Chapter Five 95 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     What of the Acadians at the end of Tignish’s 
     
     second century? They consist of three or perhaps four 
     
     groups. The largest one includes all those of Acadian 
     
     descent who speak French, at least among themselves, 
     
     may attend the French mass, but are not involved at all 
     
     in specifically Acadian issues or projects. Another good— 
     
     sized group consists of those who do not speak French at 
     
     all. They may, and usually do, retain certain Acadian 
     
     cultural traits, such as a love of singing and dancing - 
     
     they may even speak English with a French accent - but 
     
     they too are Lin-involved. Then there is a rather small 
     
     group of Acadians who work, usually as volunteers, to 
     
     bring their fellow Acadians to a level of equality, which 
     
     in many places is still an empty phrase. Finally there are 
     
     a few who seek extremes; they run the risk not only of 
     
     alienating the English-speaking members of community, but 
     
     of losing the support of their fellow Acadians. The segment 
     
     which follows is mainly concerned with the third group. 
     
    
   
   
    
     At the beginning of the period covered by this 
     
     chapter, the French language was clearly on the decline. 
     
     However the Official Languages Act of 1969 made 
     
     funding available to minority language groups, especially 
     
     French-speaking minorities in provinces other than 
     
     Quebec. As a result, the St. Thomas Aquinas Society was 
     
     able tohire full—time workers for the various Acadian 
     
     regions on the lsland, set up local committees in 1981, 
     
     ans channel funds to economic and cultural development 
     
     projects. 
     
    

    
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     A great variety of projects were set up in Tignish 
     
     in the seventies and early eighties. They ranged from the 
     
     Club Ti—Pa, which has already been mentioned, to a troop