Aspects of the traditional life of French Newfoundlanders of Black Duck Brook (L'Anse aux Canards, Port-au Port, Newfoundland) with special emphasis on the role of women

Sellars, Elizabeth Carol. (1978) Aspects of the traditional life of French Newfoundlanders of Black Duck Brook (L'Anse aux Canards, Port-au Port, Newfoundland) with special emphasis on the role of women. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This thesis is a study of traditional life in Black Duck Brook, a community comprised largely of francophones on the Port-Au-Port Peninsula. It concentrates on the role of women as it was from the early part of this century until the present. Neither the folklore nor the language of Black Duck Brook have been previously studied. -- Three field trips were taken to this community, when a total of five women were tape-recorded and interviewed for several hours. At first the interviewing was direct, with the aid of questionnaires previously composed by the author. Later, interviews became more informal and the method of questioning was indirect. Much information was also gathered through observation methods, since I stayed with a French family during my field trips. -- The subject matter of this thesis is divided into chapters corresponding to the major areas of traditional women's work: foodways, cleaning methods, textiles, pregnancy and childbirth and outdoor work. Also included is an outline of traditional customs; those of the calendar and those of the rites of passage. -- In all of the areas studied, the information gathered shows changes that have occurred over the course of the years. When Black Duck Brook was first reached by road, and when electricity became available, traditional ways began to disappear. -- At present, there is very little left in the culture which is different from the cultures of the French, the Acadians of the Maritimes or the English-speaking Newfoundlanders. Only two aspects of the life of the French- speaking Newfoundlanders of Black Duck Brook are unique: their language, which shows some differences from that of other regions, and the traditions, beliefs, stories and history which they remember from days past. -- However, the population of Newfoundlanders who speak French is rapidly decreasing and their language and culture will be preserved only if a drastic change is made.

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