Culture and Identity in Upper Louisiana: Defining the "Creole Corridor"
Culture and Identity in Upper Louisiana. Defining the "Creole Corridor"
The French Connexions Center of Excellence at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), in collaboration with the French Heritage Society (FHS) and the Centre for French Colonial Life, invites proposals for its colloquium on “Creole Culture and Identity in Upper Louisiana,” to be held on April 23, 2025, on the Washington University campus.
This interdisciplinary and transatlantic event seeks to explore the newly emerging concept of the "Creole Corridor"—a vast and dynamic cultural nexus extending from Quebec to New Orleans along the Mississippi River. The corridor reflects the complex interplay between French settlers, Native American nations, people of African descent, and Spanish colonial agents, along with their environmental, economic, and cultural legacies.
Supported by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, this event underscores Washington University’s commitment to fostering transatlantic dialogue and advancing the study of French and Francophone cultures. It also highlights the importance of St. Louis, a city founded by Franco-Québécois settlers in 1764, as a central location for exploring and celebrating the enduring legacy of Francophone heritage in the Midwest.
This colloquium will be followed the next day (same place, Holmes Lounge) by the 5th Annual conference of the French Heritage Society (FHS) "Sustaining Life in the French Heritage Corridor." The program can be found here.
Contact: Dr. Lionel Cuillé, lcuille@wustl.edu
RSVP