We have discovered a unique way to bring the story of “Evangeline” to Evangeline Parish through a scholarly program developed by Dr. Elista Istre called “Evangeline: The Myth and the Maiden.” This FREE program will help our patrons appreciate the unique fact that the namesake of our parish is Evangeline, the heroine in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie”. The details of her mythical journey exemplify much of the cultural and historical experiences that shaped southern Louisiana and we feel that offering this particular program to our patrons will be of great interest, particularly to those who are unaware of Evangeline’s story or the reason her name was chosen for our parish.
Dressed in period costume to answer the question, “Who was Evangeline?” blends historical research with personal experiences,she sheds light on the creation, enduring legacy of Evangeline, the Acadian exile’s best-known heroine who never lived. Retracing the literary evolution of Evangeline, this program will address how, why she became a important character in the Acadian saga, and with Louisiana Cajuns both adopted and rejected her as one of their own. She will illuminate why our Founding Fathers chose that name for a parish that they fought to wrestle from Imperial St. Landry in the early 1900’s.