In the mid-seventeen hundreds, the Spanish government sent to Louisiana a group of settlers to be coast-watchers to protect the interest of Spain, where they established permanent settlements. Today, the descendants of this migration are mainly the "waterman" of the thriving Saint Bernard Parish fishing and trapping industries. Still referring to themselves as "Isleños" (descendants of the Canary Island immigration), this group has remained uncommonly compact, retaining much of the flavor and family unity of their cultural origins. The Canary Islands Descendants Association is a genealogy-based heritage club which documents Isleños traditions and identifies this rich cultural heritage to others. The Association sponsors a variety of cultural activities including live performances and is responsible for the Canary Islanders Cultural Museum. CIDA's programs have been noted and supported in part by the Smithsonian Institute, the National Geographic Society, the Louisiana State Museum, the Louisiana State Archives, the governments of the Canary Islands, Spain and Venezuela, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Division of the Arts, the Arts Council of New Orleans and corporate funding through Spur-Murphy Oil USA and Chalmette Refining LLC.
Canary Islands Descendants Association 600 St. Bernard Pkwy • Braithwaite, La. 70040 • Ph: 504-682-1010 Email: info@canaryislanders.com Calendar • Donations • Geneology • Join CIDA • Library • Lopez House Isleño Museum Map and Directions to the Museum • Event Reservations CIDA Home Page Copyright © 1998-2003 Areafocus, Inc. All rights reserved.