| Kendall Broussard | All Levels | All-Day | Week 1 (July 6-11, 2025)
The goal of this class is to learn new crafts in a unique and exciting way! This will be done with an introduction to the people, traditions and landscapes that encompass Louisiana. Each participant will bring home many self-made crafts.
Louisiana Cajuns have many unique and distinguishing qualities. This class will explore many of these along with the related folk art. Activities such as natural egg dyeing, salt dough making, cooking native foods and playing traditional games will be explored. Native animals and habitats unique to Louisiana will be studied. We will read books by local Louisiana authors. Participants will learn about different Mardi Gras customs, focusing on how to make masks and costumes and performing a Mardi Gras “run”. Along with learning Cajun songs will be instruction on how to dance a traditional two step and waltz. Cajun French vocabulary will be introduced and used during the class. Each student is asked to bring an old tee-shirt to be used as part of an activity, as well as lots of creativity!
About the Instructor
Kendall Miller Broussard is an enthusiastic, energetic individual who is always happy to share Cajun culture and life with others. She is a native of Iota, Louisiana and granddaughter to longtime Augusta instructors Larry and Jackie Miller. Having grown up close to her grandparents, Kendall was immersed in Cajun culture and traditions. She often traveled to festivals with them helping to demonstrate and sell Cajun accordions and Mardi Gras costumes. Growing up she frequently worked alongside her grandpa in his accordion shop. At age eight, Kendall began to participate and perform in the local Mardi Gras celebration. From this grew a love of Cajun music, dance and language. Jackie, Kendall’s grandmother, has taught her how to make the local Mardi Gras costumes including, masks, capuchon (hats), and suits. A favorite pastime of hers is assisting her grandmother during Mardi Gras mask-making and demonstration workshops. Kendall has earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. While doing so she was able to work in the Center for Louisiana Studies, helping to archive various media sources of Cajun and Creole music. This afforded an opportunity to connect with various peoples and their folk arts. With her husband and three young children Kendall now lives in Lafayette, Louisiana. She constantly strives to pass down her Cajun heritage to their children.