Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.03.1995, Side 3

Lögberg-Heimskringla - 17.03.1995, Side 3
Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 17. mars 1995 • 3 Discovering New lceland , Continued It seems, however, that the dream of settling North America had to wait 900 years. That was when, in the late 19th century, a new group of Icelanders sailed West to settle in Canada and the United States. There they tQok root and their descendants lived and prospered in a new world. They are the reason that you are able to read this venerable newspaper today. Their commitment t-o preserving their culture and their heritage in a new land was passed on to their children and their children’s children and remains even today. And so Icelanders, too, have their heroes and their bards and their far- flung graveyards and their monuments. Just outside of Arnes in Manitoba’s Interlake is a monument to the explorer Vilhjálmur Stefanson, who was born there but is buried elsewhere. In Markerville, Alberta, is the memorial to the poet Stephan G. Stephansson, and in Riverton the memorial to another great poet, Guttormur Guttormsson. . This special travel issue of Lögberg- Heimskringla highlights Manitoba’s Interlake area where so many of the Icelandic immigrants settled in the 19th and early 20th centuries. It is the area that included Nýja ísland — New Iceland — which for a brief time existed with its own laws and constitution before formally becoming a part of the province of Manitoba. A number of articles feature the attractions of the towns of this part of the country, both historical and contemporary. We hope that they will be of interest to all North Americans of Icelandic descent and encourage them to take a renewed interest in this cradle of North American Icelandic culture. Summer is the perfect time to visit. The Manitoba summer is sunny and warm (God wiíl- ing) and features a variety of events and festivals with an Icelandic flavour. The great event, of course, is íslendin- gadagurinn in Gimli on the weekend of the first Monday in August. This is the largest Icelandic festival in North America and attracts visitors from all over Nórth America and from Iceland itsélf with its three- day celebration of the bright Ice- landic stone in the North American cultural mosaic. A visit to New Iceland and its env'irons also aff- ords the opportu- nity to visit near- by North Dakota and Minnesota with their strong Icelandic presence and to take in the Scandinavian fes- tivals Hjemkomst and Hostfest in Fargo and Minot, adding by your presence a strong- er Icelandic ele- ment to these large and imm- ensely popular events. Also in this issue is an article by Guðny Cron- shaw of the Gimli Chapter of the Icelandic National League detailing the history of Framfarí, the new- spaper published by the early set- tlers of New Ice- land to keep them informed of events and offer them a forum for debate that was often heated and vigor- ous. A complete collection of Framfarí is avail- able in English translation and it is a fascinating and valuable book for anyone with any interest at all in the Icelandic fact in North America. Framfarí is, in a sense, the grandfather of Lögberg-Heims- kringla, another example of how the tradition con- tinues. We also, offer, of course, some travel features on Iceland. The ties between the Icelandic communities in North America and Iceland remain strong. They are made stronger by the continuing influx of Icelanders to North America, although not, of course, on the same scale as previously, and by the continuing desire of Westem Icelanders to seek out their roots in the ancestral home. Each summer there is an exodus of people going to visit Iceland, seeking relatives and roots and to experience the unique and magnifi- cent landscape and the warm hospitali- ty of the Icelandic people to their cousins from the West. on’t ignore the advertising in this issue, because even it has a message foryou. The bulk of it is from businesses and individuals in Manitoba and in Iceland. They are of, course, advertising what they have to sell, but they are doing much more than just that. They are reaching out and touching you, to coin a phrase, expressing their support for our her- itage and, not incidentally, this news- paper. They are also expressing their pride in who they are and who you are. In the advertisements from Iceland you should find an especially poignant message — that after 100 years, the ties that stretch across the ocean remain strong not only here, which is only natural, but also in Iceland where people and institutions might be excused if they were to forget us after all this time. We do have our graveyards here, but there is no headstone yet for the Icelandic community in North America. It remains vital and healthy and closely attached to its roots. The graveyards, however, are worth a visit for the heroes, both sung and unsung, who lie there, witnesses to our histoiy. I remember visiting the cemeteiy on Hecla Island once, wandering among the headstones and marvelling at the courage and strength of the people buried there and the hardships that they endured that we might live a better life. It was a moving experience but sudden- ly and utterly unexpectedly, tears filled my eyes and my throat choked up upon reading the grave of a child who had died veiy young a long time ago. I am not certain what the emotions were that ran through me, but they were intense, and I could not speak to my companion for quite some time afterwards. Those emotions may not have been rational, but they were veiy real. iscover the past and the pre- sent in Manitoba’s Interlake this summer. Walk among the dead and reflect on what we owe to what has gone before, and rejoice among the living, celebrate our legacy and look forward to the future. There’s time enough to think of death when death comes for us. I some- times think when that does happen, I would like my ashes scattered in Asbyr- gi, a place in Iceland that for some rea- son speaks profoundly to me. I’ll proba- bly end up, however, in a rose garden, a beautiful thing to see (the roses, that is, not me) and not a bad place to spend etemity. Before that, however, I hope to visit Ásbyrgi once more standing on my feet. If I don’t see you in New Iceland this summer, perhaps I’ll run into you there one day. 18th Annual Fargo • Moorhead Scandinavian Hjemkomst Festival SCflhDIMflVlflN HJEMKOMST FESTIVAL 1995 . JUNE 21-25 1996 • JUNE26-30 1997 .JUNE25-29 1998 .JUNE24-28 SCANDINAVIAN FOODS AVAILABLE —r ■OT 'í1 — ,^2—1 rfs .sfÚ? fmiL * FARGO CIVIC CENTER FESTIVAL DANCE Fri. • June23 • 8-12 pm JUNE 21st Wednesday Events SCANDINAVIAN * 10-4 Luncheon & Craft Show “Sons of Norway” # - . “Hands Across the Sea” ' Reception in Moorhead Swedish Cultural Soc. •7pm “Mldsummer Dance” Gooseberry Park, Mhd. Cfltt 1-800-235-7654 1-701-282-3653 1-218-233-8484 ONE of TOP100 EVENTSINNORTHAMERICA .. 1995 TOP^g ONE of TOP2 EVENTS1NMINNESOTA .1995 8fflj§ Sevent JUNE21-25 1995 *IN FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA and MOORHEAD, MINNESOTA A UTHENTIC SCANDINA VIAN THEME! • N0RWEGIAN • ICELANDIC • DANISH • FINNISH • SWEDISH ja m 0 "no FARGO CIVIC CENTER FREE ADMISSI0N ' AIR CONDITIONED • HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBLE THURSDAY & FRIDAY, JUNE 22 & 23 • ARTS & CRAFTS • MUSIC • DANCERS • DEMO’S / DISPLAYS • FOLK COSTUME STYLE SHOW • GRANDCHILD Fun Tour PASSPORTS/PRIZES • HAVE YOURPHOTO TAKEN AS... • LUCIA • TOMTE • NISSE • NISSEMANN *J0ULUPUKKI or • JOLASVEINN Icelandic Exposition - íslensk Sýning TROLLWOOD Culture Park -------FARGO, ND FESTIVAL OUTDOORS * Scandlnavian Music * Cburch Service * Food * Crafts * Dancing SAT., JUNE 24 SUN., JUNE 25 Badstova Family Room DEMOS • DISPLAYS • COOKING LESSONS • MINI-FESTIVALS • MANY SITES • CENTER^IALL * 1870 BERGQUIST LOG CABIN * CONCORDIA COLLEGE FESTIVAL BANQUET * PLAINS ART MUSEUM EXHIBIT * NORWEGIAN CHURCH SERVICE — FIRST LUTHERAN, FARGO and MOREH * SONS OF NORWAY DINNER / DANCE

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