Lögberg-Heimskringla - 21.03.1997, Page 1

Inside this week:
HeimsKringia
The lcelandic Weekly
Lögberg Stofnaö 14. januar 1888 Heiniskringla Stofnaö 9. septeniber 1886
Daily News from lceland................2
lcelandic Coast Guard..................3
It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it... 4
Calendar of Events.....................4
Betty Jane Wylie Cooking Solo..........5
Children’s Corner......................6
Poetry Corner..........................7
111 Argangur Föstudagur 21, mars 1997 NumerlO
111th Year Publications Mail Registration No. 1667 Friday, 21 March, 1997 Number 10
I C E L A N D I C
N E W S
Documentary on
Westem lcelanders
being Produced
■ Ásthildur Kjartansdóttir, a film-
maker, is working on a documentary
on Western-Icelanders called “The
Winds of Keewatin.” The docu-
mentary is based on Laura Goodman
Salverson’s award-winning book
Confessions of an lmmigrant's
Daughter which deals with the Ice-
landic settlement in America around
the tum of the century. David Lint,
with Cinenova Co., Ontario, is a co-
producer.
“The part of the story I find the
most interesting is on the Native
People who helped the Icelandic
settlers very much. They taught them
to catch fish under different circum-
stances and to hunt deer and other
animals in the woods. In all the stories
the Westem-Icelanders speak well of
the Indians and there were no battles
fought with them. It will be interesting
to film this,” Ásthildur said in an
interview with Morgunblaðið.
The name Keewatin is the Indian
name for the area which Icelanders
later called Gimli.
Laura Goodman Salverson re-
ceived the Govemor General’s Award
in 1939, as well as a recognition from
the French Academy. Laura Salver-
son’s son, an 80-year-old documentary
writer, will assist Ásthildur in the
making of the movie and lead her to
the areas referred to in the book.
“He is the best source of informa-
tion we can possibly get, as he grew
up under his mother’s desk, so to
speak. He will take us back in time
through his mother’s book. We will
Continued on page 2
Gimli High School Needs
Icelandic Donations
Students living in “New
Iceland” in Gimli, Manitoba
may have all kinds of
Icelandic influences in their
lives and neighborhoods, but they
don’t have much resource material
about that heritage in their high
school library. Resource Teacher
Peter Bjomson is trying to change
that with a widespread public
appeal for help and donations.
Bjomson said that the school re-
cently reviewed its resources and
found that the facility was “seriously
lacking” in three important areas —
books by local authors and especially
books on Icelandic and Ukrainian
subjects.
Icelanders and Ukrainians “were
and continue to be the dominant
cultural groups which make up the
cultural mosaic that is now Gimli,”
said Bjomson. He is interested in
acquiring any books and videos about
these two cultures on any subject —
history, literature, philosophy, etc.
The shortage of books in these
areas is not altogether a mystery.
Budget constraints force educators to
make some tough decisions within
tightly focused perimeters and,
naturally, their first priority for library
funds is for curriculum-based
materials. Books on Icelandic and
Ukrainian culture are “considered
luxury items” said Bjomson.
But that doesn’t mean that those
books and resources are unimportant
and so Bjomson is spearheading a
public appeal, asking community
organizations, foundations and
philanthropists to help the school
develop and promote three new library
sections — Icelandic Studies,
Ukrainian Studies and Local Authors.
“We are requesting donations of
either books and videos and/or money
to be designated for acquisitions for
these areas,” said Bjomson. The books
can be fiction or non-fiction and other
materials can include maps and any
other cultural reference materials.
Signs are good that the appeal will
help the school beef up its Icelandic
collection. So far, Gimli High School
has received six books, 37 periodicals
and two videos.
Among the pieces already re-
ceived are Betel Home Foundation
1915-1995; and most editions of the
Icelandic Canadian from Spring
1980 to Autumn 1990, which were
donated by Sigga Benedictson of
Gimli. Other contributors to date
include:
• Gimli Credit Union: Cash
donation of $200;
• Icelandic National League:
Donation of two copies of
Framfari, 1877-1880;
Kinsmen Club of Gimli: Cash
donation of $100.
Gimli High School still has a long
way to go, however; and they need
your help. If you have any materials
you would like to donate, contact
Peter Bjomson at Gimli High School
at 204 /642-8546, or fax the school at
204 / 642-5063. They would
appreciate hearing from you. □
INL Presents Cheque for Museum
Connie Magnusson, President of the Gimli Chapter-Icelandic National League,
presents a cheque of $5,000 to Laurence Johnson for the building fund drive
toward a new museum of Icelandic Heritage and other community preservation
at Gimli. — Dilla Narfason