Between nation & ethnic group, official language communities in a minority context in Canada are often indecisive in their identity quest. The article proposes the cultural autonomy model as a framework to analyze the identity struggles & the vitality of these communities & focuses on two elements of cultural autonomy  in reference to one of these official language groups, the Francophone & Acadian communities. Following an analysis of political mobility & of the governance structures of these communities, it is observed that the prevalent governance models based on a partnership with the State do not seem to mobilize the communities & may even infringe upon their involvement in a cultural autonomy process necessary for their community vitality.