henry - Creole Folk Medicine

Wildlife, Fishing, Hunting, and Trapping

Al J. Muller - Wood Carver and Decoy Maker