Who is a Creole?
Most standard dictionaries indicate that a Creole is a native of Louisiana descended from the original French settlers. A person of African and mixed European, esp. French and/or Spanish decent. However the Native American and German roots are prominent as well in the Creole community. In St. Landry Parish, LA, the Simien family is one of those first families documented to have settled that area. Some experts say the Louisiana Creoles are part of one of the “most complex rural sub cultures in North America.” Dr. Carl Brasseaux, author of Creoles of Color in the Bayou Country, states that the Creoles were some of the “first families of Louisiana” and official records reflect that they have been here for over 300 years. I am 8th generation Creole and my father’s first language was French.
