Lazy, uneducated, and barbaric; this is what society perceives the Cajun culture to be. The state of Louisiana has been plagued with Cajun stereotypes for many years, and quite frankly, it’s only a small group of people that live by the true standards of Cajun culture; not everyone drives their lawn mowers to work, nor do they all own pet alligators. The History Channel sets out to right the wrongs by portraying Cajuns to be hard working, determined, and family-oriented people in their television series, “Swamp People. Although negative stereotypes can be formed from the show, in no way are they being promoted or misrepresented; the History Channel is simply trying to inform viewers on a dying, but once prominent, culture as accurately as possible.
Taking place in the largest swamp in the United States, Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana, “Swamp People” focuses on a group of Cajuns during the one month-long alligator hunting season that goes on every September. It’s not treated like a hobby, sport, or business; it’s taken very seriously as this is their way of living and providing food for their families. The History Channel follows different teams of gator hunters. Most of these teams are family members or long time friends, which shows viewers they want to carry on the traditions that were used by their ancestors; the tradition of bonding together to hunt, fish, and farm in order to provide for their families. These groups of people are not the forgiving type; a mistake doesn’t get them a pat on the back and some words of encouragement. Instead, a mistake could cost the team a full day of hunting, and given the fact that there is only a 30 day limit to hunt, that could significantly reduce the number of gators they catch. They claim that one gator can last a family for months, so they must make the most of the time that is given and silly mistakes are treated as being inexcusable.
The Cajun culture is a journey that goes all the way back to the early 1600’s. Peasant folk from French provinces migrated to the Acadian Peninsula, which is today known as New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as early as 1604. These folks were characterized as French-speaking Catholics who farmed, fished, and hunted. There was a constant fight and struggle between the French, the English, and the local Native American population for the expansive land that was the Acadian Peninsula; this eventually led to the exile of the Acadians. They migrated to Louisiana where the land was plentiful and they were still able to carry on the similar lifestyle of hunting and farming to that in Acadia. The language and religion of the Cajuns served to “isolate them from later English-speaking protestant migrants (“Americans”)” (Forsyth, Gramling, and Wooddell). Today, there are an estimated 750,000 Acadian descendants who still follow this pure and traditional lifestyle (Dormon 42). So the assumption that Cajuns have always lived in the swamps of Louisiana is false.
Since the 1600’s, the Cajun culture has experienced few changes. Wayne Curtis, author of the magazine article “Cajun Country”, explains that, “Until World War II, most Cajuns spoke French; they worked as subsistence farmers, trappers, loggers or boat builders” (Curtis). On “Swamp People”, some members of the cast require subtitles because their French accent is so thick and genuine. The reason for their accent can definitely be associated to the fact that Cajuns still spoke French in the 1940’s. For instance, a quote that has been made famous by the show and is routinely spoken right before each gator is shot and killed is, “Choot ’em!” Their accent causes them to pronounce it this way instead of, “Shoot him!” People watching the show misperceive their authentic accent and believe the show is trying to show their lack of intelligence and education. The show is not trying to do this; the show is narrated in a serious tone, and the producers know that this is a way of life and should not be made fun of. Learning a new language takes a long time and even then the accent and pronunciation is far from perfect. Throw in the fact that the Cajuns try and isolate themselves from the constantly modernizing world and it’s no wonder they don’t speak clear English. In the producers’ eyes, their accent also makes the show more genuine. However, in the bigger picture, the producers just want to share this unique culture with viewers and show that lifestyles, like that of the Cajuns, exist and are acceptable.
The Cajun culture is not something that was developed overnight, nor is it intended to attract attention from people; the Cajuns want to keep their ancient culture going for generations to come and are set on not modernizing with the rest of the world. The culture has established itself as being close, independent as a whole, and self sufficient; and this is how they wish to stay. An aspect to their culture that they care a lot about is their large, extended families; “most Saturday nights are still reserved for get-togethers with friends and neighbors, fueled by music, food and dancing” (Curtis). “Swamp People” represents this Cajun characteristic quite well. Even though the majority of the show is focused on hunting alligators, the producers will usually include a clip at the end that shows the families getting together to have a cookout. People might watch “Swamp People” and think that the producers are poking fun at the Cajun culture or perpetuating a stereotype that all people from Louisiana live and act this way. Those people are showing ignorance. The show clearly states that there are not many people who still live this way; it’s a dying culture and the History Channel is striving to help preserve it by showing “Swamp People”.
The public also likes to believe that Cajuns are a bunch of lowlifes. People have to understand that this is a lifestyle that the Cajuns embrace and want to continue. The goal is not to be a millionaire and be able to afford exotic cars and mansions, the goal is much simpler: be able to provide for your family. The show does a good job of revealing the Cajuns living standards. They don’t have much, but then again, they don’t need much. Their meaning of fun is totally different from that of other people. Having a cookout, socializing with family, and kids playing in the yard is their definition of fun. This goes back to the family-oriented style of living that has been passed down for many generations. The viewer doesn’t have to like the culture, but they do have to pay some respect for them living the way they do and continuing their old traditions.
A question that often gets brought up when watching the show is: does this lifestyle need to be modernized? People think it’s ridiculous and barbaric for people to still be catching their own food. It sounds a little ironic how people stereotype Cajuns as living a simple and lazy lifestyle when in fact they are getting their hands dirty by eating what they catch, and here we are driving to grocery shops to buy our food. The History Channel portrays these groups of people as being satisfied with their lifestyle; not once are the younger ones caught regretting how they are raised in this unique culture. If anything, they look forward to the challenge of proving themselves to the members of the society. They want others to think that they are true and genuine to the Cajun culture. Cajuns show determination and passion in their culture because that is what is expected of them; they know when work has to be done. For the Cajuns, if work doesn’t get done, there is no food to eat.
Troy Landry, who is considered the main star of the television series and a prototypical Cajun, was born and raised in the heart of the Louisiana bayous. His accent in particular is why people see Cajuns as uneducated. He can’t sound out every word to perfection, which is why subtitles are a necessity when he speaks. Landry tells people, “The swamp is no place for sissies. If you don’t like to get your hands dirty and you like to wear good clothes everyday to go to work, the swamp is not the place for you. It’s a lot of hard work. You can’t be afraid. It’s not a nine to five job, and to catch big alligators and catch a lot of alligators, you got to go the extra mile” (Landry). It sounds like he has a lot of experience and has a good grasp of what he’s doing out on the swamps. Landry says that he catches, on average, 30 to 40 gators per day during the season. That’s mind boggling to imagine; catching 30 to 40 alligators for 30 days straight. That doesn’t seem like work for the lazy type, and to consistently pull in good numbers, they have to have the brawn and the brains.
“Swamp People” has received many positive reviews but there are a couple of reviewers who believe the show brings out controversy. Tara Cowan, a freelance writer who earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at North Carolina University, says that the show “depicts swamp-dwellers trying to kill or exploit alligators and other animals” (Cowan). Besides the difference in danger levels, hunting alligators is no different than hunting deer, turkey, or fish. The hunters have tags that catch the gators; once the gator is caught, one team member pulls the line in, and when the gator is pulled close enough to the boat, the other team member shoots it. They’re trying to kill the alligator as quickly and as painlessly as possible with the equipment that they have. It’s not like they’re causing a slow and agonizing death by stabbing it a million times. These hunters, as uncivilized as it might seem to the viewer, are professionals and have many years of experience; it happens to be their way of life.
There is a huge difference between the way Cajuns hunt and the way other people hunt. Most people consider hunting a sport; they hunt for the fun of it without taking in respect for the wildlife or the environment. People who believe Cajuns hunt gators for the fun of it need to take a step back and examine other hunters. Cajuns make good use of the skin and the meat of the gators. Food is vital to their way of life so they make sure not waste anything they catch. Members of the show respect the swamp ecosystem, so when they catch someone poaching on their designated hunting grounds, they don’t take it lightly. They report poachers to the wildlife department and place a white ribbon on visible trees that hangover the water to symbolize to the poachers that they are illegally hunting. The Cajuns are very independent people and they feel as if they are the only ones who know how to properly hunt and skin the animals.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries regulates hunting and fishing seasons with a very keen eye. People can’t just roam the swamp lands and start tackling alligators like they’re Steve Irwin; there are many requirements that must be met before a person can participate in alligator hunting. Alligator hunters must be licensed and own land in specified wetland areas in the Atchafalaya Swamp. If the person is licensed and owns land within the designated wetland territories, they are then qualified to receive tags. Even then, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will only distribute tags if the property has been determined as capable of sustaining an alligator harvest. With 1.5 million gators wandering the Louisiana swamps, the department’s goal is to manage the population and not let it get out of hand (Alligator Hunting). The point is that Cajuns are not endangering the alligators in any way. Due to the hunting season only being 30 days, it can seem like a bloodbath, but the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries controls the hunts with tag limits and area restrictions. The History Channel does not portray alligator hunting to be an act of genocide; that’s the just the result of viewers taking one aspect of the show and generating an over exaggerated stereotype.
The Cajuns are not solely dependent on the gators for food. Their eating habits are based on whatever the land provides and whatever can be easily prepared in the backwoods that they live in. Of course the Cajuns rely on meat like gator, wild boar, and crawfish, but the Cajuns also depend on “such staples as dried beans and corn…seasonings, often gathered from the wild, such as filé (powdered sassafras leaves) or cultivated in the tidy gardens, were very important to the flavor of the simple food” (Barclay and Hill 72). The Cajuns are opportunists; they’ll catch whatever they can, and they will not let their catch go to waste. Alligator hunting is not all they do, but since gators are available for them to catch in September, they take advantage of that opportunity for food. During the other eleven months out of the year farming becomes a huge resource for the Cajuns. Growing corn, beans, and fruits becomes handy when hunting seasons die down.
Even though Cajuns find other things to eat besides gator, the show does give off the sense that Cajuns only hunt and eat alligators. The History Channel does this for entertainment purposes. Watching people catch alligators with their hands is a lot more exciting than watching people gather berries and nuts for a whole hour. Not only is the show exciting, but it’s different; there aren’t any shows on the air like “Swamp People” that presents intense action sequences along with a little bit of cultural insight. The show opened up something new and exciting for the public to watch, and for the producers to change the content of the show just to make it more accurate to the Cajun culture would more than likely hurt the ratings of a stellar show; and in the end, the History Channel is a business and they can’t afford for ratings to plummet.
“Swamp People” is a show that doesn’t require any suspension of disbelief from the viewer; what you see is what you get. The show tries to be as genuine as possible and portray Cajuns living their life in real scenarios. The act of hunting gators is not a hobby; it’s their means of making a living, surviving, and providing for their families. Respect for their kills and respect for the environment is what makes the Cajuns who they are. Hunting gators is just a small part to their lifestyle and should not be taken too far; it’s only one month out of the year. Their accent being linked to a lack of education is a big misconception that rises from the show. The Cajuns speaking with their French accent strengthens the argument on how true to their culture they are. They are proud of their culture and they do not wish to revolutionize in any way: Family comes first in Cajun country; it always has and always will. The producers of “Swamp People” understand that there is a culture and lifestyle behind the slaughtering of alligators, and they try to incorporate cultural touches in their episodes.
The Cajun culture has been passed down to them from their ancestors and they only want to pay them respect by preserving their unique traditions. It might seem uncivilized, barbaric, cruel, and absurd to the average person, but it’s necessary for the Cajun culture. It takes hard work and perseverance to live the way they do. As much as they hunt, they never leave anything to waste. The Cajuns should be able to live life this way without being judged on what’s necessary. The History Channel does an outstanding job of opening the eyes of the public about this rare culture. The public needs to realize that this is a lifestyle and not something Cajuns do one month out of the year as a vacation. “Swamp People” is not just about killing alligators for food and money, it’s about sharing a dying culture to the world; a culture that says it’s ok to be different.
Works Cited
“Alligator Hunting.” Department of Wildlife and Fisheries: State of Louisiana. N.p., July 2010. Web. 30 July 2011.
Cowan, Tara. “Swamp People: The History Channel Show About Cajuns in Louisiana.” Suite101. N.p., 9 Oct. 2010. Web. 30 July 2011.
Curtis, Wayne. “Cajun Country.” Smithsonian 38.2 (2007): 62-65. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 2 Aug. 2011.
Dormon, James. LOUISIANA’S ‘CAJUNS’: French Acadians of The South.” History Today 34.6 (1984): 38. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 2 Aug. 2011.
Hill, Madalene, and Gwen Barclay. “FROM ACADIAN TO Cajun.” Herbarist 74 (2008): 68-73. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 2 Aug. 2011.
