What in God's name does this say?

Ok, I'm turning to the power of the Internets here.

I bought a document in New Orleans a few years back. It wasn't very expensive, I had a feeling it was real, so I bought it (it was from a reputable store, so that upped my confidence).

Basically, it looks to be some kind of old text in a language I can't decipher (and I know a few). I've shown it to a number of people, and no one has been able to even figure out what language it's in, let alone what is says. I'm posting copies of the front and back of the doc below, to see if anyone out there has a clue, or knows someone who has a clue. It appears that the front and back of the document are different languages (the back seems to be English).

Anyway, have at it - I'm dying to know what this is, what is says, and if it's even real.

• Side one, small and large photos.
• Side two, small and large photos.