Lögberg-Heimskringla - 11.12.1992, Side 6

6 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 11. desember 1992
Bridges that need to be built
By Ben Vlccarí
(Canadian Scene) — Some weeks
ago, Canada’s national newspaper, the
Globe and Mail, published a column
by one of its editors, Sheree-Lee
Olson. The column dealt with what
Olson called the “blindness” of the
mainstream media toward Canada’s
multicultural reality.
“From my balcony in Toronto’s
Parkdale district,” Olson wrote, “I
have heard the strains of a balladeer at
a Portuguese festival, the sounds of a
Hindi holy day procession, the refrain
of a Vietnamese pop song played on
the stereo next door. Multiculturalism
here is neither a buzzword nor a gov-
ernment policy; it is something lived.
But it is something lived in compart-
New name reflects
The Scandinavian Centre of
Minneapolis has become the
Nordic Centre.
While the rest of the world has tra-
ditionally considered Scandinavia to
include the five countries of
Denmark, JFinland, Iceland, Norway
and Sweden, in the region itself the
two countries at geographic oppo-
sites — Iceland and Finland — are
not regarded as “Scandinavian.”
According to Professor John Rice
at the University of Minnesota
Department of Geography, the term
“Scandinavia” was originally a geo-
graphic term referring to the peninsu-
la where Norway and Sweden are
located. Used as an adjective,
“Scandinavian” became a description
of peoples and cultures on this penin-
sula and eventually included
Denmark as well.
There is some disagreement as to
the derivation of the word
“Scandinavia.” Skad meant “foggy”
and avia probably meant “islands”;
sailors would have referred to these
lands as the “foggy islands.”
However, it is also possible that the
word comes from the Old Norwegian
The new
The new President of the
Nordic Centre Board of
Minneapolis is Mr. Charles
Arnason. He brings varied interests
and extensive experience to his
involvement in both professional and
avocational activities.
A graduate of the University of
Minnesota Law School, Mr. Arnason
practiced law for 20 years in the
Minneapolis firm of Wright, West,
Diessner and Arnason. He has also
served as Senior Vice President,
Secretary and General Counsel of the
Minneapolis Star and Tribune
Company and as Executive Director
of the Minnesota Technology
Corridor.
Mr. Arnason presently has a pri-
vate law practice with its office in
Marine on St. Croix. In addition, he
is a Director and Trustee of the
Lutheran Brotherhood Group of
Mutual Funds, and Executive
Director of City Innovation, a non-
profit corporation of volunteers in
several U.S. urban areas working to
improve our cities.
He has held leadership roles in
many community, educational, his-
torical and environmental organiza-
tions, such as the Associated Colleges
of the Twin Cities, Minnesota-
Wisconsin boundary Area
Commission, Fort Snelling State Park
five-nation status
Skáney, which referred to the south-
ern extremity of Sweden, known
today as Skáne.
The word Norden (“the North”)
was first used in the late 19th century
by Danish social reformer N.F.S.
Grundtvig in an essay on the cultural
unity of the north. Today, Norden,
and its adjective form Nordic, are the
standard terms used in the five coun-
tries, for they more accurately reflect
the history of this region.
Finland was part of Sweden from
the 12th century until 1809; Norway
has at different times been united
with both Denmark and Sweden; and
Iceland was part of Denmark until
1944.
Based on this shared tradition, the
five Nordic countries have co-operat-
ed in a myriad of political, economic,
and cultural endeavours that
strengthen their regional identity.
Because of the Centre’s interest in
all five Nordic countries, the Board
of Directors voted at its January
meeting to change our name to the
Nordic Centre. The new name offi-
cially went into effect on June 1, with
the new fiscal year.
Association, and the Minnesota
Historical Society. From 1976-88 he
served as a Regent of Augsburg
College.
Mr. Arnason claims Icelandic her-
itage through both his father and
mother, whose families came to
Minnesota in the late 19th century.
He and his wife, Peggy Arnason,
are parents of four grown children
and live in an historic house in
Marille on St. Croix. He enjoys visit-
ing antique stores and auctions
where, among other things, he looks
for additions to his immigrant trunk
collection.
The new president, whose term
began January 1, in the throes of the
Centre’s preparation for the Nordic
Council visit, says, “One of my pri-
mary goals is to strengthen our finan-
ciál basis so we can fill a greater role
in serving the area.” He envisions the
Centre as a co-ordinator of various
Nordic cultural groups in the Twin
Cities. He would also like to see the
Centre become a Nordic information
resource for the entire Upper
Midwest.
Minnist
í ERFÐASKRÁM YÐAR
ments.”
Olson suggested that the main-
stream media could do much more
toward creating a dialogue between
ethnocultural communities and the
mainstream majority. She cited the
instance of Roman Tam, the Hong
Kong opera singer and pop star who
has literally millions of followers. Last
spring, Tam gave a Concert at
Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall. The
event, although it raised $120,000 to
assist deserving young Canadian musi-
cians, was all but ignored by the main-
stream media.
“As it happened, Tam didn’t need
the attention of the mainstream press
— the Chinese media did him proud,”
Olson wrote. “I think the press needs
people like Tam and not just because
traditional readership is shrinking. In
these times of ethnic conflict and
nationalist rhetoric, art remains an
enduring, if fragile, bridge between
cultures, a means of transforming dif-
ferences into something shared.”
Although unstated by the writer,
Sheree-Lee Olson’s laudable plca for
greater understanding of Canada’s
multicultural reality applies equally to
Canada’s ethnic media.
Creating understanding depends, first,
last and always on communication.
It has been said often that true
communication is a two-way street,
not a matter of “us” and “them”. The
two-way street must run not only
between individual ethnocultural com-
munities and the mainstream; it must
exist between the ethnocultural com-
munities themselves.
Whether or not the voting in the
referendum went to their liking, it is
the duty of all Canadians now to look
to the future. And part of that future is
Canada’s multicultural reality. More
than ever it will depend on our ability
to understand each other.
The English novelist George Eliot
once wrote, “The nations of the world
are like islands, shouting at one anoth-
er across seas of misunderstanding.”
Our communities, which originated
in so many of those nations of the
world must not remain islands. We
musf start building bridges. And who
better than our ethnic media to start to
build these bridges?
Arnason Funeral Service Ltd.
Serving Interlake Area
Chapels at Lundar and Ashern
lst Avenue N., Ashern Telephone: 768-2072
DON'T COOK TONIGHT - CALL
OHICKEN DEU6-HT
Telephone 642*5631
Main Street East
Ashern, Manitoba
TOMBOY
F • O • O • D • S
Groceries — Fresh Meat — Produce
Tel: 768-2736 Ashern, MB