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| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Canada, concentrated in theMadawaska region ofNew Brunswick. | |
| Languages | |
| French (maternal language),English (as a second language),Franglais | |
| Religion | |
| PrimarilyRoman Catholic | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| French,Acadians,Cajun,Québécois,Franco-Ontarian,Franco-Newfoundlander,French American |
Brayons (/breɪˈjɒ̃/;French pronunciation:[bʁɛjɔ̃]), also calledMadawaskayens, are aFrancophone people inhabiting the area in and aroundMadawaska County,New Brunswick, Canada, and some parts of northern Maine.
In French, Brayons are referred to by the masculineles Brayons or the feminineles Brayonnes. They speak with a French accent also known as "Brayon".
"Brayon" used to be written as "Breillon".[1][2] The origins of the word are not well known. It is hypothesized to have perhaps been derived from the verb "Brayer" (to pull on a rope), the noun "Braie" ("old clothes" in certain dialects of the West of France), or the verb "Broyer" (to crush; the inhabitants of the region used to crushflax).
Given their location in New Brunswick, they are considered by many to be Acadians. However, some residents relate more toQuebec and have strong roots and ancestral ties to Quebec.
Brayons formed a distinctive culture with a history and heritage linked tofarming andforestry in theMadawaska area. This is unlike both the primarily maritime heritage of the modern Acadians and theSt. Lawrence Valley history of the Québécois.[3]
Historically, the formal borders between New Brunswick and Quebec, and to some extentMaine, did not matter much to the people of the area. This caused blending and commonalities and close relationships between people in the area, whether Acadian or Québécois or people from parts of northern Maine, forming a Brayon identity.
This Madawaska region was part of a border dispute and was claimed by Quebec when it was calledLower Canada.
The view of uniqueness led (at least jokingly) to the founding of theRépublique du Madawaska during theAroostook War of 1838, wherein some Brayons, disgusted with the actions of both British and American interlopers on their historical lands, declared themselves allied with neither and independent.[4] Therépublique was never formally recognized and was ultimately split by theWebster-Ashburton Treaty into American and Canadian parts.[5][6]
Brayon French is not completely restricted to Madawaska County.
Brayon is adialect ofAcadian French.
Brayon(ne) is also the name of the inhabitants of thePays de Bray in northwesternFrance (Normandy,Seine-Maritimedépartement and Picardy,Oisedépartement).
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