Tag Archives: Lewiston Maine

Quebec celebrates with Franco-Americans on la Fête Nationale

Franco-American parade

Merci de notre ami Marie-Claude Francoeur:  Chers amis!  Allons! Lot’s of events and programs are going on to celebrate Quebec’s “la St-Jean”. Originally, St-Jean-Baptiste Day was celebrated in the Province of Quebec. Over time, it has become a worldwide event celebrated by French Canadians and, in the United States, by Franco-Americans.  Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, June 24, celebrates and […]

Congratulations to the Franco-American Collaborative

Fleur- du lis

ORONO, Me / LEWISTON,Me – Check out the purpose of the Franco-American “portal”. Funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, will continue to build this access point for finding digital information, with two years of funding support, to accumulate resources about Franco-American for researchers and the public. Franco American Digital Archives/Portail franco-américain (FADA/PFA) is an online portal […]

Cultural repression- Rebranding the former Franco Center at Saint Mary’s

Saint Mary's performing arts

Franco-American 400 year history in Maine includes multiple examples of how the state’s largest ethnic group has been marginalized. Now, a group in Lewiston is drawing important attention to another controversial effort to repress the Franco-American culture. What’s in a name?  Heritage, history, community pride, ethnic identity, traditional celebrations and educational purposes are a few […]

French stories for children: Franco-American video

LEWISTON, Me– A Franco-American Collection children’s program will showcase the Holiday bilingual readings of two stories in French. They will be read by Camden Martin and Andrea Quaid. The videos will be shown during the Holiday season, posted on the University of Southern Maine’s video channel. “Disco and Me”, (Disco et Moi- An Unexpected Adventure […]

Posthumous award to Father Chouinard induction in Franco-American Hall of Fame

Father Lionel Chouinard

Franco-American Day in Maine was celebrated on Tuesday, September 7, 2021, in the Augusta State House, led by Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau. Among the twelve Franco-Americans who were inducted in the Franco-American Hall of Fame at the ceremonies was a posthumous tribute to the beloved Father Lionel Gerard Chouinard, who died in Lewiston […]

Franco-American generation leave amazing legacies

Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston Maine

Maine is slowly experiencing the loss of a generation of Franco-Americans who dedicated their adult lives to building pride for their heritage. In fact, this sad reality became evident after attending the rare occasion of a dual funeral Mass on May 18, 2021, to celebrate the lives of Ronald and Aliette Couturier, at the beautiful Basilica […]

Learning to conduct Oral History interviews

Sponsored by the Franco-American Collection.

LEWISTON- “Oral histories are like human sponges,” said Molly Graham when she expertly led a workshop on Saturday, January 11, at the University of Southern Maine Lewiston Auburn College, sponsored by the Franco-American Collection. “Oral histories collect the sensory experiences about events that we cannot absorb in data alone.”  Therefore, it is urgent to collect […]