Acadian History Showcased in Van Buren For Another Season

Van Buren, Maine (WAGM) -Acadian Village in Van Buren is now open for the Season. The new year began with a mass celebrated in French and was followed by a traditional Acadian meal of chicken Stew and Ployes. News Source 8′s Jonathon Eigenmann has more on the importance of the village to Acadian History.

This area on route 1 in Van Buren can take you back in history. John Pluto of the Heritage Vivant talks about the importance of the Village to the area.

John Pluto: “So, the village was set up in the early 1970s by a group of volunteers who wanted to preserve the history. So, if you tour the village, there’s actually a log home, heated with a fireplace, it has a dirt floor. And there was a progression of buildings showing that as the people lived here. And as Their economics improved , their housing improved. So, this is a commemoration of the strength and the courage, and the sacrifice made by ancestors of the people that lived here”.

Pluto says that the village is a destination for visitors who are exploring their Acadian Roots and also history buffs.

John Pluto: “People like to hear the stories of the people who live in an area, rather than just say ‘well we had a good meal’ or ' we saw some pretty scenery’. But to find out a little bit more about who was here, what the people did who first moved here and that sort of thing”. Actually, the state of Maine department of tourism is talking about putting together a kind of a historic route of places significant in Acadian history”.

Pluto feels that learning about the history and the hardships that the Acadian people overcame is important to understanding the heritage to the history of the area.

John Pluto: “If you don’t know where you came from, if you don’t know the history of your people, its hard for you to take pride in that. and a lot of times people have no sense of being connected to something. And if somebody can say, ‘well maybe it’s not a direct line, but people I am related to, people in the community go back...couple of hundred years, that is significant. To know what your roots are”.

Pluto and the rest of the board are confident that it will be another successful season with visitors wanting to travel and learn about the area and the Acadian Village.

Jonathon Eigenmann, Newssource 8.

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