settler, born in the colony, not in Europe. Most colonials in the eighteenth century were French. They dominated New Orleans cultural and social life for more than 100 years, long before the Americans arrived. Most Creoles called themselves French, spoke French and considered themselves the only true natives. They occupied a middle ground between whites and unslaved blacks, and as such often possessed property and received formal education.Today Creole is most often used in Arcadian to refer to a persons full or mixed African heritage. It is generally understood among these Creoles that Creoles of the Color still refers to Creoles of mixed-race heritage, while the term black Creole refers to Creoles of more or less pure African descent. Their popular ethnic music, known as zydeco, is celebrated annually at the Southwest Louisiana Zydeco Festival in Plaisance. Creoles of Africa descent exerted a strong influence on Cajun culture and vice versa, affecting, the Cajuns music, foodways, and religion.(Herrin,67)In 1952, they founded a preservation group, C.R.E.O.L.E, Inc., which stands for (Cultural Resourceful Educational Opportunities toward Linguistic Enrichment). (Herrin, 82) When New Orleans was founded in 1718, Creoles were strictly cosmopolitan city dwellers. Cajuns, on the other hand, were rustic, self-sufficient country dwellers. They lived along the bayous and amid the swamps of South Louisiana for two centuries, isolated, clannish, devoutly Catholic, French speaking and happily removed from mannered city society.Creoles are not Cajuns, and Cajuns are not Creoles. Both groups are French in descent, dating back for centuries. There both hunters, trappers, fishermen, farmers, boat builders, breeders of quarterhorses who worked hard weekdays and weekends celebrating life with their fais do-dos. Laissez les bons temps rouler meaning (Let the good times roll) has been a part of their basic philosophy. They lacked in educati...
