Research by Rhea Côté Robbins, all rights reserved

Note:  This collection is born out of a research project that I have been working on for a few years collecting evidence of Franco-American, Canadian, Acadian, "Cajun, Métis, Mixed Blood, women in the public spaces.  For me that represents an acknowldegement of the contributions of the women to the culture's well being, both ethnic and dominant.  Please quote this page accurately in your research.  Thank you.--Rhea
 

The Unveiling of "La Dame de Notre Renaissance Française"

"Le Canado-Américain", appeared in VOL XXVII, NO.1, PUBLISHED SINCE 1900, PRINTEMPS/SPRING 2001

 For everyone of French-Canadian descent, it was an honor to be present in Nashua, NH, on May 19th. 
 After years of preparation and intense work from sculptor Christopher R. Gowell, more than a century of French heritage was celebrated with the dedication of a statue named "La Dame de Notre Renaissance Française", which was unveiled in "Le Parc de Notre Renaissance Française". The park was dedicated to the French-Canadian immigrants who settled and tirelessly worked in Nashua's textile mills. Also, Governor Shaheen declared the day "French Heritage Day" in a proclomation presented to the Heritage Committee.
 In fact, all of New England owes the French-Canadian immigrants tremendous gratitude not only for working in our textile mills, but also for enriching our communities, politics, cuisine, art and everything about life in New England. These immigrants have shaped who we are as people. They poured in to build the factories, homes, schools and the churches of their communities. They also established new businesses to satisfy the needs of a growing population. They were industrious, thrifty and adept at learning new trades needed to meet the rising demand of textiles, shoes and paper products. Through their hard work, they provided an opportunity for future generations of French-Canadians to have a better life. 
The park was booming with excitement and music, as it gave Franco-Americans the opportunity to chat and reminisce about long ago. Hundreds of people stood by in anticipation as the white cover was permanently lifted at around 2:45 p.m., revealing the six-foot-tall statue of "La Dame de Notre Renaissance Française", which stood on a three-foot commemorative base.
 The sculpture depicts a woman with a spindle in her left pocket and a cross around her neck, looking down at her son, who is holding a French-language book and gazing up at his mother for direction. Christopher R. Gowell, the sculptor, told the crowd that she was extremely proud to have had the opportunity to sculpt a figure of a strong French-Canadian woman, and that although she was unsure at times whether she could finish the sculpture to her satisfaction, the great amount of work she applied to the statue made all of her worries worthwhile.
 The success for this event was earned by many civic and fraternal organizations, as well as many families and ACA's Milette chapter in Nashua, NH. Congratulations to Georgi Hippauf, vice-president of the Milette chapter, who came up with the idea to dedicate a monument to our French heritage and pursued it. In addition, we would like to thank all of those who worked so hard to raise the money needed to make this event possible.
 Once again, we have proved that anything is possible when you belong to a culture that believes in a dream and works together as one.