ORONO – University of Maine French professor Raymond J. Pelletier, associate director of the UMaine Canadian-American Center, recently accepted a prestigious Canadian cultural award on behalf of an international educational association dedicated to promoting the language and study of Quebec and French North America.

The American Council for Quebec Studies, of which Pelletier is vice president, received the Prix du 3-Juillet-1608 award (Prize of July 3, 1608) on March 15 from Minister of Culture and Communications Line Beauchamp. The ACQS was the second foreign association to ever receive the award.

The award included a work of art by Montreal artist Sylvia Safdie and a parchment document signed by Quebec Premier Jean Charest. The Quebec Parliament also voted unanimously to officially recognize the contributions of ACQS. The Prix du 3-Juillet-1608 is an annual award presented to exemplary organizations or individuals who work to maintain and expand the language and culture of North American French. The name of the award commemorates Samuel de Champlain’s arrival in Quebec.

The American Council for Quebec Studies is a multidisciplinary academic organization made up primarily of university professors from across the United States and throughout the world who have an active interest in Quebec’s history, literature, politics, economy, language and culture. Such interest usually is manifested through articles published in Quebec studies and presentations made at the council’s biennial conference.

Three hundred scholars attended the most recent conference held at Le Chateau Frontenac Nov. 18-21, 2004, and presented more than 200 papers. Also attending the conference were Quebec province officials, Canadian and U.S. national public officials, in addition to Quebec novelists and playwrights.

The Canadian-American Center, established in 1967, is one of the leading institutes for studying Canada in the United States. Designated a National Resource Center on Canada by the U.S. Department of Education in 1979, the center coordinates an extensive program of undergraduate and graduate education; supports a major research library collection on Canada; promotes cross-border research in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professions; and directs outreach programs to state, regional and national audiences.