2011 Meetings and Events
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 - 11:00 AM
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
We did not have a normal monthly meeting, but instead had a small holiday social. The event was attended by several members who shared some festival holiday dishes.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2011 - 11:00 AM
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
Dr. Florent Hardy, Jr., Louisiana State Archivist
Our speaker this month was Dr. Florent Hardy, Jr. the
Louisiana State Archivist since 2000. Dr. Hardy is well
known to our organization and has spoken to us on
numerous occasions. His presentations have always been
excellent and full of historical information about
Louisiana. Dr. Hardy gave an update of the Archives
on-going activities and summarized the
Bicentennial news article that the State Archives was asked to
prepare by the Council for the Development of French in
Louisiana (CODOFIL) and the Louisiana Bar Association.
It will be the first article published in the Louisiana
Bar Journal translated in FRENCH. By the way, the Canary
Islanders are mentioned in the news article.
Elections
are customarily held at the November meeting of each
year but were not held this month. The election
to fill the two positions of Board officers and two
positions of Board members for the years 2012 - 2013
will be held at the February 2012 meeting.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2011 - 11:00 A.M.
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
At our October meeting, we had a
celebration commemorating our fifteenth anniversary as a Society.
FIFTEENTH YEAR CELEBRATION.
In the summer of 1996 a group of people began a discussion about
forming a new organization, different from the existing group of
Islenos in St. Bernard Parish. The purpose was to find and recognize
the people who were sent by the Spanish Government from the Canary
Islands to Spanish Colonial Louisiana beginning in 1779. The
emphasis was on the settlements of Galveztown, Valenzuela and
Barataria. With great enthusiasm the new group, on October 6, 1996 ,
filed Articles of Incorporation for this non-profit society with the
Louisiana Secretary of State and called themselves, LOS ISLENOS DE
GALVEZ.
On May 10, 2000 the name was changed "in order to more
Americanize it" to CANARY ISLANDERS HERITAGE SOCIETY OF LOUISIANA.
At that time plans were under way to install a permanent granite
monument in the Ascension Catholic Cemetery in Donaldsonville in
October 2000 honoring the first Canary Islanders who were buried in
the Valenzuela area.
Please come join us in celebration. Refreshments will be served.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2011 - 11:00 AM
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
Our September meeting featured long time member Catherine Prokop, who presented a program on the late Dr. Ruth Alleman of New Orleans who was a pioneering pediatrician, teacher, lecturer and Canary Islands descendant. Dr. Alleman, Catherine's aunt, and a great influence on her life and that of hundreds of others was born in 1892 on Cosa Natural Plantation in the heart of Valenzuela.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 27, 2011 - 2:00 PM
ASSUMPTION PARISH LIBRARY, PIERRE PART BRANCH, PIERRE PART, LA
3103 Hwy 70., Pierre Part,
LA
Former President and current Board Member Chad LeBlanc presented a talk entitled "The Canary Islanders in Louisiana", a basic overview of the story of our ancestors and heritage, how they came to Louisiana, where they settled, and their lives in South Louisiana. The event was very well attended, and Mr. LeBlanc delivered an interesting presentation that was very well received.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2011 -- 11:00 AM
ST. JULES CATHOLIC CHURCH ACTIVITY CENTER, BELLE ROSE, LA
Our August meeting was held at the St. Jules Catholic Church Activity Center located at 7165 Highway 1, Belle Rose, LA 70341. Our guest speaker was our very own board member, Father Gerald Lefebvre. Father Lefebvre spoke regarding "Priests Among the Canary Islanders". There never seemed to be enough among the Canary Islanders. The tension between the civil and religious authorities was the stumbling block in fulfilling that need. He explained the various tensions that were the cause of the shortage of priests. As usual the answer is found in the humans who wielded power rather with the institutions themselves.
After the talk, several members visited local cemeteries of interest to our heritage, in Belle Rose, Plattenville, and Donaldsonville.
SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2011 - 11:00 AM
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY, BLUEBONNET BRANCH
Pictured L to R - President Layne Lindsley, Ms. Cassandra
Fredrick, Paul Newfield
Our speaker was Ms. Cassandra
Fredrick, Librarian of the Genealogy Section.
SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 2011
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
Our speaker was Ms. Judy Riffel, a professional genealogist, who presented an interesting program on "Collections with Louisiana Spanish land grant documents".
SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2011 11 AM
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
Members celebrating El dia de la Cruz - (Pictured L to R - Lynda Normand, President Layne Lindsley, Treasurer Steve Estopinal, Marie Estopinal, Secretary Karen Lambert, Jean Nauman, Vice-President Alisa Janney)
Our May meeting was held Saturday, May 7 at 11:00 am at the State Archives Building. Members participated in the celebration of one of the traditional feasts of the Canary Islands, El dia de la Cruz, (The day of the Cross). El Dia de la Cruz is a holy day of both religious and popular significance. Each May the 3rd, people of Tenerife (and all across the Canaries) attend processions which occasion the carrying of beautifully decorated crosses and dance around dressed in traditional costumes.
Members brought fresh and artificial flowers for the decoration of the crosses.
The feast day also included a hot meal dinner that members brought dishes to share. This "pot luck" meal was enjoyed by all following the decoration of the crosses.
SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2011
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
Our April meeting featured our own member John Hickey, who presented his latest work entitled, "Resources and Methodologies in Research". Mr. Hickey's years of experience doing research and working in a library environment give him a wealth of knowledge in this topic, and we are fortunate to have this work to assist in our research endeavors.
SATURDAY, MARCH 19 - SUNDAY, MARCH 20
35th Annual Fiesta de Los Isleños - St. Bernard, LA
The annual Fiesta held at the museum grounds in St. Bernard, LA was a huge success. Look for photos from the Fiesta coming soon.
SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2011 - 11 A.M.
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
(Pictured left to right - Dorothy "Dot" Benge, William deMarigny Hyland, and Bertin "Bert" Esteves) - photo by Steve Estopinal
The March meeting of the Canary Islands Heritage Society of Louisiana welcomed a delegation from the Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society of Saint Bernard Parish. The delegation, pictured above, consisted of Dorothy “Dot” Benge, William deMarigny Hyland, and Bertin “Bert” Esteves. Dot Benge and Bert Esteves were dressed in traditional Canary Islander costumes. The delegation brought a special invitation to their Baton Rouge brethren to attend the famous Fiesta de Los Isleños to be held at the Saint Bernard Museum Complex, 1357 Bayou Road, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana Saturday, March 19th and Sunday March 20th. Festivities will be from 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm each day. Crafts, live music, dancing, traditional foods, children’s activities, tours of re-constructed 18th century homes, and more will be offered to visitors, all with a Spanish accent. Visit www.losislenos.org for more festival information.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2011 - 11 A.M.
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
Our February meeting was cancelled due to winter weather.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2011 - 11 A.M.
LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING, ESSEN LANE, BATON ROUGE, LA
Mr. Bobby Freyou, Public Lands Records Manager for the Louisiana State Land Office
The Society conducted our official
annual meeting, and the annual report was presented. Newly
elected President Layne Lindsley took office and outlined his goals
and vision for the Society. Our speaker was Mr. Bobby Freyou,
Public Lands Records Manager for the Louisiana State Land Office,
Division of Administration. He spoke about
State Land Office Historical Land Title
Records, and the general vicinity west of the Mississippi River near
Donaldsonville in Ascension and Assumption parishes. He also showed
how to access, search, display, print, etc. the scanned images of
their Historical Land Title records.
Click here to see the
calendar of events for the year 2010.
Click here to see the
calendar of events for the year 2009.
Click here
to see the calendar of events for the year 2008.
Click here
to see the calendar of events for the year 2007.
Click here
to see the calendar of events for the year 2006.
Click here
to see the calendar of events for the year 2005. LOUISIANA STATE ARCHIVES BUILDING - 3851 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge,
LA Please note that visitors to the Archives are required to show photo ID and sign in. ©2009 Canary Islanders Heritage Society of Louisiana
