Books and Articles by Georges Arsenault

The Island Acadians: 1720-1980. Translated by Sally Ross. Charlottetown, Ragweed Press, 1989.

This book deals with the general history of the Acadians of Prince Edward Island. It covers many themes including settlement, economy, politics, education, religion and the French language. Winner of the 1988 Prix France-Acadie and Prix Champlain and recipient of a 1989 Regional History Award of the Canadian Historical Association for the original French text.

Courir la Chandeleur, Moncton, Éditions d'Acadie, 1982.

This is a study of the Acadian Candlemas Day (2nd February) tradition of going from house to house to collect food, as it was practiced in the Island communties until the early 1940s. (Out of print.)

Par un dimanche au soir. Léah Maddix, chanteuse et conteuse acadienne. Moncton, Éditions d'Acadie, 1993.

Folktale teller, singer and songmaker, Léah Maddix (1899-1986) spent most of her life in the Evangeline Region. Keeper of a rich repertoire of folksongs and folktales, she was recognized locally for her ability to compose ballads and anecdotal songs. Through Leah's songs, stories and life history, this book offers a picturesque description of a small traditional Acadian community.

Historical Guidebook of the Evangeline Region. Charlottetown, 1998, 49 p.

This booklet invites you to discover the local history of the Evangeline Region. Why is this Acadian region in Prince Edward Island named after Evangeline? Who were the founding families and where were they living before they settled in this beautiful part of the Island? What traditions did they bring with them? What are the characteristics of the Acadian cuisine in the Evangeline region? These are some of the questions this historical guidebook answers for you. (This book is also available in French.)

Contes, légendes et chansons de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard. Moncton, Éditions d’Acadie, 1998, 191 p.

This book serves as an introduction to the rich Acadian oral traditions of Prince Edward Island. It features some twenty story-tellers, folksingers and songmakers recorded in the 1970s and 1980s. Much attention is given to the men and women who kept those traditions alive and to the role that they played in the life of their family and of their community. It is also a study on the sources of these traditions and on the dynamics of their transmission from one generation to another.

The Island Magazine

Published since 1976 by the Prince Edward Island Heritage Foundation and Museum, this bi-annual publication contains numerous articles dealing with Acadian history and traditions. The following were written by Georges Arsenault

1) "La Mi-Carême." Number 9 (Spring-Summer 1981), pp. 8-11.

2) "The Miscouche Convention, 1884," Number 15 (Spring-Summer 1984), pp. 14-19.

3) "Le gâteau des Rois: Twelfth Night Celebrations in Acadian Prince Edward Island." Number 23 (Spring-Summer 1986), pp. 23-28.

4) "Le Sénateur. Joseph Octave Arsenault." Number 33 (Spring-Summer 1993), pp. 25-29.

5) "Venez écouter la complainte. The Island's Acadian Balladry Tradition." Number 37 (Spring-Summer 1995), pp. 3-12.

6) “The Saga of Alexis Doiron”. Number 39 (Spring-Summer 1996), p. 12-18.

7) “The Acadians in Island Politics \ Les Acadiens et la politique à l'Île”, Number 43 (Spring-Summer 1998), p. 13-22.

NOTE: Georges Arsenault's book may be ordered from:

his home address at 65 Ambrose St., Charlottetown, PEI C1A 3P8.

The Acadian Museum at Miscouche carries all of his books and they take orders.