Acadian Archives / Archives acadiennes - UMFK

09/09/2026

Acadian Archives to Host UMFK Professor Scott Brickman

The Acadian Archives at the University of Maine at Fort Kent will host a public lecture by Scott Brickman at 4 p.m. on September 23. Professor Brickman will discuss his engagement with Latvian culture.

From 1940 to 1991, the small Baltic country of Latvia, which was established in 1918, was occupied by the Soviet Union, N**i Germany, and the Soviet Union again. During the period of foreign control, Latvian culture and the newly standardized Latvian language were suppressed by the occupiers. Despite these challenges, Latvian language and culture have survived.

This presentation will offer a brief look at how Latvians celebrate the Summer Solstice (Ligo/Jani) in Latvia’s capital city of Riga and in the third largest city, Liepaja. Cultural traditions, dress, food, song and dance, as well as language preservation will be discussed. Professor Brickman will share original photos and videos of his time in both Riga and Liepaja over the past two years and may perform songs during the event.

“We are honored by Scott’s willingness to share his cultural explorations with the Archives and the wider community,” explains Patrick Lacroix, director of the Acadian Archives. “We can learn a great deal from the kind of cultural exchange that he has pursued in Latvia.”

Scott Brickman is Professor of Music and Education at UMFK, where he has taught since 1997. A composer of contemporary classical music, his compositions are available on Amazon, Apple Music, Pandora, and Spotify.

The presentation will be held at the Acadian Archives. It will be free and open to the public.

09/07/2026

The Archives will be closed today in celebration of Labor Day.

It's hard to believe that the summer season is already coming to an end for many of the museums and historic sites of the Upper St. John Valley.

Which ones did you visit? Which ones are still on the list? Let us know in the comments! 👇

09/04/2026

From the minutes of the Nova Scotia Council, September 4, 1732:

"His Honor [Lt. Gov. Armstrong] acquainted the Board that he had received a letter from the inhabitants of St. John’s river in answer to the summons sent them the 28th of March last, and that in obedience thereunto, some of them were come to take the Oath to His Majesty; and their said letter being read, he asked the advice of the Board whether they may be admitted and permitted to occupy and enjoy such lands as they are in possession of there or any where else in the Province, upon their taken grants for the same conformable to His Majesty's instructions.

"Ordered that they may be called in and examined both as to the number of the families, and in what manner they live and whether they will accept of grants and hold immediately of His Majesty.

"And the question being put to them, they answered that they were willing to take the Oaths, as also grants, but that they could not answer for carrying with them a person to survey the land, because of the Indians; which answer for the safety of the Surveyor being referred to his honor to consider on, when on opportunity offered to find[?] one; they were admitted to oath which they accordingly took and subscribed the same."

From Papers relating to the Acadian French, 1714-1755, ed. by T. B. Akins, Nova Scotia Archives.

Map: Nova Scotia Archives Map Collection F/202-1748.

09/01/2026

Franco-American Pathways is out with a new episode!

Listen now to this virtual tour of the Biddeford Mills Museum!

👉 https://francopathwayspod.wordpress.com/

08/26/2026

The Maine Semiquincentennial Commission has created a virtual atlas celebrating 250 years through 250 artifacts, buildings, historical figures, and stories. The atlas includes entries from several areas of the St. John Valley.

One of those entries is a prized collection of the Acadian Archives: Marc Chassé's oral history collection. Over the course of decades, Mr. Chassé interviewed countless Valley residents to ensure that their stories would be passed on to future generations. The conversations ranged from genealogy to local lore, from traditional songs to old lifeways. Mr. Chassé also filmed cultural events in Fort Kent and surrounding areas.

Do you have a favorite interview? Was one of your family members interviewed? Let us know in the comments!

Digitized interviews are available on YouTube, Archive.org, and the University of Maine's website.

https://www.maine.gov/sos/maineatlas/explore-the-atlas/marc-chasse-oral-history-collection

In 1983, Fort Kent chiropractor Marc Chassé started recording his father and aunts on video. At first, the recordings of his Franco-American family members were just to preserve his family members’ stories, mannerisms, and voices, but soon the middle-aged doctor was bringing his video recording e...

08/24/2026

You won't want to miss this!

Registration is now open for the annual conference of the Center for French Colonial Studies. This will be the first time the CFCS comes to the Northeast. It will be held in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, October 2-4.

This year’s conference is being held in association with the Archives, the Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine, and the Maine State Museum.

Conference speakers include:
- Brett Walker, master shoemaker, "Head Over Heels: Exploring Fashion Choices in New France and Her Borderlands"
- Terrence J. Martin, Ph.D., Curator Emeritus of Anthropology, Illinois State Museum, "Use of Animals at French Heritage Archaeological Sites in the Pays d’en Haut and the Illinois Country"
- Denis Ledoux, author and historian, "Here to Stay: Lives in 17-Century Canada"
- Patrick Lacroix, Ph.D., Director of the Acadian Archives, "The Making of Acadie in Maine and the Maritimes"
- Leslie P. Choquette, Ph.D., Professor of History, Côté Professor of French Studies, and Director of the French Institute at Assumption University, "After New France: French-Canadian Immigration to the United States in the 19th and 20th Centuries"

Please go to the Center's website for additional information on the conference and to register:

https://www.frenchcolonialstudies.org/conference-2026

08/21/2026

This week at the Archives:

Your friendly local archivist and director have been...

⭐️ preparing and editing the next two episodes of Franco-American Pathways;
⭐️ indexing marriage and other vital records from New Canada and St. Francis;
⭐️ assisting patrons with genealogical inquiries spanning the whole Valley, from Baker Lake to Van Buren;
⭐️ introducing incoming University of Maine at Fort Kent students to the collections and resources of the Archives;
⭐️ processing donations of manuscript materials and artifacts;
⭐️ and, as always, much more!

Let us know how we can help you—and don't be strangers!

08/18/2026

Congratulations!

08/15/2026

L'histoire de l'Acadie n'est pas en manque de défis et de tragédies, or, le 15 août, nous nous rappelons que nous avons beaucoup à célébrer! Plus de quatre siècles après la fondation de l'Acadie, celle-ci survit et arrive à s'épanouir en maints endroits du Cap Breton à la Louisiane en passant par le Maine. Bonne fête de l'Acadie à tous et à toutes!

The history of Acadia is not lacking in challenges in tragedies but, on August 15, we are reminded that we also have a lot to celebrate! More than four centuries after its founding, Acadia survives and flourishes in countless places from Cape Breton to Maine to Louisiana. Happy Acadian Day to all!