Lögberg-Heimskringla - 23.05.2003, Blaðsíða 4

page 4 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday, 23 May 2003
FRÉTTIR • NEWS
“Ruth Christie from Canada, Welcome.”
So read the sign held by Eiríkur Sverrisson when Ruth Christie arrived
in Iceland. She knew she was in capable hands.
This year I had the privilege
and honour to share stories
of my aboriginal history with
the people in Iceland. Evelyn
Thorvaldson of Winnipeg, a
woman of great courage and
insight, nominated me for this
phenomenal adventure. The
Brúin Chapter of the Icelandic
National, League of North
America in Selkirk took me
under their wing from the very
beginning and continues to
encourage the relationship
between Canada and Iceland.
Petrína Bachman of the
Foreign Ministry and Markús
Öm Antonsson of INL Iceland
did a wonderful overall
arrangement for my transporta-
tion and accommodation and
Petrína was my main contact.
Eiríkur Sverrisson, my chauf-
feur in Iceland, was holding a
sign that read “Ruth Christie
from Canada, Welcome.” I
knew I would be in very capa-
ble hands. Hulda Karen
Daníelsdóttir, who works for
the Education Department in
the City of Reykjavík, volun-
teered to book schools and
libraries for my lectures. My
schedule was full, but the
Creator gave me strength to
fulfill my commitments. I
know there were many friends
who were praying for me.
The Director of the
Intemational Visits Program,
Gail Einarson-McCleery of
Toronto, worked diligently
with myself, and those in
Iceland, to make this a suc-
cessful and rewarding visit.
The 2003
icelandic
®pen
The 3rd Annual Icelandic Open
proudly sponsored by the
Lögberg-Heimskringla
At Links on the Lake
(formerly Pelican Beach)
When: Friday, August lst, 2003
Place: Links on the Lake, Gimli MB
Time: 9:30 to 11:00 am Lunch and Registration
Start: 11:00 am Shot Gun Start .
Format: Texas Scramble
Cost $150.00 per person. Early bird entry before
June 15, 2003 to be eligible for firee entry to the
2004 tournament. If you played last year, have one
member paid by June 15 to secure your team place.
Your entry includes:
• Lunch
• Tee box gift
• Dinner at the Johnson Hall at 6 pm
• 18 holes of golf with a cart!
• Did I forget to mention prizes for everyone!
So come out and swing like a Viking!
Don’t delay. We sold out last year!

For registration and sponsorship intormation please call:
Audrey Kwasnica at the L-H 204-284-5686 or 1-866-564-2374
or email logbergadmin@mts.net
Wendy Toews, Collection
Manager at Lower Fort Garry
National Historic Site gener-
ously provided my aboriginal
wardrobe and some of the dis-
play articles, including twenty-
three of the seventy slides. The
remaining forty-seven slides
were graciously loaned to me
from Travel Manitoba.
Audreen Hourie, Pemmican
Publications, gifted me with
several books for sharing in
Iceland.
My friends in Iceland,
some of whom I originally met
in Manitoba and some whom I
newly met while there, hosted
me at luncheons, brunches,
dinners, tours, outdoor swims,
plays, a birthday party, and
provided transportation and
accommodation once my offi-
cial visit had ended. Margret
Björgvinsdóttir of Akureyri
made the arrangements in the
north. All this was given with
genuine friendship.
Finally included in this list
of people to thank are my chil-
dren, grandchildren and
extended family who fully sup-
ported me in many practical
ways from the start and saw
me through to the finish of my
trip to Iceland.
My lectures on aspects of
aboriginal lifestyle, which took
place between March 24th and
April llth, were coordinated
with a twenty-minute
slideshow. This covered areas
such as:
• Clothing, footwear,
jewelry
• Homes, transportation,
tools and weapons
• Food, utensils, hunt-
ing, gathering, and fishing
• Crafting
• Medicines and mid-
YEOMAN
FARM
Stefanía Sveinbjarnardóttir
Ray Dignum
Parham, ON K0H 2K0
Tel: 613.375.6308
E-mail: yeomanfa@frontenac.net
www.yeoman-icelandic-sheep.ca
Breeders of lcelandic Sheep
PHOTO COURTESY OF KENT LÁRUS BJÖRNSSON
Ruth Christie at Reykjavík workshop
wifery
• Spiritual beliefs, cere-
monies and celebrations
Included was the history of
my family’s connection to the
Icelandic settlers.
A display table with many
items including artifact repro-
ductions, books and newspaper
articles were available to han-
dle and read. I had order forms
for Loon Straits Through the
Years: The Monkman Ancestry
as well as audio cassette/CD’s
of my aboriginal stories. If
requested, and if there was
time available, I had videos to
show:
• Cree Syllabic Lessons
• Canoeing on Loon
River
• Métis Journey
• Winter Fishing on
Lake Winnipeg
• Tota Vigfusson
• The New Icelanders
• Manitoba: Find Your
Routes.
In total, I gave twenty-one
lectures and eight separate sto-
rytelling sessions. In addition,
I was hosted at a reception
given by the Canadian
Ambassador Gerald Skinner.
I also gave several inter-
Krave’s Candy Co.
45 Durand Road
Winnipeg, MB, R2J 3T1
PHONE: (204) 654-1361
Toll Free: 1 (800) 357-6867
Larry Finnson
Chris Emery
views:
• Icelandic RUV
(National Broadcasting
Service) television program
“Mósaik”
• Icelandic RUV
(National Broadcasting
Service) radio program
“Víðsjá”
• American television at
the NATO Base at Keflavík
• Icelandic newspaper
Fréttablaðið
Financial sponsors includ-
ed the Manitoba Arts Council,
the Canada Council for the
Arts and the Cultural
Exchange Fund of the Canada-
Iceland Foundation, the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of
Iceland and the City of
Reykjavík.
All in all, I felt I was well
received and honoured with
the genuine interest and open-
ness of the people, adults and
school children alike, wherev-
er I toured and lectured. I
humbly believe that my visits,
formal and personal, have
strengthened the many ties
between the Icelandic people,
the new Icelanders here in
Canada and the Aboriginal
people of Manitoba. I am
grateful to have had this won-
derful opportunity and hope to
visit Iceland again in the
future.
WMU
real estate inc.
DlANNE
SlGVALDASON
987-0000
Toll Free: 1-800-361-6789
E-MAIL: diannes@escape.ca
Visit us on the web at http:llwww.logberg.com