NATCHITOCHES – Fiddler and cultural historian Ron Yule was named a Louisiana Tradition Bearer by the Louisiana Folklife Commission and honored at a recent ceremony in the Magale Recital Hall on the Northwestern State University campus in Natchitoches. Serving as Folklife Ambassadors for the Louisiana Folklife Commission, Dr. Shane Rasmussen, professor of English and director of the Louisiana Folklife Center at Northwestern State University, and Dr. Susan Roach, professor emerita of English and folklore at Louisiana Tech University, honored Yule at the event. The event was part of the 16th Annual Louisiana Studies Conference. Yule gave the conference keynote address, a history of Louisiana’s folk music, with the Medicare Stringband performing numerous fiddle tunes with Yule.
The well-attended ceremony was part of a series of events throughout the state for Folklife Month in Louisiana. Yule was honored with a certificate from Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, officially recognizing him as a Louisiana tradition bearer. The event was sponsored by the Louisiana Folklife Center, the Louisiana Folklore Society and the Louisiana Division of the Arts and the Department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. Funding was also provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works and the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in collaboration with the Louisiana Folklife Commission.
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Ron Yule, center, was named a Louisiana Tradition Bearer by the Louisiana Folklife Commission and honored at a recent ceremony held at Northwestern State University. Yule was honored by, far left. Dr. Susan Roach, professor emerita of English and folklore at Louisiana Tech University and Dr. Shane Rasmussen, professor of English and director of the Louisiana Folklife Center at Northwestern State University. Photo courtesy of Peter Jones.
