Colloquium "Defining the Creole Corridor"
The colloquium "Defining the Creole Corridor" aims to explore the historical, cultural, and social connections along the Mississippi River, from Quebec to New Orleans, focusing on the unique intersection of French, Creole, Native American, and African cultures. This interdisciplinary event will delve into the rich heritage of the region, with particular emphasis on the role of communities like Sainte-Geneviève, Missouri, in shaping the cultural landscape of early French colonial America. Through panel discussions, presentations, and interactive sessions, the colloquium will examine the lasting impact of the "Creole Corridor" on language, identity, and regional development.
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Holmes Lounge (Ridgley Hall) | Danforth Campus | Washington University
Morning Session
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast | Holmes Lounge
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM | Opening Remarks
Ella Allen (WashU) and Lionel Cuillé (French Connexions Center of Excellence)
9:15 AM – 10:30 AM | Panel 1: Corridor Creole Culture
Moderator: Tili Boon Cuillé (WashU)
Jay Gitlin (Yale University): Coining the Corridor Creole
Michael S. Nassaney (Western Michigan University) & Erika K. Hartley (Western Michigan University): Probing the Gendered Dimensions of Creole Culture: Women’s Roles at Fort St. Joseph in Southwest Michigan
Thomas Croisez (European University Institute): Lost in Transition: Moral Climate and Spiritual Survival in the Illinois Country (1763-1773)
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM | Coffee Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Panel 2: Collecting and Sharing Stories of Our Silenced Past
Moderator: Robinson Etienne (WashU)
Debra Downey (Independent scholar): The Story of Rodde Christi: Sainte Genevieve's Influence in Black American History
Robert Englebert (University of Saskatchewan): Slavery and Mobility: Rethinking the French Creole Corridor
Maurice Tetne (WashU): Trauma and Francophone Antislavery Literature in 19th-Century Louisiana
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM | Lunch Break (Buffet in Holmes Lounge)
Afternoon Session
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Panel 3: Creole Language, Literature, and Oral Traditions
Moderator: Maëlle Zemirline (WashU)
Stamos Metzidakis (WashU): Acadian Refugees and the Upper Creole Corridor
Violaine White (University of Missouri – St. Louis): Integrating the Franco-American Folklore into the French Curriculum
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Panel 4: Interpreting the French (and) Creole History of the Ste. Geneviève Region
Roundtable and Q&A
Moderator: Geoff Giglierano, Executive Director, French Colonial America
Panelists: James Gass, Staff Historian, French Colonial America and Michael Weiler, President, Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Panel 5: Environment, Economy, and the Creole Corridor
Moderator: Joël Gabriel (WashU)
Patrick Allan Pospisek (Grand Valley State University): Mining the Upper Mississippi: French Creole Mineral Development in the Pays d’en Haut
Nate Marvin (University of Arkansas): Mapping Creole Arkansas: The People Behind the Placenames
Joseph Gagné (Archives nationales à Québec /BAnQ) : Des frères oubliés : la superposition de créolité et canadianité dans les archives du 18e siècle
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Book Exhibit at the Olin Library Special Book Collection, in presence of Consul de France Yannick Tagand.
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Holmes Lounge) | Reception and Cocktail and Keynote Address
Consul de France Yannick Tagand
6:30 PM : Dinner with participants at private event.
Saturday, April 26, 2025
(Optional Excursion): 9 AM-4 PM
Guided Visit to Ste. Geneviève National Historic Park: Exploring the historical Franco-Québécois heritage of Upper Louisiana through preserved 18th-century Creole architecture.
Free visit for our students and guest speakers (Coach bus to Ste Genevieve/ Lunch/ Cost of Historical French Village): RSVP Required
This event is made possible by the French Connexions Franco-American center (WashU), a grant from the cultural services of the French Embassy, the financial support of the Romance Languages & Literatures Department (WashU), and the Fondation Foyer.
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 conference will examine the intricate connections among French settlers, Indigenous nations, African-descended communities, as well as their enduring economic, environmental, and artistic legacies.
With the generous support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, this event reaffirms WashU’s leadership in fostering transatlantic dialogue and promoting the study of French and Francophone cultures. It also situates St. Louis—a city founded in 1764 by Franco-Québécois settlers—as a key site for understanding Francophone heritage in North America.
The colloquium will feature scholars from France, Canada, and the United States, a keynote address from Yannick Tagand, consul of France, thematic panels, and roundtable discussions on topics including language, identity, migration, and the environment. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP below.
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," further expanding on themes of cultural preservation and historical sustainability. The program can be found here. We encourage all those interested in Franco-Québécois history, French colonial heritage, and the cultural landscapes of the Mississippi Valley to attend both events.
Contact: Dr. Lionel Cuillé, lcuille@wustl.edu
RSVP