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In my ongoing research into the practice of Cajun Traiteurs—folk healers deeply rooted in the cultural fabric of South Louisiana—I have drawn upon a diverse array of scholarly resources and firsthand accounts. As a former student of Carl Brasseaux at the University of Louisiana from 2003 to 2007, I embarked on a journey to delve into the intricate world of Cajun and Creole healing traditions. My academic pursuits have been driven by a profound desire to honor and preserve the rich cultural heritage of my upbringing.
Central to my exploration is the study of Cajun/Creole Gris-Gris, a complex system of spiritual remedies and practices. Unlike conventional religious frameworks, the efficacy of Gris-Gris is not tied to a specific creed or dogma but revolves around personal spiritual connections with facilitators such as saints or deities. This spiritual versatility underscores its adaptability across various belief systems, affirming its status as a universal, inclusive form of magic.
The resources I have curated span a wide spectrum, from historical analyses like Elizabeth Brandon’s examination of folk medicine in French Louisiana to ethnographic insights such as Dana David's exploration of vernacular healing systems. Ellen M. Daigle’s research on Traiteurs and their healing prowess provides invaluable perspectives, shedding light on the deep-seated community role of these healers.
Through these scholarly investigations and oral histories like Rebecca Begnaud’s poignant interviews, I aim to elucidate how Cajun Traiteurs operate not as mere practitioners of rituals, but as conduits for spiritual forces that transcend individual capability. This understanding aligns with the notion of conjuration, where the effectiveness of healing rituals hinges not on the practitioner’s inherent power, but on their ability to channel and harness spiritual energies.
Each citation in my research serves as a building block, contributing nuanced layers to my comprehension of Cajun Traiteur practices. From botanical studies of medicinal plants by Charles M. Allen to linguistic examinations by Charles Joseph Bienvenu, each source enriches my exploration of the cultural, historical, and spiritual dimensions that define this unique form of folk medicine.
In essence, my scholarly journey is a tribute to the resilience and continuity of Cajun and Creole traditions. It underscores the enduring relevance of Cajun Traiteurs in contemporary society, highlighting their role as custodians of a healing legacy rooted in spiritual connection and community wellbeing.
My great-grandfather, Oris F. Broussard, was a traiteur who mass-produced the Teche Mamou Cough Syrup.
Resources
Resources
Gravot, Dana David. “Je jongle au Bon Dieu quand je traite”: Traiteurs in Francophone Louisiana / Les guérisseurs en Louisiane francophone. Lafayette, LA: University of Louisiana Press, 2024. 144 pp. ISBN 978‑1‑959569‑00‑8.
Gravot presents a bilingual (English/French) exploration of the traditional practice of traitement, documenting how traiteurs operate through personal narratives and decades of ethnographic research. She examines the herbal and spiritual dimensions of healing in Francophone Louisiana, illuminating a folk tradition that blends Catholic prayer with local botanical remedies. This work is a vital resource for understanding regional identity, vernacular medicine, and cultural resilience.
Martin, Corinne. Louisiana Herb Journal: Healing on Home Ground. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2022. 296 pp. ISBN 978‑0‑8071‑7740‑2 (paperback).
Clinical herbalist Corinne Martin offers a beautifully composed guide to 50 indigenous and naturalized medicinal herbs of Louisiana. Each entry includes botanical identification, traditional remedies (including Cajun/Creole folk uses), preparation instructions, and personal stories that root the material in place and culture. Her writing weaves together scientific detail, environmental stewardship, and cultural history, making this book indispensable for anyone interested in herbalism and Southern ecology.
Perrin, Mary Broussard, and Beverly Constantine Fuselier. Healing Traditions of South Louisiana: Prayers, Plants, and Poultices. Lafayette, LA, 2022. ~296 pp.
In this richly illustrated and deeply researched book, Perrin and Fuselier—both practicing traiteurs—chronicle the healing traditions of South Louisiana from ancient Indigenous plant knowledge to contemporary traiteur rituals. Part I focuses on prayer-based healing, and Part II provides detailed botanical profiles of native medicinal plants. The book blends historical narrative, cultural anthropology, and herbal lore, making it a foundational source for the study of Cajun and Creole folk medicine.
Sonnier, Alec. Cajun Traiteurs: Faith Healing on the Bayou: The Cajun Traiteur and Transmission of Cajun Folk Healing Knowledge. Master’s thesis, California State University, Northridge, 2020. 139 pp.
Sonnier’s case study draws on multi‑generational interviews within his extended Southern Louisiana family, including thirteen traiteurs and thirty‑one patients. He explores how the gift of healing—understood as a “Gift from God”—is transmitted through family and community, and how traditions persist or decline amid modern medical and cultural shifts. The study reveals prayer, laying on of hands, and ritual patterns (e.g. treatments in threes) as central practices, and discusses the perceived cultural erosion and recent efforts to revitalize awareness of traiteur traditions
Robert, Shelby. The Cajun Traiteurs. PhD Dissertation, Liberty University, 2023.
A comprehensive historical and ethnographic analysis of Cajun traiteurs, documenting their healing methods, Catholic prayer structures, herbal knowledge, and community role. This dissertation serves as a primary modern reference for Cajun faith healing traditions.
Pitre, Glen, dir. Good for What Ails You: Secrets of the Bayou Healers. 1998. Documentary film, 57 minutes. Written by Nicole Falgoust and Glen Pitre. Posted to YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YykyzUJ9ghE
Good for What Ails You: Secrets of the Bayou Healers documents the living tradition of Louisiana bayou folk healing through the work of traiteurs, respected faith healers whose practices combine prayer, herbal medicine, ritual action, and inherited knowledge. Filmed in 1998, the documentary follows ten healers from various Southern cultural backgrounds as they demonstrate remedies such as using alligator grease for asthma, burying potatoes to cure warts, and “smoking a baby” to ease colic. The film emphasizes that these methods are not isolated superstitions but part of a coherent cultural system rooted in apprenticeship, family transmission, and Catholic devotion, with prayer and saint invocation central to the healing process. By showing healers gathering wild plants, preparing teas and syrups, and working at home altars, the documentary highlights healing as a vocation of service rather than commerce. Ultimately, it presents bayou healing as a living tradition that continues to provide meaning, continuity, and community trust alongside modern medicine.
Aubé, Lousay. Lousay Aubé – Cajun Traiteur. YouTube video, 1996. Posted [date unknown].https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeD8NSWKRLE.
This video features Lousay Aubé, a well-known Cajun traiteur (faith healer), speaking at the Acadian Museum in Erath, Louisiana, about the mystical and cultural dimensions of traiteur healing. Aubé discusses the integration of Catholic prayer, tradition, and community service in the practice, illustrating rituals and the rationale behind traditional treatments for common ailments. Although the recording date is 1996, the presentation provides contemporary viewers with first-hand testimony about how Cajun folk healing is passed through oral instruction and lived experience. The content is particularly valuable for researchers of vernacular religion and folk medicine because it demonstrates how providers themselves articulate the spiritual and cultural legitimacy of traiteurism within broader Cajun identity and heritage.
Woody, Carla, interviewer. Lifepath Dialogues Interview with Becca Begnaud, Cajun Traiteur. YouTube video, posted 2013.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz0Zt2QEEhU.
In this interview conducted by Carla Woody (founder of Kenosis), Cajun traiteur Becca Begnaud discusses her personal experience with the nearly lost tradition of traiteur healing in Acadiana. Begnaud explains what it means to be called as a traiteur, including the responsibilities, prayer practices, and community expectations that accompany the role. The conversation highlights themes of cultural preservation, the interplay between traditional healing and contemporary life, and the ways that traiteurism persists despite modern medical systems. For scholars examining folk healing, religious practice, or Cajun cultural continuity, Begnaud’s reflections offer insight into how individuals negotiate tradition and identity in the twenty-first century.
Cajun History Resources
Cajun History Resources
The Cajuns: Americanization of a People. Brasseaux, Carl A. The Cajuns: Americanization of a People. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1992.
This foundational work examines the transformation of Cajun society from the nineteenth century through the twentieth, focusing on language loss, education, industrialization, and political marginalization. Brasseaux argues that Cajun identity was reshaped through external pressure rather than cultural stagnation, making this text essential for understanding modern Cajun self-definition and cultural resilience.Acadian to Cajun: Transformation of a People, 1803–1877. Brasseaux, Carl A. Acadian to Cajun: Transformation of a People, 1803–1877. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1992.
This study traces the evolution of Acadian refugees into a distinct Cajun population following the Louisiana Purchase. Emphasizing adaptation to Louisiana’s social, environmental, and economic conditions, Brasseaux demonstrates that Cajun culture developed through continuity and change rather than rupture.The Acadian Exiles. Griffiths, Naomi E. S. The Acadian Exiles, 1604–1763. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1992.
Griffiths provides a comprehensive account of Acadian society before and during the Grand Dérangement. This work is critical for situating Cajun history within its broader Atlantic and colonial French context, highlighting social organization, religious life, and communal memory prior to exile.From Acadie to Cajun Country. Bernard, Shane K. From Acadie to Cajun Country: The Acadian Migration to South Louisiana. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2003.
Bernard focuses on the migration routes, settlement patterns, and early community formation of Acadians in Louisiana. The book is especially useful for understanding how geography and isolation shaped Cajun rural life and kinship networks.Cajun Culture: A People’s Story. Ancelet, Barry Jean. Cajun Culture: A People’s Story. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1991.
Blending history, folklore, and oral tradition, Ancelet presents Cajun culture from an internal perspective. This work is particularly valuable for cultural historians, as it foregrounds music, language, storytelling, and everyday practice as historical evidence.
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