<p> This thesis originally came out of a term paper for Dr. John Troutman&rsquo;s History 505 class in the spring of 2015, and at first, I was more interested in folklore itself than the organization charged with preserving it. But that soon changed, as did my purposes for writing. These purposes were several. First, to examine the Louisiana Folklife Program&mdash;its origins, its evolution, and its achievements&mdash;in order to see how it became what it is today. Second, to place the LFP in a national context by examining the factors that gave rise to its birth. Third, to explain why the LFP has endured while similar programs have struggled or faded away. And fourth, to examine the impact that political and academic opposition can and do have upon such programs. My methodology has changed little since I wrote the first page. Most of it entailed archival research coupled with secondary sources gleaned from libraries and Internet searches as well as oral interviews. What I learned in the course of my research has illustrated more than ever the fragility and value of Louisiana&rsquo;s cultural heritage and the value of preserving it. Some of it was almost wiped out in the early twentieth century, when speaking French was forbidden in schools throughout the state. It is thus incumbent upon both the LFP and the people of Louisiana to each do their part in ensuring that their posterity will be able to enjoy the rich diversity Louisiana has to offer. Stories, recipes, and handicrafts are things that we should not allow to fade away. Once they are gone, there is no restoring them. The LFP has made tremendous advances in this regard, and I sincerely hope they continue to do so, for the sake of all the generations that come after us.</p>

<p>Jill Hemming Austin PERFORMING THE PAST: TWO PAGEANT TRADITIONS IN NAUVOO, ILLINOIS The founders of American historical pageantry were keenly interested in the social effect of pageant performance on audience and participants. Their vision for social transformation through performance endures into the present day with those who continue to promulgate the form. Examining two enduring pageant traditions in Nauvoo, Illinois affords a better understanding of how the formal features of outdoor historical pageant production and the social relations that underlie them are still potentially powerful for those who participate in their production and performance. This dissertation encourages serious study of pageants as a unique performance form particularly attuned to the tasks of building continuities and tradition, the reinforcement of group sentiment, and the propitiation of group myth. Nauvoo, Illinois is a historically contested site boasting two historical pageants dedicated to the portrayal of the Nauvoo story: The Grape Festival Pageant and The Nauvoo Pageant. Christened ?Nauvoo? by Mormon [LDS] refugees in the mid-19th century, the thriving city?s overwhelming social discord drove the Mormons west, and the town was resettled and reclaimed by new seekers and settlers. The legendary quality of Nauvoo continued to grow in the Mormon imagination, eventually leading to a reclamation process including heritage development. Competing claims on local history has led to a heightened historical consciousness among townsfolk and ongoing public presentation from multiple perspectives. The two pageants are cultural displays that influence this ongoing social process. Both derive from distinct traditions--the local drama squarely planted in American historical pageantry and the Mormon-sponsored pageant deriving from LDS social and religious culture. Historical pageants have some unique formal features that make them particularly interesting to folklorists. They depend heavily on sacred localities, tradition, legend, and large-group participation for their success. The story told gains power from familiarity and reinforcement of cherished group values. However, changing tastes and sensibilities have challenged the survival of pageants as a relevant cultural form into the present. Drawing on interviews, field observation, and historical research, the contemporary context of the town and its two performances is fleshed out in the voices of four individuals who have participated in the pageants.

<p> The aim of this thesis is to study the practices and background of Voodoo in New Orleans through a holistic lens. This holistic lens includes researching the history of Voodoo in New Orleans, previous research done on Voodoo practice in New Orleans, contacting current practitioners and performing informal interviews, and participant-observation of New Orleans Voodoo rituals. This work is divided into three sections; the first delves into the history and current state of Voodoo of New Orleans. The second section discusses how Voodoo has influenced other cultural areas in New Orleans. The third section discusses how Voodoo and tourism interrelate with one another. The conclusion of this work addresses how through out history, influences on other areas of New Orleans culture, and tourism, the original ideas of Voodoo in New Orleans has stretched out beyond the original spectacle of Voodoo into the various ways individuals think about Voodoo. This also influences how practitioners view their own practice by reacting to how non-practitioners view Voodoo. It is like the metaphor of the snake eating his own tail, how Voodoo is practiced and then perceived by outsiders keeps feeding into each other.</p>