Cajun Texans - Institute of Texan Cultures

Cajun Texans
Cajun Texans weaves the past and the present together through oral
histories and narratives, legends and tall tales. This account highlights
the Cajun sense of humor, music, foods, and some childhood pastimes.
Food for Thought (pgs. 98-100)
Social Studies- history, skills: recalling details, analyzing and discussing
information, drawing conclusions; Language Arts
When and why did the Cajuns come to Texas? T hey came first in
the early 1900's because of the oil boom in Texas. In 1901 an oil well
named Spindletop blew sky-high. Oil spouted from deep in the earth
and made a lake before it could be contained. Other wells were drilled.
Many jobs became available with the discovery of oil. Cajuns came
from Louisiana to work in the refineries and related industries.
Later many Cajuns came during World War I and World War II
to work in industrial areas. Others came to fish along the coast or to
farm. Where did the Cajuns settle? Many settled in the area between
Beaumont, Orange, and Port Arthur. This area is called the Golden
Triangle because the oil industry is concentrated in that area.
What did the Cajuns bring with them from Louisiana? Their stories,
their foods, their music, and their language . What language did they
speak besides English? They spoke Cajun French. How is that different
from the language spoken in France today? The language came to America from France hundreds of years ago and has become a different
dialect. Also, the old French language didn't contain words for many
things like airplane and electricity because those th ings hadn't been
invented then. Cajun French has borrowed words from the Indian,
Spanish, and English languages. How has Cajun French been continued?
For hundreds of years it was not written down. It was passed down
from parents to children by talking.
What do you know about Cajun Texans in tiddition to what is in
this chapter? Probably not a lot (because not much has been written
about them). What can be done about that? We can talk to Cajuns who
live in Texas and find out more about their history and customs.
Interview a Cajun Texan (pgs. 100-103)
Social Studies-skills: locating, gathering, analyzing, and organizing
information; Language Arts
Interview a Cajun Texan and let The Institute of Texan Cultures
know about Cajun customs. Talk to people like Mr. Judice about childhood games, Cajun cooking and music, old tales, crafts, and more.
First read Cajun Texans. Then plan your interview. You can use
some of the interview questions on pages 57 and 58 of the Teacher's
Guide or make up questions of your own.
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Look and Learn (pgs. 100-101)
Social Studies- group influences, skills: interpreting and discussing visuals,
drawing conclusions; Language Arts; Fine Arts
Study the instruments on pages 100-101. They were made by Louisiana Cajuns. What instruments are they? A fiddle, a bass fiddle, petits
fers ("little irons," or triangles), and a frottoir (an instrument adapted
from a washboard). What were the instruments made from? The fiddle
was made from a cigar box, scrap cypress wood, and a piece of a cow's
horn. The bass was made from a washtub, a mop handle, and a piece
of baling twine. The other instruments were made from hayfork tines
and sheet metal. When do you think these instruments were made? In
recent years.
What do these instruments tell you about the Cajuns who made
them? They love music. They are creative and skilled in maKing things
with their hands . Some Cajuns still like to make instruments the way
Ca juns made them long ago . Others like to invent new versions of th e
old instruments. These Cajuns want to keep the musical traditions alive .
Learn M ore about Cajun M usic (pg. 100)
Social Studies- group influences, skills: locating and analyzing information;
Fine Arts
Visit the Cajun stage at the Texas Folklife Festival and hear about
the history of Cajun m usic.
M r. Jay Broussard says, "All we brought from Acadia were our
voices . Then, later, for a long time, our music was just the fiddle and
our voices . But when Marna banged on the triangle to bring the men
in from the field, it sounded good. And the triangle was added to the
fiddle." Instruments carne from Blacks, Germans, Mexicans, and AngloAmericans as groups shared their music.
As each new instrument is added to the Cajun band, you hear it .
The finale is the full band, complete with rhythm instruments, fiddles,
accordions, and steel guitars.
H ave a Cajun Party (pg. 101)
Social Studies- group influences, skills: constructing visuals (artifacts), gathering
information, decision-making, modeling cultural behavior; Fine Arts
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Tell a Tall Tale (pg. 103)
Social Studies- group influences, skills: gathering and organizing information,
expressing ideas, speaking; Language Arts; Fine Arts
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Learn an Expression in Cajun French
Social Studies- group influences, skills: modeling cultural behavior; Languages
"Lache pas la patate" is an old Cajun expression which means "Don't
drop the potato," or, in other words, "Don't give up !" Say it the way
the Cajuns do. It sounds like LAHSH PAH lah pah-TAHT!" Use it when
appropriate and add it to your collection of sayings (see Teacher's Guide,
pg. 13).
FOR FUN
Stage a Crawfish Race
Social Studies- group influences, skills: constructing visuals (artifacts), modeling
cultural behavior; Physical Education; Fine Arts
At festivals, Cajuns often have crawfish races with pet crawfish.
You can make a game like theirs. Three or four can play at a time.
Cut crawfish out of construction paper (see model, below). Make
a large circle (42" in diameter) out of wrapping paper for the race track.
Mark with concentric circles 5", 10", 15", and 2CJ' from the center. Place
the crawfish in the center. Each player uses a straw to try to blow his
crawfish from the center to the edge of the circle. The first to blow his
crawfish out of the circle is the winner.
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Cook Red Beans and Rice
Social Studies- group influences, skills: modeling cultural behavior; Math;
Science; Health
Cajun cooking is sometimes called "pot cooking ." This recipe is
cooked in a pot and has four different kinds of peppers in it. Red beans
and rice are both staples in Cajun cooking.
RED BEANS AND RICE
2 tablespoons oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
% cup bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1
/z teaspoon black pepper
1/z teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes, chopped (not drained)
1 Vz cups water
1 cup rice (uncooked long-grain)
1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans
Brown meat in oil and drain. Add onion and bell pepper and cook
over low heat for about 15 minutes. Then add chili powder, black
pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir tomatoes and water into meat
mixture and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add rice and beans . Cover
and cook over low heat until rice is done, 20-25 minutes.
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